Knee pain is among the most commonly occurring ailments: statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that nearly one in five people report suffering from knee pain. SeriousIt’s a problem both among athletes and non-athletes. The good news is that most of the causes of knee pain can be safely treated and managed with convention treatments. However, serious long-term conditions like osteoarthritis of the knees may require more intense treatment.
A Brief Look at Knee Anatomy
Of all the joints in the body, the patellar joint is the most susceptible to injury and degeneration. In fact, given the number of forces arrayed against it, the surprising thing is that injuries aren’t more common.
One reason the joint is so vulnerable is because of the kind of joint it is. As a hinge joint, the knee formsis formed at the place where several bones in the lower limbs meet and can only extend itself in one direction, though it can also rotate slightly from left to right and right to left. ItThe knee is therefore more restricted in its movement than a ball joint like the shoulder., which has greater flexibility. This restriction is one of the reasons it gets injured so easily. The MCL and LCL ligaments control side-to-side movement, while the ACL and PCL ligaments control front-to-back movements.
TheBut in addition to that, the knee is also constantly subject to the body’s weight of the body, and anything being carried by the body, and the pressures of movement. Itexerted through motion. The knee acts as a shock absorber during movements. like running and jumping. Over time this wears away at the ligaments, tendons, collagen, and cushioning cartilage that help hold the knee together. Cartilage is the connective tissue that covers the ends of bones and allows bonesthem to glide without friction, while collagen is the primary structural protein of connective tissue. As we get older, this structural protein begins to break down throughout the body, creating a significant number of injuries and disorders.
Knee Problems and Injuries
Arthritis is a generic term referring to several different kinds of degeneration-related disorders. Osteoarthritis typically occurs with differing sources. The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, can occur when joints become unstable and ligaments loosen, resulting in greater freedom for bones and producing friction which ultimately rubs away their protective cartilage. Patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis of the knee may find that the joint is trying to stabilize by growing more bone. They may also find that little pieces of cartilage isare becoming dislodged and floating around in the knee, causing inflammation and tremendousarthritis pain in the knee.
Common symptoms of osteoarthritis include stiffness in the joints, swelling, loss of dexterity, an odd crunching sound during movement, and joint pain that’s exacerbated by walking, exercise, or changes in the weather. People who are obese, who exercise heavily, or who perform hard physical labor are at greater risk for developing osteoarthritis. You may also be susceptible if you’ve suffered from serious trauma, such as jumping or knee running injuries.
Rheumatoid arthritis is another form of arthritis that has been known to attack the knee joints. This kind of arthritis typically develops from a deficiency in the autoimmune system, in which the body’s immune system turns against its own tissue and attacks it as though it were a foreign invader. In some cases it may develop from a viral or bacterial infection. It differs from osteoarthritis in beginning, not in the joint itself, but in the synovial membrane within the joint. Unlike osteoarthritis, the pain doesn’t lessen when the patient is at rest, but may continue throughout the day, creating an irresistible feeling of fatigue. Moreover, while osteoarthritis remains isolated within the joints, rheumatoid arthritis may spread throughout the body like a plague and ravage many organs.
Bursitis, oralso known as “housemaid’s knee,” occurs when joints area joint is injured or overused. Within the joints of the body are small sacs filled with synovial fluid. These sacs, called bursae, lubricate the tendons, bones, and tissuesligaments and preventprotect them from rubbing together. However, during injurywhen a joint is injured the bursae may swell up and impinge on the surrounding tissue, creating inflammation and bursa knee pain. Symptoms may also include stiffness when the knee is bent and swelling surrounding or below the patellar joint.
How to Treat Knee Pain
Because there doesn’t yet exist any proven treatment that can reverse the effects of knee osteoarthritis, effective treatment seeks to make the pain manageable. and improve function in the knee joint. A doctor for knee pain may employ physical therapy and drug treatments to help get injured or hurting patients back on their feet. While this may not eliminate knee pain entirely, over time it will help to mitigate its worst symptoms.
In the first place, experts recommend staying off of one’s feet as much as possible initiallyduring the early stages of treatment and decreasing the kinds of exercise that involve the affected area. Weight loss is also recommended in some cases to relieve stress on the body. Regimens of icing or heating can be used to reduce common knee painknee joints, as well as on the hips and lower back which increase the load of weight-bearing. Support devices such as braces or a cane may also prove beneficial.
Regimens of icing or heating can be used to reduce common knee pain. In some cases doctors may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication (NSAIDs) to relieve swelling and inflammation. If this fails, they may prescribe a direct injection of corticosteroids at the site of injury. Support devices such as canes, elastic bandages, or braces can also be helpful.
Likewise, knee bursitis (which, unlike osteoarthritis, is fully treatable) can be safely treated with applications of ice and ample amounts of rest. Ice should be applied for between 10 and 15 minutes every few hours for the first two to three days after injury. If necessary, a patient may use an elastic bandage to immobilize the joint and prevent the injury from being aggravated. A doctor may recommend NSAIDs and, failing that, corticosteroid injections. If the swelling persists, the doctor may use a needle and syringe to aspirate the fluid out of the bursa.
How We Treat Knee Problems at the New York Dynamic Rehabilitation Clinic
Patients seeking knee pain help will find it at the New York Dynamic Rehabilitation Clinic (NYDNRehab). One of the most successful sports injury clinics in New York City, NYDNRehab has attained a reputation for competence and authority by combining personal care with advanced modalities like force-plate video feedback training and Alter-G, the anti-gravity treadmill.
Our clinic uses technological gait (walking) analysis for precision diagnosis. Gait analysis surpasses conventional imaging analysis by actually showing the joints, bones, and muscles of the knee in motion and in relationship to each other, ensuring accurate analysis for conditions like prepatellar bursitis and patellar osteoarthritis. Gait analysis can be used in conjunction with Computer Assisted Rehabilitation Environment, a fully immersive environment that helps patients get back into shape by allowing them to train via made-up situations projected onto a 180-degree hemispherical screen. Previously available only in a private capacity, CAREN is one of the jewels of our clinic. NYDNRehab owns the first fully functioning CAREN in New York City.
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