Knee Joint Pain Causes and Treatment - Information That You Should Know

Knee joint is the junction of two large bones of leg in which pain can be caused due to many reasons. The exact location of the pain helps medical experts to diagnose the problem better and quickly for treatment. Like any other joint of the body knee too is prone to the injuries, infections and disorders, in fact in older people complaints for knee pain is more common than compared to any other joint of the body.

The knee joint is formed by two bones femur and tibia supported by four ligaments and a patella also popularly known as knee cap. This whole joint is covered by synovium and is filled with synovial fluid which provides nourishment to the cartilages and keeps them elastic. Synovial fluid inside synovium also keeps cartilages smooth and slippery to ensure friction free and pain free movement of the knee. The knee joint joins thigh and shin bones to make normal activity like walking possible. This joint can bend up to 135 degrees and extend to 0 degrees. It is a weight bearing joint and complex in design which makes it most commonly injured joint of the body.

Injuries can promote pain in the knee. Any traumatic event can cause damage to ligaments attached to the knee joint. As knee has four ligaments attached to it exact area of pain can help the doctor to find out the particular ligament that has been damaged. Pain occurs when weight is transferred on the joint. Swelling of tendons also referred as tendinitis or jumper's knee, injuries caused to meniscus by sharp and quick movements can cause mild to severe pain in the knee joint. The pain due to tearing of meniscus is felt with a popping sensation and locking or feeling of unstable knee. Swelling of tendons causes pain below the knee cap or at the back of the knee joint. All of these knee pains may also occur due to old age or overuse of the knee joint like in sports and other activities.

Osteoarthritis and rheumatic arthritis are other common causes of pain in the knees. Osteoarthritis causes damage to cartilages which eventually exposes ends of the bones to rub each other to cause severe pain and inflammation and also can cause complete immobility of the joint. Rheumatic arthritis makes immunity system attack its own healthy tissues which causes damage to the tissues present in the knee joint causing inflammation, redness, pain and infection in the synovial fluid. Arthritis also promotes secretion of fluid in the joint which gets accumulated in the form of a cyst at the back of the knee joint also known as baker's cyst.

Knee joint pain due to arthritis or any other disease, infection or disorder is treated along with the major problem while joint pain in the knee due to any injury can be treated by hot and cold compresses, massages with warm oil or pain relieving ointments and creams, light exercises like walking and cycling, yoga and aerobics. Knee replacement surgery is the last option medically available to treat a completely immobile and painful knee.