Knee pain is a common condition among active people. It mostly affects athletes and other people who strain their legs when performing regular or repetitive tasks. It is characterized in most cases, by severe pain in the knee area of the leg. It has become such a common problem that it has been observed to account for up to 1/3 of all doctor visits in the United States, in regards to muscle and bone pain. The treatment of knee pain varies depending on how severe the pain is, the cause of the pain, and different treatment methods that have been used so far to treat it.
Common causes of knee pain
For athletes and other sportspersons, the main causes of knee pain includes swollen or torn ligaments, meniscus (cartilage) tears, and runner’s knee. These often occur as a result of the athlete straining his or her legs in a quest to attain the goals of the sports.
Another common cause of pain is the accumulation of bone chips. These are fragments that split off from bones or muscles after minor fracturing or the tearing of a muscle. When this is the cause, the fragments accumulate in the joint, and the pain often occurs together with swelling.
Bursitis is also another common cause of knee pain. This is commonly referred to as housemaid’s knee and preacher’s knee. These common conditions are characterized by chronic pain and they occur when an individual kneels for a long period of time. Bursa, the fluid that cushions knee joints, when overused, can lead to pain. A baker’s cyst is also another condition characterized by this type of pain, and it often comes about as a result of the swelling of one of the bursas on the back of the knee.
Another common cause of knee pain is tendonitis. Tendonitis is a condition brought about by the swelling of tendons. Tendons are tough bands of tissues that connect your muscles to your bones. Over activity of the tendons can lead to soreness and inflammation, which often causes pain.
Are these all the causes of knee pain?
There are several other causes of knee pain, but they each call for proper diagnosis from an expert to ascertain the cause. The expert will then explain the best form of treatment for your specific type of knee pain.