Knee Pain: Common Causes of Knee Pain

God created the human body knee, not without purpose. The knee is a hinge main body. Without knees, a lot of things we can not do such as running, squatting, sitting cross-legged, or cycling. Once the importance of the role of the knee for us, but we still do not want to maintain their health as exercising too much or let the excess body weight. Why obese people are at high risk for knee pain? Because of the greater body fat knees hold weight loads. So it is with exercise. Indeed, we are encouraged to exercise. But it will cause a danger to the knee when exercise incorrectly.

Knee pain causes by several things, such as sports injuries, metabolic disorders, degenerative diseases, and infections. Knee pain due to infection is usually caused by viruses, bacteria or tumour  While knee pain due to metabolic disorders, such as gout disorder, is caused by the body’s metabolic systems are not perfect and thus affects tissue surrounding the knee. Knee pain most often occurs, usually caused by degenerative processes in the elderly, such as osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. But this disorder is not attacking all parents. Because depending on diet and lifestyle in youth. Someone who is actively engaged at a young age, the risks can be minimized.

Knee Pain Causes are as follow:

Osteoarthritis,  due to a degenerative process

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of arthritis that most commonly affects the knee joint. Ordinary people often mean arthritic knee. OA begins with the breakdown of the cartilage (cartilage), which serves as a protective cushion on the joints while on the move. This damage causes biochemical changes in cartilage. As a result, the thin cartilage and gradually depleted. This causes the ends of the bones are exposed and cause the muscles around the joint tissue irritation and inflammation. Changes in cartilage slow. Generally take years to happen joint disorders.

OA can be experienced by anyone, not the old one only, the young and those with sports injuries. Injuries are ignored for a long time can make the surface uneven joints. This condition can lead to OA. In addition, in some patients, OA occurs because they have a family history that tends to suffer from OA.

The symptoms are pain, stiffness, and feel warm in the joints. Sometimes a crackling sound when moved. Peak pain at night, in the morning, the patient will experience difficulty walking due to stiff joints. Stiffness will disappear after moving the patient back on his feet.

Efforts to reduce the pain can be done with knee compression with warm water, or it could be basking in the sun. Nevertheless, the sun is not a treatment that can cure. Only the best step is to consult a doctor.

Rheumatoid arthritis, due to immune system

This type of arthritis often attacks the knee joint. Compared with OA, rheumatoid arthritis cause chronic  inflammation and more damage to the joint.  Chronic inflammation can occur in the cartilage around the knee joint. But it can also occur in the joints fingers, ankles, and hips. As a result, long cartilage will be destroyed, shrinking the space between the joints, and joints form was changed.

Symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis are not very specific, namely stiffness and pain in the joints. May also be followed by fatigue, weight loss, and sweating of the hands and soles of the feet. Stricken with rheumatoid arthritis knee will usually look red, swollen, and sensitive to the touch. Over time, there may be changes in shape that leads to loss of function of the knee.

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease. That is, the antibodies formed over not attack foreign substances that enter, but instead attack the body’s own tissue, the tissue joints in our knees. Is still not known for sure what the real cause of this disease, but presumably relates to genetic factors, hormonal, and environmental.

Gout, due to metabolism problem

Uric acid disorders in medical terms is known as gout arthritis. Is a problem in the body’s metabolic system characterized by the accumulation of uric acid crystals in the joints, such as knees, wrists, feet and elbows. Gout can occur for two reasons. Could be due to decrease in the body’s ability to remove uric acid in the urine. Or, due to the consumption of purine-rich foods such as crackers, nuts and offal excessive.

These diseases cause great pain, rheumatic pain, and heat to the affected joints, especially the morning. Normally uric acid accumulate where it seemed to stand, swelling, redness, heat, and softer than the surrounding tissue. If the lump is opened, it will appear uric acid crystals that are white. And when we look under the microscope, it will look like needles.

Patients with gout are encouraged to always control their diet. Should avoid foods that contain lots of purines, drink plenty of water, in addition to preventing the saturation of uric acid in the blood as well as stimulate the patient to urinate frequently.

Osteoporosis, due to bone loss

Osteoporosis is often discovered by chance. For example, when the patient suffered a fracture injury, due to falls or lifting loads that are too heavy. Therefore, osteoporosis is often called the silent killer disease. Osteoporosis is a decrease in bone density problems. As a result, the bone loss of carrying capacity of the body, so that people with osteoporosis are prone to fractures. Fracture will often occur when the people with osteoporosis carry pretty heavy load which resulted in fracture to spine, wrist, hip, and of course the knee.

Prior to the fracture, patients generally do not feel any symptoms or pain whatsoever. Physician diagnosis of osteoporosis can be done by using a densitometer which also known as Bone Mineral Density (BMD) Scan, which is a tool that can read accurately the degree of bone density. If found osteoporosis in the knee, then the patient is usually advised to immediately improve your diet and lifestyle, consumption of supplements and certain drugs, as well as foods rich in calcium and vitamin D, such as milk, cheese, fish, broccoli, and cabbage is one way to increase the bone density. Avoid smoking and excessive consumption of caffeine, as it can cause the disbursement of calcium through the urine. Exercise is also important, as long as not the kind of sport that weigh on your knees.

Osgood Schlatter, knee pain in children and adolescents

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a disease of the knee that often affects children and adolescents. This disease causes pain and swelling in the knee and shin. In general, the more frequently the disease is active boys aged between 10-15 years.

This disease often occurs when children were running, jumping, or up and down stairs. Or it could be when the kids are playing basketball or football. The reason is the existence of certain muscles that push epiphysis, the area of bone that can grow there. The emphasis in these areas can cause irritation and swelling accompanied by pain in the front of the leg around the knee.

To ensure that the knee pain is caused by Osgood-Schlatter disease and not due to other causes, the doctor advised to check the X-rays around the knee. Stop all activities that overload the knee, such as running and jumping, it is recommended during the healing process. Normally, it takes a few weeks to a year to restore the disease.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Torn

Knee pain accompanied by a crackling sound in the kneecap, can be a sign of ligament tear in one (set of muscles) to the knee, the anterior cruciate ligament. Damage to these ligaments, causing the patient difficulty running, and walking down the stairs.

The most common way of handling ligament torn is by operation which is to replace the damaged ligament. After surgery there is the possibility of damage likely to occur when people force themselves to strenuous activity. Therefore we need a kind of special training to restore the function of the ligament to its original state.

Chondromalacia, patella injury

Chondromalacia is often referred to as runner’s knee. The cause is irritation that occurs below the surface of the kneecap (patella). Usually found bubbles containing liquid in the cartilage that protects the surface of the patella. This condition often occurs in young athletes and healthy people.

To deal with this disease, the doctor will provide physical therapy program. During physical therapy patients are encouraged to rest themselves from movements that can irritate the knee, such as heavy exercise. Once cured, the patient may advise not to do any strenuous activity on that impacted knee but must begin with light exercise, such as swimming.

Bursitis, knee inflammation

In between the knee joint and the skin, there is a bursa or sac containing synovial fluid. Function is to facilitate the movement of fluids while on the move. Under normal circumstances, the stock contains very little fluid. Then if injured, the bursa can become inflamed and contain plenty of fluids. When touched, the kneecap will feel soft. This condition is called bursitis, also known as housemaid’s knee. The name is associated with the movement are often done by the maid while mopping, which is kneeling on a hard floor surfaces. Bursitis is often the case if the market is often affected by the movements are not unusual on a hard surface.

Bursitis can disappear after the patient rested for some time. In addition, a cold compress can also help relieve pain in the knee.

Need consultation for treatment and causes knee pain? Our professional orthopaedic specialist, Dr. Kevin Yip, has more than 20 years experience. Be assured that you will be receiving professional treatments that suit your needs. Call us at (65) 66532628 or SMS at (65) 84998384.