An Overview of Arthritis Knee Pain
Arthritis knee pain is caused by the inflammation of the joint where the bones of the leg meet, which is the knee. The arthritis knee pain can be accompanied by swelling around the knee and redness. Often, the pain can radiate to adjacent areas of the leg. Moderate pain can cause slight problems with walking while sever or acute pain can cause the loss of the ability to walk altogether. Arthritis knee pain can start at any time in a person’s life and can occur in people who are considered physically fit as well as people who do not exercise. Whenever the pain begins, it is a precursor to a life-long condition.
People who participate in high impact sports are at high risk for developing arthritis knee pain. Also, people who work on their feet for long periods of time are likely to develop arthritis in the knees. What these two types of activities have in common is a persistent amount of stress placed on the joints of the knee.
The knee is the point where the femur, also known as the thigh bone, and the tibia, the shin bone, meet. The tibia conducts the jarring shocks from the feet while the femur transfers the stress of the body’s weight all meeting in the knee. This is why the knee is the most common site of arthritis. Even routine exercise, although beneficial to overall health, can contribute to the development of arthritis knee pain. Almost every professional athlete suffers from arthritis knee pain at some point in life.
Although occupation tends to be a factor in the development of arthritis in the knee, it is not a definite predetermination. Many people never develop arthritis.
Consequently, the actual cause of arthritis is unknown. Most people who suffer from it have family histories including arthritis sufferers. Though it is believed that there is an inherited disposition to the development of arthritis, again, it is not a definite in that some people in a family of sufferers never develop it. Heredity and occupation are contributing factors, but are not considered causes by the medical community.
There are many treatments available to treat arthritis knee pain. Physicians may prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs and pain relievers. In some cases, especially in cases involving athletes, cortisone injections are used to maintain the function of the knees. This is a very dangerous treatment when used over time. Temperature therapies are also commonly used to alleviate arthritis knee pain. Extreme cases of arthritis in the knees can be treated by surgery. Other treatments can include occupational and physical therapy as well as homeopathic solutions.
5 Knee Pain Remedy Steps to Take at Your residence
Knee pain affects the whole body because legs propel us into motion, and when we’re hurting the last thing we feel like doing is moving. This is why knee pain treatment is so highly desired by those who are experiencing this type of pain.
Knowledge of how to treat knee pain is a major plus for those experiencing such pain. With simple pain-relief options nearby, there’s no need to live with knee pain.
The 5 knee pain treatment steps reviewed in this article can help reduce, and perhaps eliminate your knee pain troubles. The knee pain treatment steps revealed in the following article include:
Pain Relief Lotion
Herbal remedies
Weight control
Proper dieting
To reach toward an end to your knee pain, try the following treatments.
Knee elevation is an advisable knee strategy. Placing a cushion beneath your knees is both comforting and healthy. The result of this knee pain treatment is that it can reduce, and or eliminate your aggravating knee pain.
Many taste-good foods can contribute to knee pain. Huge advances in your diet will occur simply by removing fatty foods and sodium from what you eat. Healthy advancements will occur if you eat additional fruits and vegetables daily and drink up to 8 glasses of water.
Knee pain often is caused by inflammation of the joints. Dietary additives such as ginger and turmeric can provide relief to knee pain. While it may take time to realize results from consuming these types of herbs, doing so likely will produce positive results.
Excess body weight tears down the entire body. This is true regardless of which knee pain treatments you employ. Therefore, if you are experiencing knee pain, consider losing some weight as part of your knee pain treatment strategy.
Rubbing a pain relief lotion on your body can be an excellent part of your knee pain treatment. Real Time Pain Relief (RTPR) is both natural and an excellent reliever of many sources of pain.
Though it takes varying times to realize significant improvements, each of the aforementioned strategies can cut back or eliminate knee pain. My experiences with RTPR have found it to be an excellent first step to move away from pain. Whatever steps you decide to take, you can indeed gain victory over your knee pain with simple, easy-to-implement knee pain treatment strategies.
Common Causes of Chronic Knee Pain
When chronic knee pain becomes such a burden that it starts having a significant impact in the quality of your day to day life, finding relief from the pain becomes a top priority. Not being able to perform simple everyday tasks because of bad knees is quite frustrating for those suffering from chronic knee pain.
When pain persists over time, that pain becomes classified as “chronic” instead of “acute”. The reasons for the development of chronic knee pain are many, and include excessive tension placed on the knees or disease. The incidence of chronic knee pain becomes higher as we age.
It helps to have a core understanding of what the knee’s structure is in order to comprehend the causes of chronic knee pain. To put it in terms that most people can understand, the knee is a joint involving a complex system of soft and hard tissues which links the upper and lower parts of the leg in a way that allows it to have a wide range of movement.
If you ever tried walking in a cast you should have a clear appreciation for just how important the knee is, as it has to do all of this while supporting the entire weight of a person. If any of the elements of this complex system are damaged, a person is likely to suffer from some form of chronic knee pain.
Injuries that Cause Chronic Knee Pain
Because the knees play an essential role in most basic activity, there is a certain amount of wear and tear on the joint, and overuse of its structures often leads to chronic knee pain. As an example, if overuse leads the cartilage disc that acts as a buffer between the knee cap and the bone to degrade significantly, there will be chronic knee pain as a result of the friction between them.
In cases where there is a problem with the patella (the round bone we think of as “the knee”), it may be necessary to use a support to effectively sustain its alignment to the femur. Such a support can help alleviate chronic knee pain associated with this condition, known as Patellofemoral Syndrome.
Among the usual injuries that can cause problems are ligament injuries and tendinitis, which can be treated through normal means such as rest as anti-inflammatory drugs. Ice can also be used to help alleviate an issue of this sort.
Another common problem would be a meniscus tear, which is a much more serious issue that requires surgical correction. Those with serious knee pain should see a doctor and get an x-ray to determine the extent of the problem.
Diseases that Cause Chronic Knee Pain
In terms of diseases that lead to chronic knee pain, we have various types of arthritis and gout. In cases of osteoarthritis there is a problem causing the deterioration of the cartilage in the knee structure. In contrast to that, there are gout and rheumatoid arthritis which can often lead to pain from the formation of a cyst at the back of the knee. The cyst is formed because of the inflammation in these conditions, which causes fluids to gather.
Issues can also be caused by conditions such as lupus and bursitis. Bursitis is thought to be caused by excessive tension, for example kneeling too often. Lupus on the other hand is a disorder of the connective tissue in the knee’s structure which has no clear, known cause. While anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin can be used to treat the symptoms of these disorders, it is highly advisable that a doctor be consulted, especially when the pain persists.
There are many things you can do to prevent chronic knee pain from arising due to an injury, such as:
– Dieting. Because the knee has to support nearly your entire body weight, getting rid of excess fat will be of enormous benefit in easing the stress it has to deal with on a day to day basis.
– Avoid jumping into activities without being prepared. Slowly ease your way into any new exercise routine so your body has time to adapt and protect your joints.
– Good shoes that are comfortable and provide good support will protect your knees when you need to spend extended periods on your feet.
Conclusion
Even though you may feel deprived of a full life because of chronic knee pain, there is no reason you can’t use the information and treatment methods that modern medicine gives us to deal with the issue intelligently and minimize the negative effect knee pain has on your daily life.
Can Knee Pain Cause Back Pain: – Acute Knee Pains
This is one of the common misdiagnose which you will see today with minimal back pain as well as knee pain, but whose knee aches are really being caused by a pinched nerve in the back. Is it possible that one with a pinched back nerve does not have much back pain? Sometimes the knee cause back to share. The nerves which are present in the back go to the legs. So if you feel something in your nerves in your back, then you are also going to feel the sensation in your knees because of the nerves that you knee and back are sharing.
There are many doctors who have been trained to diagnose the pinched nerve at the back only when there is numbness or the sensation of the tingling down to your legs. So if you are suffering from a knee pain then you might feel pain in your back and if you will have problems in your lower back region then you are going to feel sensations in your knees. So there is a relation between your lower back region and knees.
Cause Of The Lower Back
Today you will find that there are a number of people who are suffering from the back pains due to this knee pain. Can knee pain cause back pain? Sometimes it can cause the problems. There are large numbers of reasons of lower back pains. In case you are having strained muscles, in case your discs are injured, in case your legs and arms large nerves are irritated, in case your bones, ligaments or joints are injured.
There are different treatments which are a viable for the back pains as well as knee pains. In case you are suffering from the accident, falls, eyes then there are also chances that you are suffering from both the conditions at the same time and that are lower back pain as well as knee pain.
Knee Pains
The knees are the parts which can injure easily and there are few people who know this. This is also the most complicated joint in the human body and also the one that utilizes the most. From walking to running, standing to walking the knee is used. With every moment there is an increased risk of the injury.
The common cause of the knee pains is the injuries. There are several injuries that can affect both your knees as well as your lower back region. These injuries happen due to accidents. In such cases cartilages are torn and ligaments are ruptured. If a person is suffering from a major lower back injury, then he can also compromise his legs because of the association of the ligaments and nerves between the legs and the lower back region.
Treatments For Back A Pain And Knee Pains
There are several treatments which are available today such as natural treatments. In case you are suffering from the mild pains then it is better to take natural treatments. There are therapies in which you can get back to your legs with the help of exercise. Your physiotherapist is going to recommend you with the right back and knee exercise that is going to provide you with effective results. Many patients have gotten relief from the therapies.
Other Treatments
There are several other treatments such as knee replacements in case you have severe problems. The procedure is going to depend upon the severity of the pain and the condition you are suffering from. There are some problems that can be cured with the help of medications, exercises and therapies. On the other hand, there are conditions which need surgical procedures to treat the conditions. Back pains, bad knee pains can arise from the same injuries. There are many cases and in your condition, your doctor would be able to advise you best on the can knee pain caused back pain.
At Home Remedies for Knee Pain
If you are having knees pain, don’t take it easy. It might be caused by one of two reasons either a disease or an injury. However, with age progressing to 45 years and above, people get prone to this disease. Other factors causing this disease include; stress degeneration of tissues, arthritis and obesity. If not treated properly it might take serious and severe condition, hence daily functioning will be effected badly.
A knee pain if ignored might lead you to serious problems. However, to relief the knee pain one has to adapt one of the two ways either go for medication or adapt few home remedies. It is advised to adapt few home remedies before going for medication.
The first home remedy adapted by most of the patient to relief the knee pain is to reduce their weight and join a gym for proper exercises to maintain body weight and shape. It helps relieving knee pain by preventing knees crushing under your increased weight.
Buying a good pair of shoe that can provide support to your knees in pain, exercising to strengthen your muscles and tendons providing support to your knees can also help relief in knee pain.
Any lotion, which on applying heat might help you relief your pain by producing heat.
Several herbs like ginger, uncaria tomentosa, harpagophytum procumbens can also be used to relief the knee pain.
A warm paste of castor seeds, turmeric and wheat if mixed with goat’s milk and applied on the affected area can help in reduction of pain.
Knee Pain – Natural Treatment, Home Remedies and Alternative Medicine
Are you suffering from knee pain? Learn more about the symptoms, causes and treatment for knee pain and get rid of knee pain now! Knee pain is a condition that can be brought on by a wide variety of factors, in people of all different ages. Sometimes, it can be caused by an injury to a ligament or cartilage while it can also be caused by something as simple as a bad shoe or a bad walking form.
Those suffering from persistent knee pain are usually very frustrated people who feel that gnawing pain throughout the day and sometimes even at night. Those kind of people should however be encouraged by the fact that there are a number of solutions for eliminating or significantly reducing pain in the knees. In the sections below, we will introduce you to how you can eliminate or reduce knee pain without medical procedures, by using home remedies, natural treatments and alternative medicine.
RICE – Rest, Ice, Compression & Elevation Rest
The fact that you have knee pain does not mean that there is something seriously wrong with you. It could just be a simple case of your cartilage and knee muscles being overworked, after some strenuous activity. Strenuous activity has a different meaning for a lot of different people.
A healthy 20 something might develop knee pain after an intense game of soccer that went into overtime while an overweight 50 something might develop knee pain because they spent an extra hour in the garden, on their knees, pruning some shrubs. In either case, the person might be able to eliminate the pain in their knees by simply avoiding the activities that caused the pain, for a short period of time.
Ice
Ice packs are an excellent remedy to eliminate pain from the knees. You don’t have to buy one of those fancy medical ice packs for this. Just grab a big bag of frozen peas and apply it on your knees, for no longer than 20 minutes at a time. It is important that you follow that time limit as overexposure to ice has the potential to damage both skin and nerves. Ice will reduce the inflammation on the muscles and cartilage that are causing the pain in your knees.
Compression
When you are suffering from pain in the knees, there is a very good chance that you have fluid build-up that is caused by misaligned and unstable blood vessels. Go get yourself a nice compression bandage that is tight enough to compress and stabilize your knee, but not too tight that it will restrict your body’s natural blood flow. Look for something comfortable as well.
Elevation
This simple remedy is particularly effective after you have sustained an injury or gone through an event that has begun to cause you knee pain. Simply put your legs up in an elevated position, by sitting on a reclining chair or by just propping up your legs on a bunch of pillows. This will prevent gravity from worsening your knee problems, as fluids that will otherwise accumulate around the knee will be drained away, reducing the inflammation and pain around the knee area.
When suffering from knee pain, it would be ideal if you employed all four techniques suggested above, for at least a couple of days. There is a tremendous chance that you will see a dramatic reduction or maybe even a complete elimination of that annoying pain in your knees.
Alternative Medicine For Knee Pain
Of late, a number of alternative treatments have become popular with the general public. Some of the more prominent ones are briefly discussed below.
Stretching / Yoga techniques
Quite a number of people have been amazed by the results that simple stretching has on their knee pain. When the muscles in your knees are tight and stiff, they restrict and exert the attached tendons, causing pain in various intensities.
Specialized yoga/stretching exercises that will loosen up those muscles can eliminate or at least reduce the tightness, thereby reducing or eliminating the pain as well. If one suffers from recurring pain in the knees, they can resort to about 5-10 minutes of daily stretching, to keep the pain from coming back ever again.
Massage / Physiotherapy
A skilled massage therapist or an experienced physiotherapist can feel the source of your knee pain, just by clutching your knee with their hands. They will then slowly work on relaxing the muscles, tendons and ligaments that have been affected, promoting better blood flow and also eliminating any fluid build-up that might be causing the pain.
Massaging and trained physiotherapy can also eliminate scar tissue and adhesions. Scarring and adhesions are usually present when a person ignores their knee problems and goes on with their everyday life. Both scarring and adhesions can slowly intensify your knee problems over time and a massage therapist will be able to eliminate that possibility.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture, as you may know, is a technique where needles are used to release pressure points and endorphins in the body. Some people have sworn by the effectiveness of acupuncture, in relieving them of knee problems. The key of course is to find a reputable acupuncturist who knows what he or she is doing.
Supplements
Medical research has shown that the area around all the joints in the body contain two compounds called Glucosamine Sulphate and Chondroitin Sulphate. These compounds are now commercially available as supplements. When a doctor prescribes these supplements in calculated doses, many patients have experienced a dramatic reduction in knee and other joint pain as well.
There are a few other alternative treatments for knee pain such as electromagnetic therapy and herbal treatments that are less popular, but effective in certain isolated cases. If you are suffering from knee pain, it is highly recommended that you first try the RICE home remedy to see if it will rectify your knee problems. If it doesn’t, you can look at alternative medicine or more conventional medical treatments like prescription drugs or maybe even surgery, if necessary.
Knee Pain – Relieve Your Arthritis
Chiropractic is one of the health care disciplines that revolve around the musculoskeletal system, mainly the spinal cord. The belief here is that a person’s general health greatly depends on the functioning of the nervous system, which is why related disorders should be controlled.
This is why it is important to take care of the nervous system as in the case if its dysfunction will take place the overall health will be influenced. Therefore, chiropractic treatment and care works specifically on the spinal cord by combining various treatments together. These include working over adjusting the spinal column, asking the patient to engage in regular exercise, make changes in one’s lifestyle and counsel him or her.
A chiropractor works to alleviate any unpleasant symptoms that are taking place due to a problem in the musculoskeletal structure. The spine is thus manoeuvred to remove any symptoms that may be bothering the patient. This form of therapy plays an important role in curing the illness and improving the functioning of the nerves, so that it contributes to the health of the person.
The illnesses that can be successfully cured with the aid of chiropractic therapy include severe pain in the lower back, shoulders, neck and joints. Mostly pain suffered in the knees, jaw and that related to migraine can also be cured.
The spinal cord may be manipulated or displacement in the spinal cord may take place due to several reasons such as a road accident, or a great fall. If a person has gone through any such incidents, chiropractic therapy is one of the best options to opt for. People who suffer from asthma and women who experience PMS can also be benefited from chiropractic.
Chiropractic therapy basically involves using hands to cure so many conditions and heal the body. The patient is supposed to lie down on the bed face down, while the doctor uses his or her hands to manipulate the spine by applying gentle force over the lower back. While this is being done, popping sounds from the spine may be heard.
Knee Pain Treatment At Home
Mild anti-inflammatory and pain relievers are always a good choice. Then you should grab a few hot and cold packs out of the first aid aisle and apply those to the area for a few days to see if the pain goes away.
Also, check out the foot care aisle and try adding some support beds to your shoes. Poorly supported feet is one of the most common causes of knee problems. However, if your knee pain symptoms are severe (such as being unable to walk, falling or developing a fever) you should see a doctor as soon as possible. There are many causes of knee pain that cannot be treated at home.
Knee Pain Treatment – Medical
Medical treatment may be required to provide adequate knee pain treatment. The goal with medical treatment is not only to relieve the pain but to correct the underlying cause. Some of the causes that require medical treatment, like arthritis, have a greater implication for the whole body and not just the knee. A doctor may prescribe a long-term course of pain relievers, anti-inflammatory or even antibiotics to help correct the problem.
Injections
For most people, injections have worked greatly. These are the common ones:
Corticosteroids – Corticosteroid drug injection into the knee joint is a good knee pain treatment which can let you have relief for months.
Hyaluronic acid – The hyaluronic acid is the thick fluid naturally existing in healthy knee joints, and when it is injected into damaged ones, you may experience relief through the lubrication provided. With a series of shots, you may have reduced inflammation and pain relief for many months.
Therapy
The two common therapies that can be used are orthotics and bracing and physical therapy.
Orthotics and bracing – When suffering from osteoarthritis, using wedges as arch supports on the outer or inner part of the heel may help to reduce the pressure on the side of the knee affected by the disease. Support and protection can be provided for the knee joint with different types of knee braces.
Physical therapy – Physical therapy can provide stability when you stretch the muscles around the knee. Training focuses on the hamstrings (muscles in the back of the thigh) and the quadriceps (muscles on the front of your thigh).
Surgery
Surgery is also another option of knee pain treatment. Surgical procedures may be used to shave cysts or growths off the bone in the knee that are causing problems.
You may also need surgery to lengthen tendons or ligaments. Knee replacement is a very serious surgery but may be necessary if there is significant cartilage loss or damage to the bone. New techniques are allowing for implants to replace lost cushioning in the joint so full-out replacement is not always the first and only option.
There are other treatments that your doctor can provide that are not invasive – such as laser, heat and ultrasound.
Knee Pain Treatment – Preventative Care
There is a wide range of preventative knee pain treatments that you can get in the habit of doing to prevent a recurrence of the problem. Some of these preventative treatments are simple, and you can do them at home easily. Some of them may require regular visits to a doctor – they will depend on what was the cause of your knee pain. For many people, switching to good, supportive shoes that prevent the foot and ankle from over-pronating will go miles in preventing knee pain.
Also, developing a habit of stretching the muscles in the legs will help. The more flexible you are, the less your own muscles will begin to pull the ligaments and tendons in your knees out of place. For other issues, such as arthritis, bursitis and other more serious knee problems you may have to take a prescribed knee pain treatment like medication to reduce pain and inflammation. Many types of knee disorders are also treated with a regular schedule of cortisone shots or ultra sound treatments that will require a visit to the doctor.