There are instances where we ask ourselves why our knee is painful yet we can’t recall the last time we got hit or fell:
Here is what to do when this happens
Chronic knee pain is a common diagnosis made by your G.P or orthopedic doctor on a normal outpatient visit
Some of us will not visit the doctor with an impression that cold weather has a role to play in the above
Do not sit on pain
Why bear pain when you can sort it out at the earliest opportunity
Let’s briefly look at the knee
The knee is a very important joint when it comes to mobility because it carries the entire weight of the body
However every joint that is mobile wears out with time
These mobile joints are called synovial joints they produce synovial fluid that help to lubricate the joint avoiding inflammation from friction
The knee also is supported by ligaments and tendons that help to ensure versatility especially for them that are involved in sports of any kind
Any injury to the above components will cause pain
However we have a role to play towards diagnosis and treatment every time we experience the pain
Visiting the doctor for history and examination is the first step..He will listen to the history, ask the relevant questions and examine the knee for the range of mobility and for any defect
He will send you for a number of lab investigations to try differentiate infective causes from inflammatory cause
The lab works might include uric acid and ESR , c- reactive protein and full hemogram if the history leans more on infective causes
He might also send you for imaging modalities like CT scan or MRI to check for any bone, meniscal, muscular, tendon or ligament injuries and deformities
The most common injuries are cruciate injuries (Anterior cruciate/posterior cruciate ) that are diagnosed through a MRI scan.
These ends up by conservative managements on knee braces or knee support and knee immobilizers and at times your doctor will ask you to be on crutches for a while to keep off the knee from bearing weights
in case of torn ligaments or meniscus your doctor might end up doing an arthroscopy on the knee to repair and anchor the tendon or ligament that is torn
The repair all depends on the severity either partial or complete
For infective causes the doctor will treat as appropriate based on the causative organism identified
Do not wait until you cannot walk to see the doctor
Visit your doctor for inquiries and this will help identify the cause of your knee pain hence early treatment leading to good treatment outcomes
Chronic Knee Pain
