Posted on March 7, 2010.
The pain that brings you to your knees Have you ever imagined not having the knees? Certainly, it is a delight to see these shapely long legs, but without the knees, legs will be useless. The knee is a weight-bearing joint that connects the thigh and leg to the other. The role of the knees is to allow movement of the legs by flexing (bending) and extension (straightening) to perform normal daily functions such as walking, sitting, standing, walking, and even kicked. However, today's active society and lifestyle has led to the rapid increase in the number of problems related to conditions of the knee.
When injuries and severe knee injuries occur, parts of the anatomy can be broken, such as ligaments and cartilage that cause pain in the knee. Habitual or chronic overuse of the knee can cause inflammation, which makes the knees swell and hurt.
Knee pain is no longer a rare case and has become a very common complaint musculoskeletal causes people to visit their doctor. Some people may consider knee pain as a minor problem, but it can cause discomfort and acute severe disability, particularly if the injury is serious. While most knee pain is caused by injury, medical conditions such as arthritis, gout, infections, and chondromalacia can also bring you to your knees.
Knee pain is described as an acute pain that occurs suddenly and is usually the result of an injury or infection. Some of the most common knee injuries and their signs and symptoms are:
Ligament Injuries - when bands of hard tissue that connect the thigh bone (femur) and lower leg bones (tibia and fibula), and also known as the ligaments are torn as a result of a fall or trauma of contact, the more likely causes instant pain in the injured area. The discomfort can range from mild to severe. The pain is worse when you walk or bend the knee.
Tendons - tendons are thick, fibrous cords that connect muscle to bone. Tendinitis is irritation and inflammation of one or more tendons and may involve one or both knees. The pain and swelling occurs at the knee before and below the kneecap. It will not be able to straighten the knee when tendons were completely severed.
Meniscus injuries - involve tears in the C-shaped cartilage that curves of your knee. It may hinder the movement of the knee and cause your knee to lock so that you can not fully extend. When this occurs, the knee should be treated surgically.
Loose body - is when injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage causes a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float into the joint space. This may not create problems unless the loose body interferes with the movement of the knee - the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge - leading to pain and joint locks.
Dislocated kneecap - involves the sliding of the triangular bone that covers the front of your knee (patella) on site, usually outside of your knee. The movement is visible and swing your head from left to right. There is intense pain and swelling in the affected area and difficulty walking or straightening your knee. Once a ball has been broken, there is more chance of it happening again.
Osgood-Schlatter disease - affects teens and tweens who are in sports. This overuse syndrome causes pain, swelling and tenderness at the bony prominence (tibial tuberosity) just below the kneecap and often affects just one knee, but can grow in both knees.
Hyperextension of the knee - is a knee injury that extends beyond its normally straightened position, as it folds back on itself. Sometimes the damage is relatively minor, with pain and swelling when you try to extend your knee. But a hyperextended knee may also lead to a partial or complete ligament tear.
Arth tanks.