Knee pain is one of the most common complaints heard by physicians. There are many possible causes for knee joint pain.
It is of utmost importance that an accurate diagnosis for your knee pain is made. An accurate diagnosis is needed to ensure that proper treatment is ensued. Common causes for knee pain include:
Arthritis of the Knee
This is the most common of all causes of knee pain and there are lots of treatments that are available, including using essential oils for knee pain.
Injuries to Ligaments in the Knee
Injuries to the ligaments in the knee occur often during athletic activities and can cause some instability and discomfort. Ligaments in the knee that can be injured include: the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament), LCL (lateral collateral ligament), or the MCL (medial collateral ligament).
Cartilage Injuries
Cartilage injuries area also known as meniscal tears. They can happen in young or old individuals alike and are very common causes of knee pain problems.
Patellar Tendonitis
Tendonitis occurs around the knee joint, most commonly involves the large tendon over the front of the knee. This tendon is known as the patellar tendon.
Chondromalacia Patella
This particular problem, Chondromalacia, causes individuals to experience knee pain under their kneecap. This knee pain is caused due to the cartilage softening and is most common in younger patients- from 15 to 35 years of age.
Dislocating Kneecap
When your kneecap gets dislocated, you can have some acute symptoms during the dislocation, but this can also cause some chronic knee pain as well.
Baker’s Cyst
A baker’s cyst is swelling in the back of the knee joint, and typically points to another possible cause of knee pain, such as a meniscus tear.
Bursitis
This occurs when the bursa around the joint just above the kneecap is affected and is most common for those who must kneel for work.
Plica Syndrome
This is a very uncommon cause of knee pain and therefore is quite difficult to diagnose. Typically, this diagnosis is not reached until arthroscopy is performed.
Osgood- Schlatter Disease
This condition is most often seen in teens and is due to irritation of the growth plate at the front of the knee joint.
Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD)
This is another condition that is most often seen in adolescents due to growing of the bone around the joint.
Gout
Gout is an uncommon reason for knee pain. however, in those individuals who do have a diagnosis of gout, it must be considered as a possible cause for new onset knee pain.
When to Contact Your Physician about Knee Pain
If you’re not sure what is causing your knee pain or if you’re not sure what the specific recommendations are for your conditions, you should speak with your physician. Treatment of your knee pain must be for what is specifically causing your pain. Some indications that you should be seen by your physician are:
- Unable to walk comfortably on the side that is affected.
- Injury that causes a deformity around the joint.
- Knee pain occurring at night or while you’re resting.
- Knee pain that lasts longer than just a few days.
- Locking of your knee (inability to bend it).
- Swelling of your joints or calves.
- Fever, redness, warmth, or other such indications of an infection.
Knee Pain Treatments
As mentioned before, treatment of your knee pain will depend upon what exactly is causing the problem. Therefore, before you head out on a treatment journey, you must totally understand what it is that is causing your symptoms. If you’re not sure about your diagnosis, or how severe your knee pain is, then you should make sure to seek your physician’s advice before starting any treatment plan at all.
Following are some common treatments for knee pain. Of course, keep in mind that not all of them are appropriate for use in treating all conditions- but they might be helpful with your condition.
Rest
The first treatment that is commonly used for most conditions causing knee pain is to simply rest the knee, allowing the inflammation to subside. Quite often, this is all that is necessary to relieve knee pain. if your symptoms are very severe, you may need to use crutches to get around for a few days.
Application of Heat and Ice
Another of the commonly used treatments for knee pain is the application of ice and/or heat packs. However, you must determine the cause of your knee pain before deciding if heat or ice is best- or perhaps a combination of both.
Stretching
Quite often, stretching of the muscles and tendons surrounding your knee joint can help ease your knee pain.
Physical Therapy
One of the most important aspects in treating any orthopedic condition is physical therapy. A physical therapist will use various techniques to help you to increase your strength, regain your mobility, and return you to your pre-injury activity level.
Anti-Inflammatory Medication
NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, are some of medications that are commonly prescribed for individuals experiencing knee pain that is caused by things such as arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis.
Cortisone Injections
Cortisone is actually a very powerful medication that treats inflammation. Inflammation is a very common problem in individuals who have knee pain. You should discuss the potential benefits of getting cortisone injections with your physician.
Using Essential Oils to Treat Knee Pain
As mentioned before, you can use essential oils to treat your knee pain- as long as you speak with your physician before to make sure that it is suitable to your condition. If you have a serious condition that is causing your knee pain, you should probably use one of the medical treatments for it.
