Common knee injuries, causes, and 8 best treatment options

The knee is an important part of the body that should always be cared for. There are lots of common knee injuries ranging from minor to major that causes knee pain; the majors may require surgical operations for perfect treatments while the minor knee injuries might only need soft treatments such as knee massage and use of over-the-counter medications.

Overview (The Knee)

The knee consists of the kneecap, known as the patella, the thigh, known as femur, and the shine, known as the tibia. The femur is known to be the longest bone in the human body. The posterior and the anterior cruciate ligament enable movement in the knee joint without possible friction in the knee, leading to the knee joint’s wear and tear. Anatomically termed, the lateral collateral ligament connects and holds the femur to the fibula. On the other hand, the collateral ligament connects and keeps the femur to the tibia. The joint part of the femur serves as the primary make-up of the knee.

The knee joint enables movement; it is the knee joint that allows you to walk, run, take part in major and minor sports activities, and conduct some house chores. The average man is expected to take about ten thousand (10000) footstep in a day to have a healthy functioning heart. These footsteps are well enough to cause strain in the knee. Many persons have resulted in roots as a treatment for any bone, muscle, or tendon injuries. But these roots are not guaranteed because most of them are local and are not tested in the lab; therefore, people do not know their side effects.

6 Common knee injuries

The knee can be affected by certain types of diagnosis due to sports, accidents, and excessive walking. Some of the diagnoses that affect the knee are:

1. Dislocation of the knee joint: It happens when the bone in the knee joint socket slips out of its original point. This is caused by adding pressure to the joint with force or due to wear and tear of the joint’s tightness. This can also happen in other parts of the body, including the knee, leading to a fracture if the bone is not shifted back to its original point.
   
2. A sprain in the knee ligament: The ligaments enable movement between the femur and the tibia at the same time, preventing them from rubbing against each other to prevent friction, leading to a wear-off of the femur and tibia’s surface. Sprain indicate a tear in the ligament. The sprain may be on the lateral collateral ligament, medial collateral ligament, anterior cruciate ligament, or the posterior cruciate ligament. A sprain can be severe and prevent movement; it can even go as far as stopping your dream of participating in professional sports. It is diagnosed by checking for instability while the doctor is stressing the ligament.
   
3. Strain in the knee muscle: Strain can also result from limited flexibility caused by reluctance and indifferent attitude towards exercise and the necessary steps needed to keep fit. Strain in this context is a tear or extreme stretch in the knee muscle and the tendons, which serves as a connective cord between the knee bones and the muscle. Strain in the knee causes stiffness and pain in the knee and can also instigate a stop to certain sports activities, kneeling, and overuse of the knee.
   
4. Bursitis of the knee fluid sack: Bursae is a sack-like part of the knee that contains fluids that prevent friction between the tendons and the knee bone. A bursary is diagnosed when the bursae are inflamed and swollen; it is most likely to occur on the patella. Bursitis is caused by applying pressure to the knee due to activities like kneeling, a punch to the knee, and when the bursae are infected with a knee’s bacterial fest. This causes pain and can restrict the possible movement of the knee and the leg as a whole.
   
5. Tear in the Meniscus: A sudden twist of the knee causes a tear in the meniscus; this is one of the common knee diagnosis cases. It frequently occurs during sporting activities like football. It causes stiffness and severe pain; it is important to note that this condition can sometimes be treated using a doctor’s prescribed medication accompanied by ice application.
   
6. Tendinitis: Tendinitis of the knee is an injury to the tissues of the muscle and bone. This knee injury is also known as “TENDONITIS or JUMPERS KNEE”. This condition stops flexibility in the knee and, if not treated, can lead to depreciation of the tendons. Athletes that participate in sports that require jumping are prone to tendinitis, e.g., high jumpers, long jumpers, basket ballplayers. Suppose you are an athlete in any of this field of sports or even all sport in general. In that case, it is advised to cultivate the habit of constant use of a knee pad like circa knee compression sleeves to properly protect your knee and boost your confidence when doing these sporting activities.

CAUSES OF KNEE JOINT PAIN (Knee Injuries)

Knee joint pain may have the normal active movement of a person as to its cause. Every day in our lives, we move about in our various houses, workplaces, parks, schools, marketplaces, and even sports events. As humans, movement is inevitable except for those on the sick bed who can not move independently. Apart from the regular activities, there are various causes of knee joint pain, some of which are:

• Excessive trekking and stress are significant causes of knee joint pain: When you trek for long simultaneously, it will lead to knee joint pain because excess trekking without rest breaks will lead to knee and joint inflammation and, in turn, cause pain in the knee. Stress is enough to cause wear off in the knee joint because it causes an overuse of the knee.
  
• Excess weight and obesity: obesity and excess weight cause pain in the knee because extra weight subjects the knee to weight more than it should carry. The body structure is made so that every part of the body complements each other; for this reason, the body’s weight should be proportional to the knee’s weight carrying capacity. Out of every ten overweighed persons, it is reported that at least eight of them suffer knee joint pain, so as other pain and sickness their weight made them vulnerable to. It is advised that persons who have progressed or progressing knee injury should be very conscious of their weight. And also, persons who have been involved in accidents that affected their knee should be very mindful of their weight. For a healthy knee, keep a healthy weight.
  
• Sports activities: Some sporting activities cause severe pain in the knee and body; sports like football, long jump, high jump, and other sports activity that can cause a blow or pressure to the knee are responsible for knee joint pain. Good stretch and exercise are advised to increase the flexibility level of the knee and of the body. When the flexibility of the body is increased, it will make the athlete less prone to knee and joint injuries.
  
• Arthritis: Arthritis usually arises when a person advances in age. It is the inflammation in the body joints, especially the lower part of the body, because of the weight the legs and its component carries throughout a lifetime. When arthritis attacks the knee joint, it causes stiffness and pain in the knee joint.
  
• Accident: Minor or severe automobile accidents or any other form of accidents may cause severe injuries to the knee; it can even cause a crushed knee cap, which will cripple the individual involved. Knee injuries caused by automobile accidents usually heal progressively and need a lot of time to heal completely. Sometimes it could even take years to heal completely.
  
• Lack of proper exercise: This will lead to joint stiffness when a person fails to exercise regularly, the joints, muscles, and ligament becomes stiff. They experience pain at the slightest attempt to take part in any physical activities. It is advised to take part in physical activities and proper exercise to prevent stiffness and the risk of obesity.

TREATMENT OPTIONS FOR KNEE INJURY/PAIN

There are several treatment options available for the treatment of knee pain depending on the cause and nature of the pain. Here’s a compressed lists of best treatment options for knee pain:

1. Pain relief medications or over-the-counter medicines sometimes helps to temporarily relieve the pain and stop it if it is a minor situation. But it is not advised to use pain reliefs because they have side effects, some unknown to the users.
   
2. In some severe cases like knee pain caused by accidents or chronic arthritis, the diagnosed will have to be operated on to correct the knee’s problem. Your doctor is in the best position to make the right recommendation after diagnosis.
   
3. Deep core knee massage will also go a long way in relieving the pains caused by strain in the knee muscle.
   
4. In some geographic locations that believe much in traditional herbs, people use local roots and herbs to treat knee joint injuries effectively.
   
5. If a person suffers dislocation, they should be rushed to the physiotherapist for a bone shift.
   
6. In minor cases, ice can relieve the pain caused due to a punch to the knee.
   
7. A person might need to use POP in other to aid the healing of a broken limb around the knee and in other parts of the body.
   
8. Knee braces are to be used in major knee pain and problems. Knee braces are so far the cheapest treatment that is trusted. It goes a long way in knee pain and problem correction. It is very comfortable and does not need any specially experienced personnel; you can wear it in your room’s comfort.

P.S: Just as it is for neck pain treatment, the only challenge faced with finding a knee sleeve for knee pain treatment is that there are many company products, and finding the right one that would work effectively becomes a problem. We recommend the CIRCA KNEE COMPRESSIVE SLEEVE for your knee pain treatment.

Preventive measure for knee injuries

You could prevent knee injuries if you can observe the following measures where necessary:

1. Maintain a healthy weight balance. Always watch your weight on the regular to avoid overweight.
2. Wear the right footwear for your match to avoid irregular walks which may lead to missing footsteps and a shift of the knee cap.
3. If you have had or treated a previous knee injury, always do all necessary rehab exercises.
4. Avoid slippery grounds or surfaces to avoid unexpected falls. Also, keep your home tidy and well arranged at all times.
5. Even if you never had any knee injuries before, make use of knee sleeves when necessary.
6. Wear knee pads for your sports as recommended.

TAKE AWAY

Knee pain may occur naturally as you age or caused by common injuries and sickness like arthritis. You can easily avert this occurrence when you start been mindful of your body always. Most of the preventive measures above could assist you in keeping your knee safe from injuries; however, if you notice a persistent pain in your knee, do seek counsel from your doctor.

Anyone both young and old, man and woman, babies in their early walking age or as they grow to the teenage stage can surfer from knee injuries; so it’s your responsibility as an adult to educate and keep the home safe for your kids.

• Reviewed By Healthweakness staff