Knee pain is not just one of the commonest of joint complaints but also one of the most debilitating ones. Most people are not aware that the knees are most vulnerable to injury and pain, our knees being the most complex and the largest of all the joints in the body. We use our knees for a variety of things, for standing up, sitting, walking, running; in fact almost anything at all. Because the knee is such an overused joint, the chances of injury and subsequent knee pain are immense.
More and more people are now looking to surgery to treatment for knee pain. However, all kinds of knee pain do not require surgery and many complaints can be managed without drastic interventional techniques.
The causes for knee pain are varied. The commonest of these is arthritis,usually a chronic condition, for which there are a variety of treatment options, depending on the kind of arthritis and its severity. Arthritis risks usually increase with age.
Knee pain may also be a non-chronic condition, brought on by injuries like ligament injuries, cartilage injuries or conditions like a dislocation of a knee cap. Other less common conditions like gout, Baker's cyst, and Plica syndrome may also bring on a measure of knee pain. Many types of knee pain are brought about by overuse of the knee that is, indulging in exercises without adequate warm up, or simply doing exercises which you haven't done for a very long time.
If knee pain is severe enough to persist for more than a few days or strong enough to keep you awake at night, it is recommended that you consult a doctor. Other features such as a pain that stops you from walking comfortably or a swelling or redness that crops up in the affected area should also be reason for you to take the opinion of a specialist.
However, there are some home remedies that you can employ even before you make the trip to the doctor. First and foremost, rest. Nothing works in the case of knee pain, or for that matter, any joint pain, like rest. Giving the joint some rest allows the inflammation to subside, very often the only thing that is needed in any case. Ice and heat packs are also helpful devices, though you should ask a doctor which one of these is recommended for your type of knee pain.
On consulting a doctor, you will most likely be given some anti-inflammatory medicines to relieve the knee pain, or in some severe cases, cortisone injections that can help the inflammation to subside more rapidly.
The most important thing to keep in mind is to exercise judiciously and keep the muscles supporting the knees supple and flexible. This is your best chance to keep knee pain away. Find the correct exercises to keep knees strong. Pick the correct footwear and keep body weight down.
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