Causes of Knee Pain

Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint that brings people to their doctor. With today's increasingly active society, the number of knee problems is increasing. Knee pain has a wide variety of specific causes and treatments.

Anatomy of the knee

The knee is a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities such as lifting and kneeling, and from high-impact activities such as jogging and aerobics.

The knee is formed by the following parts:

• Tibia - shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg.




• Femur - thighbone or upper leg bone.




• Patella - kneecap.

There are two groups of muscles involved in the knee, including the quadriceps muscles (located on the front of the thighs), which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles (located on the back of the thighs), which bend the leg at the knee.

Causes of Knee Pain

Causes of knee pain can be very varied and numerous. Injuries, arthritis, bursitis, gout, pica, Baker's Cysts, tendonitis, and other conditions are all causes of knee pain. The most common condition that causes knee pain is arthritis, and there are a lot of different treatments available for this condition. A ligament or cartilage tear can also cause knee pain, and the treatment for these injuries is usually surgery to repair the tear, and then rest and strengthening exercises once the tear is healed. The knees are complex joints that often are damaged as a result of injury (trauma) or "wear and tear." In people over the age of 50, osteoarthritis is the most common cause for pain in the knees.

Common types of knee injuries include the following:

• Bruises




• Fractures (broken bone; e.g., fractured knee cap [patella], upper tibia, or lower femur)




• Torn ligaments (e.g., anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] tear, medial collateral ligament [MCL] tear)




• Torn cartilage (e.g., meniscus tear)




• Knee sprains or strains

Diagnosing Knee Pain

In diagnosing the cause of knee pain, it is important to carefully examine the knees. A patient whose knees cave inward has a condition known as knocked-knees. This stresses and weakens the medial collateral ligament on the inside of the knee.

Alternatives to Knee Surgery

Prolotherapy is indicated regardless of whether the injury causing the knee pain is due to a meniscal or articular cartilage injury. Prolotherapy injected into a joint requires a more concentrated solution because the joint fluid has a diluting effect.

Treatment

People overall are experiencing knee pain, most commonly caused by arthritis, in people as young as their 30's when at one time, this was associated mainly in the elderly. Weight bearing movement, which means repeated pounding on the knee with forces up to four to five times your body weight, is the most common reason for knee stress and pain.

Stay strong -- this is what the manual will teach you how to do using the quadriceps muscles to ease stress on the knee joint.
2. Mix up your exercise routines i.e., practice cross training, which implements a variety of activities.
3. Stay active.
4. Avoid risky activities, especially if you have had a previous knee injury.