What is Patellofemoral pain syndrome?
Patellofemoral pain is quite a common knee problem experienced by many. If you or anyone you know suffers from this condition, you feel pain under and around the kneecap. The pain may worsen when you have been sitting for long period of time. You can have this pain in one knee or both.
The exact cause of patellofemoral pain is unknown but it is probably related to the way the kneecap (patella) moves into the groove of the thigh bone (femur).
Treating the pain
Generally, place an ice pack on his knee, change their activities and a physical therapy program work well in treating the pain. This type of program may include certain exercises to strengthen muscles and make them more flexible. Bandaging the knee may be helpful for some people. Overall it can take weeks or months of treatment before the pain goes away.
Tips to help ease your pain
Take a break from any physical activity that may cause impact on the legs such as running, playing volleyball or basketball. If you want to continue with exercising, then try swimming or other low-impact activity. You may want to try training with non-impact elliptical machines that are popular at gyms. Because these machines support your body weight, there is less pressure on the knees. As the knee recovers, you can eventually return to your normal sports activities as long as you remember to do it slowly, increasing the pace carefully untilyou are back to your regular routine.
Talk to your doctor about footwear as proper footwear can help in easing the pain by absorbing the impact.
Putting ice on the knee for 10 to 20 minutes after activities can also relieve pain and speed up the healing process. Drugs such as ibuprofen may also help ease your pain, but talk to your doctor before taking any sort of medication.
Patellofemoral pain can be difficult to treat and your knees will not get better overnight. Some people are lucky and get better quickly. However, it may take up to 6 weeks or longer to totally improve.
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Thursday 8 December 2011
KNEE TENDONITIS - diagnosis, treatment, prevention
Diagnosis
In diagnosing the actual cause of knee pain, several methods may be used:
A doctor conducts a physical examination and examines the response of the patient while inspecting the knee on areas such as swelling, redness and signs of misalignment, bruises and / or injuries. Likewise, legs, hips and other body joints are examined.
Diagnostic tests include, for example, X-ray tests or MRI scans, blood tests, joint aspiration (removal of knee fluid), and arthroscopy. X-ray tests, and in some cases, computer tomography, are used to detect fractures, dislocation, and changes in the knee joints.
The nuclear magnetic resonance tomography or magnetic resonance imaging uses powerful magnets to create computer images of the knee structure. This test can be used to map cracks in the ligaments, tendons and cartilage. A blood test can then be taken into consideration if you want to exclude infections and inflammations such as rheumatoid arthritis.
In a joint aspiration to the knee joint is the knee fluid (synovial fluid or joint water) withdrawn and examined under a microscope for signs of inflammation or infection. This procedure using local anesthesia to numb the area of the knee, and with a needle, the liquid is withdrawn.
As part of an arthroscopy , the surgeon inserts a small cut to the knee and leads an arthroscope into the knee (which contains a tiny camera that is connected to a monitor) one. In this way one can see that the patient has knee problem and fix it immediately if necessary.
Treatment
The treatment of knee pain is variable and depends on the actual cause of the pain.
Mild knee pain resulting from strain or minor injuries are best treated as follows:
Rest : Avoid any activities that could load and unload the knee where it can be. At best, the knee above the heart in position (eg lying down, and put a pillow under the knee).
Ice : As part of an ice treatment can reduce swelling, put on here at least 4 times a day ice (not directly on the skin), cool, and 15-20 minutes.
Topical applications and painkillers : eg knees rub Tiger Balm, Arnica balm Menthoneurin ointment, etc
Knee compresses or knee brace for relief and support the knee .
If the sufferer experiences extreme knee pain for several days, it is important to consult a doctor immediately.
Prevention
Not in all cases, you can prevent knee pain , however, it is quite possible to minimize the risk of injury by following the below mentioned tips:
In diagnosing the actual cause of knee pain, several methods may be used:
A doctor conducts a physical examination and examines the response of the patient while inspecting the knee on areas such as swelling, redness and signs of misalignment, bruises and / or injuries. Likewise, legs, hips and other body joints are examined.
Diagnostic tests include, for example, X-ray tests or MRI scans, blood tests, joint aspiration (removal of knee fluid), and arthroscopy. X-ray tests, and in some cases, computer tomography, are used to detect fractures, dislocation, and changes in the knee joints.
The nuclear magnetic resonance tomography or magnetic resonance imaging uses powerful magnets to create computer images of the knee structure. This test can be used to map cracks in the ligaments, tendons and cartilage. A blood test can then be taken into consideration if you want to exclude infections and inflammations such as rheumatoid arthritis.
In a joint aspiration to the knee joint is the knee fluid (synovial fluid or joint water) withdrawn and examined under a microscope for signs of inflammation or infection. This procedure using local anesthesia to numb the area of the knee, and with a needle, the liquid is withdrawn.
As part of an arthroscopy , the surgeon inserts a small cut to the knee and leads an arthroscope into the knee (which contains a tiny camera that is connected to a monitor) one. In this way one can see that the patient has knee problem and fix it immediately if necessary.
Treatment
The treatment of knee pain is variable and depends on the actual cause of the pain.
Mild knee pain resulting from strain or minor injuries are best treated as follows:
Rest : Avoid any activities that could load and unload the knee where it can be. At best, the knee above the heart in position (eg lying down, and put a pillow under the knee).
Ice : As part of an ice treatment can reduce swelling, put on here at least 4 times a day ice (not directly on the skin), cool, and 15-20 minutes.
Topical applications and painkillers : eg knees rub Tiger Balm, Arnica balm Menthoneurin ointment, etc
Knee compresses or knee brace for relief and support the knee .
If the sufferer experiences extreme knee pain for several days, it is important to consult a doctor immediately.
Prevention
Not in all cases, you can prevent knee pain , however, it is quite possible to minimize the risk of injury by following the below mentioned tips:
- Maintain a healthy weight and avoid obesity
- Regular exercise (including weight training and stretching)
- Slowly increase the activity level
- Good, quality shoes wear
- Reduce or avoid any activity that may cause knee or joint pain.
Wednesday 7 December 2011
Tendonitis Knee Information
Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of the tendon and tendonitis knee is in reference to the pain associated with the tendon of the knee. Tendonitis pain is often described as a sharp pain when arising from a chair or squatting. The pain is usually relieved with rest.
Tendonitis knee can occur mainly from overuse of the knee such as in the example of runners and weightlifters. In inflammation of the tendon at the front of the kneecap, this condition is referred to as ‘patellar tendonitis'. Inflammation of the tendons just above the front of the knee is termed as 'quadriceps tendonitis'.
If the sufferer is unable to straighten the knee because of pain over the tendon area, seek medical treatment immediately. In any case of knee pain, it is always best to investigate further with a medical professional who may request an ultrasound scan and/or an MRI scan to be performed.
Most cases of tendonitis of the knee respond well to rest and/or physiotherapy although some cases may require cortisone or steroid injections.
In some cases where the symptoms may be severe or where previous treatments have failed, surgical treatment may become the next option to explore.
The human body has a complex mechanism to inform us when something is wrong. Humans tend to ignore these signals and thus can worsen the condition. It is important to stop rest and do something else. Avoid such activities as squatting, kneeling, heavy lifting, climbing, and definitely running when faced with knee pain symptoms.
Main treatments for tendonitis knee are oftern referred to the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate).
· Rest. Refrain from activities that caused the tendinitis and those that bring pain to the area. “The more you stress the tendon by running or heavy lifting will worsen the injury and will take longer to recover. Seriously stressing the tendon may even cause permanent damage that may not be reversible.
· Ice. Apply ice that is wrapped in a towel for about 15 minutes once or twice daily. Applying ice helps reduce the swelling which in turn will lessen the pain and speed up healing of the tendon.
· Compress. Bandaging the affected knee in an elastic knee bandage or knee support can help reduce swelling and ease knee pain. It also restricts mobility which helps in recovery.
· Elevate. Occasionally lie down and elevate your knee on a pillow so that it’s higher than the level of your heart. This helps in blood flow and works to reduce swelling at the affected knee.
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