Your knee is a very complex structure consisting of bones, ligaments, cartilage, tendons, muscles and meniscus. Most people encounter knee pain at some point in their lives. If your knee pain is chronic in nature, then it may last for a prolonged period.

Many causes may be responsible for your knee pain. Some of the causes are stated as follows:
1. Your knee is very much prone to injuries. Knee injuries may happen due to accidents, falling down carelessly or while playing sports. The most common knee injuries that may be the cause for your knee pain are mentioned as follows: 
a) Fractures may cause you to feel pain in the areas of your knee bones.
b) Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury (ligament injury caused by twisting and a sudden motion) or Medial Collateral Ligament injury (injury to the tissue in the insides of your knee) is very common to sportspersons and may be the reason for severe knee pain.
c) Sometimes your knee bones may get dislocated from their usual alignment. This can also make you experience severe knee pain.
d) Ligament injuries, meniscus tear or tendon tear can also be responsible for your knee pain.

2. Sometimes pain in your buttock or foot region can also result in mild knee pain.

3. At times chronic problems like osteoarthritis that affects the cartilage can cause the problem of knee pain. Other chronic problems like Gout, rheumatoid arthritis can also cause severe knee pain.

4. Being overweight can also result in knee pain.
The symptoms of knee pain may be different in each case. The most common symptoms are mentioned below:
a) Stiffness of knee
b) Swelling of your knee
c) You may also feel unstable
d) Difficulty in walking or bending of your knee.
e) You may notice redness in your knee area.

Knee pain must not be ignored. It is highly recommended for you to seek advice from an orthopedic as soon as you encounter any of the above mentioned symptoms.

Suffering from Knee Pain - Know What Causes it? 

The shoulder is one of the most intricate joints in the body and given that it is subjected to a lot of lifting and movements, there are chances for it to tear or dislocate. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint with the socket in the shoulder, and the ball in the upper arm. The joint space between the two bones is surrounded by cartilage, and the space between the two is filled with fluid. Especially in athletes, due to forceful movement, this joint could get dislocated or the cartilage could tear.

The Bankart lesion is when there is a tear of the cartilage in the central anterior shoulder. This causes the cartilage to be damaged, allowing the humeral head to slip down from the socket. When the arm is extended down or to the side, it is commonly dislocated. This can happen posteriorly also, but this movement and so the injury is less likely than an anterior dislocation. If there is also a fracture of the shoulder bone with this dislocation, then it is known as bony or osseous Bankart lesion.

Causes: Bankart lesions can be acute or chronic. Acute is when there is sudden dislocation due to sports activity or accidents. Repetitive use of the shoulder can also lead to chronic Bankart lesions. This is usually seen in sportspersons like swimmers, tennis players, and weightlifters.

Signs and Symptoms:

Pain: The most common symptom with Bankart is shoulder pain that restricts any kind of movement. One may find it difficult pick up things or lifting your hands and in some cases, it is difficult to even sit straight.
Weakness: The shoulder feels weak and one is unable to perform normal activities
Instability: One may lose the grip and strength.
Limited movement: The range of motion of the shoulder may be reduced compared to before the injury.
Crackling: The damage to the fibrous cartilage produces a crackling sound, which can be heard during the movement of the shoulder.
Diagnosis: A combination of symptoms, physical examination, X-ray, and MRI can help in confirming the diagnosis.

The course of treatment depends on the cause and condition of the patient. An exercise regimen is prescribed as the first step in the treatment process. If there is inadequate progress, or if the pain seems to be recurrent, open or closed shoulder surgery may be recommended to include the following:

Arthroscopy (closed surgery) to repair the cartilage damage
Ligament re-attachment
Bone reshaping
Cartilage build up and reshaping
Ligament repair to improve stability
Any of these shoulder surgeries would be followed up with measures to reduce further injury. It is therefore advised to visit a doctor in case of any such discomfort as he/she will be able to find out the severity of the situation and devise a treatment plan accordingly.

Bankart's Lesion - What Exactly Is It?

Knee pain is a common phenomenon that plagues most of the people irrespective of their age. It can be the outcome of a torn cartilage or a ruptured ligament. Medical complications, such as infections, gout or arthritis (painful inflammation and stiffness of the joints) can also give way to knee pain. Minor knee pain can be eased by self-care remedies such as physical therapy or by putting on knee braces. However, few complications might demand surgical repair. Pain can be managed by the pain management specialists.

Tips to manage knee pain

1. Medications such as naproxen, ibuprofen and acetaminophen can be administered to help remedy knee pain.
2. You can seek relief by massaging your knees with ointments constituting of a number of agents such as capsaicin or lidocaine.
3. Keep away from your usual chores to prevent repetitive strains on the knees, thus, allowing the injury to heal as well as to stay safe from further damage.
4. Applying an ice pack in a towel can ease the inflammation and pain. But do not extend its usage for more than 20 minutes because that might harm the skin and nerves.
5. Compression bandages can inhibit fluid accumulation in the damaged tissues aiding knee alignment stability. Ensure that it is tight enough to render support to your knees without actually obstructing blood circulation.
6. To pacify the swelling, try resting your sore leg on a pillow (the idea here is to keep the affected leg elevated to reduce further pain).
7. Shed off your extra pounds as being overweight increases chances of other disorders such as osteoarthritis.
8. Go for regular work outs to enhance and maintain the flexibility of your muscles as excessively weak or abnormally tight muscles can contribute to injuries. Be smart while choosing your method of exercise based on the condition you are suffering from.

Knee Pain - 8 Effective Ways to Manage it

Knee replacement can be extremely painful. Previously, opioids or narcotics were administered for pain relief. But excessive addition of opioids is not exactly effective for controlling pain. 

Multimodal pain management has become an important part of the perioperative care of patients undergoing total joint replacement. The principle of multimodal therapy is to use interventions that target several different steps of the pain pathway, allowing more effective pain control with fewer side effects. Many different protocols have shown clinical benefit. The goal of this review is to provide a concise overview of the principles and results of multimodal pain management regimens as a practical guide for the management of joint arthroplasty patients.

Multimodal denotes administering two or more than two types of medications that work with different mechanisms. The following are the techniques used:

Pre-operative Femoral Nerve Block: Prior to the surgery, a catheter is placed beside the femoral nerve for blocking it. This nerve is located in the upper thigh. Medication is delivered through the catheter for the nerve to be numbed for 24 hours. Thus, pain signals to the brain are blocked. This method reduces the use of narcotics and the consequent side effects.

Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA): This method is also known as  Pain Pump . An intravenous pump is used to administer pain relief medications, such as oxymorphone or morphine, after the surgery. The control button of the machine could be pressed, by the patient for 6 to 10 times per hour. The machine is used for two post-operative days.

Oral Medications: The oral medications include Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory drugs or NSAID; such as Celebrex which is similar to aspirin, structurally. Alternatively, acetaminophen, such as Tylenol or its equivalent composition, can also be used.

Acetaminophen: It acts on the Central Prostaglandin Synthesis and relieves the patient of pain through multiple mechanisms.

Epidural Analgesia: It produces lower pain scores and involves less time for achieving physical therapy goals. However, this is subject to side effects such as dizziness, urinary retention and itchiness.

Gabapentinoids: These medications include membrane stabilizers such as Gabapentin and Pregabalin.

The objective of multimodal treatments is to provide quick relief to the patient and immediately so. Earlier the rehabilitation, more successful will be the knee replacement surgery.

Multimodal Pain Relief After Total Knee Replacement

Spondylolisthesis refers to the condition which affects your spinal bones or lower vertebrae. Due to this condition one of the lower vertebrae overlaps the bone directly beneath it. Although a painful condition, it can certainly be treated with both surgical and therapeutic methods.

People with spondylolisthesis often find it difficult to perform routine activities. They usually encounter symptoms such as- persistent pain in the pelvic region, lower back; stiffness in the legs, hamstrings and hip muscles.

What causes spondylolisthesis?
The causes of spondylolisthesis can vary with lifestyle, heredity and age. Children may develop this condition due to an injury or birth defect. Nevertheless, people belonging to all age groups are susceptible to spondylolisthesis if the condition is genetic.

Over exercise or strenuous physical activities can cause spondylolisthesis because over stretching and carrying heavy weight or strain puts too much stress on the lower back.

Participating in sports like football, gymnastics, weightlifting are likely to trigger spondylolisthesis.

Spondylolisthesis can also be triggered due to sondylolysis. The vertebrae safeguard the spinal cord and work with tendons, ligaments, joints and muscles to provide flexibility, structure and support to the neck. Any sort of damage or wear and tear in the protective cartilage and bones in the neck can lead to cervical spondylosis, which in turn leads to spondylolisthesis.

What is the treatment for spondylolisthesis?
Treatment of spondylolisthesis depends on the severity of the pain. While non-surgical methods help ease the pain, a surgery is recommended when the bone has slipped to such an extent that your spine doesn t respond to medications.

Non-surgical treatment includes the following-

Taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen to ease pain.
Practicing a few physiotherapy exercises to reduce lower back pain.
Use of minimally invasive Epidural Steroid Injections (EPIs) to get relief from lower back pain and pelvic pain caused by inflamed spinal nerves. When over-the-counter medications fail to treat tSpondylolysthesishe condition or ease the symptoms, then a surgery is inevitable.
Discectomy- It is a surgical procedure that makes small incisions to remove a part of the damaged disc to relieve pressure from the surrounding spinal cord or nerve root.
Laminotomy- This refers to a minimally invasive procedure that removes a part of the lamina which is the upper surface of the vertebra. This process is used to create more space within the spinal canal.
Foraminotomy- With this method excess bone tissues are removed so that they don t make the foramen narrow and compress the nerve root. Removing these extra tissues reduce back pain and ease symptoms triggered by nerve compression.
Medical attention is crucial for countering symptoms of spondylolisthesis. Although this condition may not seem life-threatening, if left untreated, it can lead to chronic, persistent pain and permanent nerve damage.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

Spondylolysthesis - A Condition Which Affects Your Spinal Bones!

Majority of bone tumours are benign, meaning they are localised and do not spread. Since benign tumours do not metastasize, they are not forms of cancer. Despite not being malignant, the severity of their presence should not be ignored as they may cause a lot of pain and lead to other problems such as damaged bones and fractures.

Benign Bone Tumors

Osteochondromas: These form over 40 per cent of all benign bone tumours. They are mostly found in children and teenagers. Osteochondroma is a growth abnormality and they are found in the growing ends of long bones. An osteochondroma might grow separately or might be accompanied by other similar tumours.
Osteoclastomas: They are also called giant cell tumours of the bone. They are common and are found in the epiphysis of long bones and around the knee.
Osteoid Osteoma: These grow mostly in adolescents and very rarely in adults above 50. They primarily grow in the legs but they might also be found in other bones in the body.
Enchondroma: It is a bone tumour that starts in the cartilage. It is mostly found in the cartilage of the inner lining of bones. Small long bones of the feet and the hands are affected the most. Teenagers get more affected than other age group.
Osteoblastoma: These are slow growing tumours that take about two years to get diagnosed. An osteoblastoma makes the surrounding bones weaker as they dissolve them and make them more susceptible to fracture caused by small injuries. Men are twice as more likely to be affected by an osteoblastoma than women. Surgery is essential in all cases of osteoblastoma as they destroy healthy functional bone and grow in size with time.
In rare cases, these have also known to become malignant over time, despite their benign nature. It affects people under 30 mostly.

Malignant Bone Tumours

Osteosarcoma: It affects the hip, knees and shoulders of mostly children and teenagers. It is also referred to as osteogenic sarcoma.
Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumours: These generate from medullary cavities and can also grow in blood vessels and adipose tissues. It primarily affects children and teenagers.
Chondrosarcoma: It usually affects the hips, pelvis and shoulders of middle aged people.

5 Most Common Types Of Benign Tumours!

Don't wait any longer, manage your Knock Knees online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Knock Knees - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES