Given the large number of possible causes of knee pain, there is also a great variety of symptoms. The severity of the pain can vary, as well as the location of the pain. Other symptoms may include a giving way sensation in the knee, swelling, and local tenderness. All of these factors will influence how to manage your knee pain and whether you need to seek medical advice, so always consult a health professional to ensure an accurate diagnosis.
Knee pain is a common musculoskeletal problem that many people experience. It is a widely reported issue in people of all age groups, particularly in the elderly and in the physically active. There are many possible reasons for knee pain, and a number of functions can be affected. These can include daily activities such as walking, lifting objects, and going up stairs. However, the ability to participate in sport is often the major concern.
Understanding Knee Pain
Causes of Knee Pain
Underlying conditions: There are some medical conditions that can cause chronic knee pain. Two common conditions are different forms of arthritis and gout.
Common knee pain: People with certain professions such as carpet layers or athletes who participate in basketball, volleyball, or soccer exert excessive stress on their knees, which can hurt them in the long run.
Overuse injury: Some examples of overuse injuries are iliotibial band syndrome, patellar tendinitis, or osteoarthritis. People who have certain jobs or engage in certain sports or hobbies are more likely to develop overuse knee injuries. Having an occupation that requires kneeling for long periods of time increases the risk of developing this condition.
Sudden injury: Often, an injury to the knee will cause bleeding into the joint and severe pain. Examples of sudden injuries that cause knee pain are a broken bone, a partial or complete tear of a ligament, a tear of the meniscus, or a dislocated kneecap.
Knee pain can be caused by a sudden injury, an overuse injury, or by an underlying condition, such as arthritis.
Common Knee Pain Symptoms
The information and symptoms that I have gathered from these websites are very informative and make sense. From these symptoms, I have realized the importance of being mindful in the things I am about to do, so I won’t worsen my current knee condition. This is how symptoms can be very meaningful for knee pain patients.
According to WebMD, the symptoms of knee pain are tenderness and warmth when touched, swelling, redness, instability and weakness, popping or crunching noises, inability to fully straighten the knee, and of course, unbearable pain. Another website, The Cleveland Clinic, states that the symptoms of knee pain are very noticeable to the affected individuals during their movements, such as walking, standing, or any actions that put pressure on their knees. The symptoms include stiffness, inflammation, skin discoloration, and changes in position.
As a person who constantly has knee pain, I am basically familiar with the symptoms and their meanings. Most websites explain the symptoms of knee pain in a very similar way, but they also add other information. Based on my experience, as well as my assignments and research, these symptoms motivate me to always be cautious in every move I make, with my knee in mind, and give me the understanding to prevent my knee pain from becoming worse.
Guidelines for Safe Physical Activity
Surgeons and physiotherapists often prescribe exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee. The importance of exercise has been shown in recent studies. It is often more effective than over-the-counter and prescription medication for relieving knee pain. Exercise also can delay or prevent the onset of arthritis and increase flexibility. Specific exercises are prescribed depending on the condition of the patient’s knee. For example, if the patient’s cartilage is lost or worn away, the effective quadriceps exercises are usually isometric and partially weight bearing, to avoid further damage to the joint surface. An example of this type of exercise is isometric cycling. On the other hand, if a patient has had a meniscus repair, the emphasis is to regain full knee flexion and extension. This will involve higher-load exercises. A sample exercise would be the leg press.
Importance of Exercise for Knee Health
Exercise typically is beneficial for knee pain and the function of the knee joint. Generally, any form of exercise is good for the knee. The effect of exercise on the knee depends on the type and intensity of the exercise. In fact, during weight-bearing activities such as walking or running, the force on your knees is the same as 1½ times your body weight. If you are walking up and down stairs, the force on your knees is two to three times your body weight. This means that a person who weighs 10 kg overweight (for example, 70 kg/154 lbs) is putting an extra 15 kg/33 pounds with each step. A great deal of this additional force is absorbed by the knee cartilage. Inadequate absorption of this force can damage the cartilage, so it is important to have strong quadriceps to help absorb the force. It can be said that exercise is only bad for the knee if it causes pain.
Types of Exercises for Knee Pain Relief
The final type of exercise is aerobic exercise, however, with some cautions and limitations. Cycling, swimming, and using the cross trainer at the gym are all great ways to maintain aerobic fitness for knee pain sufferers. Cycling is an exercise that can be done alone or in groups, and can be done at your own pace. It is also a relatively low-cost and knee-impact-free method of transport for short distances. Swimming is an ideal exercise for those with severe knee pain. It is a whole-body exercise that improves aerobic capacity, strength, and flexibility, and is the ultimate low-impact, therapeutic exercise for anyone suffering from musculoskeletal pain. With any type of stroke, swimming can also be done at your own pace, with slow gentle movements taking little effort. However, breaststroke is the best type of swimming for those with knee pain. This is because the indirect style of movement can help to prevent any impact on or aggravation of the knee joints. The cross trainer at the gym is similar to swimming in that it is a total body workout, low impact, and can be done at your own pace. It is also an exercise that enhances aerobic fitness and increases strength and flexibility of the knee.
Knee sitting leg lifts are an excellent method of increasing strength in the quadriceps. Sit on the floor with one leg stretched forward and the other bent with your foot flat on the floor. Lift the straightened leg and hold it for several seconds before repeating with the other leg. Straight leg raises are similar to this, and both exercises can be made harder and more effective using light ankle weights. These should be done for approximately 15-20 minutes, and 3-4 times a week for best results.
There are also several strengthening exercises for the thigh and hamstring muscles that can help reduce the aggravation of the knee joints during physical activity, and ultimately help to better support the knee. These exercises should be weight-bearing, and as a general rule, some discomfort is okay, however, pain should be avoided. Step exercises are an ideal strengthening exercise. Stepping up and down on one foot on an elevated surface will increase strength in the quadriceps, hamstring, and other knee-supporting muscles. However, it is important to not overdo this exercise, as too many step exercises can lead to knee aggravation.
Flexibility exercises ensure that the thigh muscles (quadriceps) remain stretched and supple in order to properly support the knee. There are many different types of exercises that can help improve flexibility of the knee, with the most important being hamstring stretches. In this exercise, the leg is placed on an elevated surface and the body is bent forward, generating a stretch at the back of the thigh. This should be held for 15-20 seconds and repeated 2-5 times. Quadriceps stretches also help to prevent muscle tightness and maintain a good level of support for the knee. With one hand supporting your weight against a wall, stand on one leg and hold the other by the ankle, gently pulling the heel towards the backside.
There are three main types of exercises: flexibility, strengthening, and aerobic. These are the three essential keys to a good knee pain exercise program.
Precautions and Modifications for Exercise
Avoid activities that are high impact, jarring, or involve sudden changes in direction. These activities carry a high risk of causing injury to the joint in generally healthy individuals, let alone those with joint pain or weakness. High impact activities can accelerate arthritis and cause stress fractures in those with osteoporosis. If your pain is only the result of a temporary condition that you are working to rehabilitate, i.e., a ligament injury or post-operated meniscus repair, high impact activities can hinder the healing process, so it is best to avoid them.
First and foremost, seek advice from your physical therapist or doctor to find out which activities are encouraged and which should be avoided. If you are at an advanced age, physically unfit, or disabled, your doctor can help you decide on an exercise program that will work best for you. They may refer you to a physical therapist who can give you specific exercises to increase your strength and mobility. This may help prolong an elective joint replacement in a joint that is not quite ready to be replaced.
Finding a Knee Pain Specialist in Singapore
Knee pain can be caused by a number of factors – sometimes, it’s difficult to determine what it actually is. The pain may simply be caused by overusing the knee, a sudden injury or by various forms of arthritis. It’s important to figure out what the underlying cause of the pain is. This is why consulting a specialist is important. A specialist will be able to provide a comprehensive evaluation to determine the cause of the pain. After which, he will be able to educate the patient on the nature of the condition and provide valuable advice on the treatment options available. A professional opinion will reduce the risk of one making the wrong decision on treatment which could be detrimental to the knee in the long run. By seeing a specialist, this allows the treatment to be more targeted at the knee pain and any underlying causes – this increases the chances of the treatment being more effective. The specialist will also be able to give an estimation of how long it will take to rectify the issue, and the expected outcome. Seeing a knee pain specialist reduces any guesswork that may be involved if one was to self-diagnose or simply seek advice from a general practitioner.
Importance of Consulting a Specialist
For minor knee pain, a short consultation to get an opinion on the nature of the problem and rehabilitation options is usually sufficient. However, in cases where the knee pain is severe and disabling, consulting a specialist at the early stages would be beneficial. By seeing a specialist, it could prevent wasted time and money on ineffective treatment from a general practitioner. Despite having higher medical fees in the long run, it would be more cost-effective, for specialist treatment is more likely to provide a rapid recovery from knee pain and prevent further recurrence of the problem.
Consulting a specialist is crucial, for they will provide an accurate diagnosis of the problem and suggest the most suitable treatment course. General practitioners are capable of diagnosing knee problems, but if the injury is significant, a referral to an orthopedic surgeon is usually made. In knee pain Singapore, there are also sports physicians who are capable of managing trauma-related knee injuries and provide relevant advice regarding the resumption of a specific sport. People suffering from chronic knee pain would benefit greatly from consulting a rheumatologist. Making an appointment to see a specialist may take longer and be more costly than visiting a GP, hence a decision has to be made based on the urgency and severity of the problem.
Qualities to Look for in a Knee Pain Specialist
An orthopedic surgeon should have a good overall knowledge of knees plus specialize in surgery within that area. There’s a common misconception that people should avoid surgeons where possible, but it’s not realistic to assume that all doctors can assist with significant structural or traumatic problems without an inclination to surgical solutions. Regarding this, there’s little evidence that arthroscopic surgery for osteoarthritis is beneficial, so ask about whether there are surgical and non-surgical options and clarify the likelihood of improvement with each set of options. A sports medicine doctor may have a better approach than a general orthopedic surgeon, but this is very subjective. The research and experience of the individual doctor will be the determining factor.
Look for a specialist, not a general practitioner. Be sure that the doctor specializes in knees, rather than simply working with knee pain within a general practice. General practitioners can be very effective in handling general health problems, assessing them, and guiding you to the right specialist, but with knee pain and injuries there is a great deal of specialist knowledge required and a GP is unlikely to have the depth of knowledge or experience a specialist would. Ask the doctor how often they deal with knee injuries and what sort of results they get. You should have a good idea of their experience from this. If they are evasive or vague in their responses, it’s probably an indication that you should look elsewhere.
Tips for Choosing the Right Specialist
– Understand the costs involved. Healthcare can be costly in Singapore, so it is paramount to understand the costs and what it involves. The costs can vary from consultation fees, the costs of x-rays, MRIs, or other special investigations, the costs of medications, costs of bracing or supportive aids, and finally the costs of surgical intervention. By gaining a full understanding of the costs involved, you can plan your financial commitments for the short term and possibly long-term treatments. It may be a good idea to request an estimated cost for surgery and the length of hospitalization as a prelude to surgical intervention.
– Gain a second opinion. It is always important to gain a second opinion to validate the first opinion. Asking another specialist their opinion may provide further options in your initial treatment plan. If the two opinions are conflicting, it may be best to gain a third opinion. This process will provide the knowledge to the best possible options for your condition.
– Understand your condition and who can best treat it. While there are general orthopedic specialists, there are also many who have chosen to sub-specialize in certain areas of orthopedics. Therefore, it is important to know what your condition is and to seek a specialist who has a focus in that area. For example, if you have torn your anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a surgeon who specializes in sports reconstructive surgery may be the best person to consult. If you have patellofemoral knee pain due to maltracking of the kneecap, a knee cap specialist would be best.
