Causes of Knee Pain
Knee Pain Causes
Knee Pain is generally viewed as being the bane of the old and the infirm. The twilight years often bring with them problems and ailments of the knee that get manifested in knee pain and can also immobilize any otherwise hale and hearty individual.
However, one would be surprised to note that the incidence of knee pain is not limited to those of advanced years and grey hairs, but is quite common among the young as well.
Many times you will come across persons wearing knee caps to office and they are obviously in pain and require relief.
The knee is indeed an important part of the human anatomy as it is the all-important joint between the upper and lower parts of the leg. The knee joint is essentially formed by means of the holding together of the femur and tibia bones by a set of four cartilages. Again, the knee cap or the patella, along with the femur and the tibia is encased by cartilage (soft tissue) and is well lubricated by fluids. The action of the femur and tibia through the knee joint facilitates walking, running, swimming and other locomotion abilities of the body. There is no denying of the fact that the knee joint plays a very indispensable role in the human body.
Knee Pain, as mentioned, can be quite discomfiting and in severe cases can be debilitating also. It is important to understand and analyze the causes of knee pain as it can facilitate prevention of knee pain. After all, prevention is always better than cure!
Some of the common causes of knee pain are as below:
- Overuse or misuse: The Knee joint is one of the top 2 most moved joints of the body. It rotates, flexes and bends thus providing locomotion to the whole body. Like any other machine, it is important that the knee be also used in moderation and as required. Excessive use of the knee joint like in cross country running or jogging, or sudden spurts of gym running could spur instances of knee pain. This is because the knee joint also has its own capacity of functioning and any sudden and unwarranted spike in its utilization could lead to injury and pain.
- Knee Injuries: sometimes there could be accidents when a person topples over or hits the knee against an object like a chair or a desk. In such cases the knee joint could suffer damage or perhaps the cartilage covering the parts of the joint could be harmed. Such injury would obviously lead to manifestations of knee pain which could be acute. It makes sense to be careful while walking, jogging or running as carelessness could be the harbinger of knee injury and consequent high level of pain.
- Arthritis: Among the aged, arthritis is the single most common cause of knee pain. In medical terms this is referred to as osteoarthritis and is caused by the gradual degeneration of the cartilage of the knee joint. The cartilage of the knee acts as a buffer or a cushion between the femur, tibia and the capella (knee cap). Any degeneration of the cartilage would lead to knee pain. The cartilage is composed of watery as well as protein components. With age, the protein composition gets eroded, leading to a greater proportion of the water content in the cartilage. This is osteoarthritis and gets amply felt by pain in the knees.
- Inflammation: In some other cases, the knee joint could also get inflamed in which there is swelling in the joint, leading to pain.
Now that we are aware of the most common causes of knee pain, it would make sense to be aware of and sensitive to the special needs of the knee joint. Given the fact that this is such an important part of the body, and its utility to us as individuals, one should be careful to ensure that no harm is caused to the knee joint.
Here’s wishing you all the best for a hale and hearty knee joint!
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