Knee Pain: What can be done about it?

The knee is a very important part of the body. As a weight-bearing joint, it plays a crucial role in support, walking and running. Healthy Knees are also required for squatting, sitting and even turning in bed. Knee Pain will affect all these aspects of daily life that many of us take for granted. If left untreated, knee pain can worsen and eventually limit one's lifestyle and independence.

Hence, it is important for Knee Pain to be properly assessed, its cause diagnosed and treated correctly.

Knee pain can occur for many reasons. One of the most common is injury. This can be from an accident during sports, road traffic accidents, or even from repetitive stresses. The injured part of the knee could be the meniscus, ligament, cartilage, or even bone.

Other causes of knee pain include localised Knee Disease, such as infection, tumours, degeneration, or as part of a general disease process, such as autoimmune arthritis, gout. Occasionally, knee pain may be due to disease elsewhere, such as the hip. In this case, the knee pain is known as referred pain.

Evaluation of knee pain requires careful review by a doctor. This will involve finding out from the patient the details of his problem and thorough physical examination. Often, imaging with x-rays or MRI scans will be required to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of the knee pain Sometimes, blood investigations will be needed.

The treatment would be dictated by the cause of the Knee Pain. Oral painkillers can offer relief from mild-moderate knee pain. However, the underlying cause will still need to be treated. Many will benefit from physiotherapy and exercises to strengthen muscles and activity modification. Weight loss will also reduce the stress on the knee and associated knee pain.  However, certain injuries will require surgery to ensure optimal outcome. For example, meniscal tears should be treated with repair, to reduce the chance of worsening knee pain and development of degenerative arthritis in the future.

Other causes may require specific medication, such as antibiotics for infection.

If left untreated, many conditions will continue to affect the knee and the knee pain is likely to worsen. Overtime, the cartilage of the knee will breakdown and the patient can develop osteoarthritis. For severe cases, Knee Replacement is the recommended treatment, and is effective in reducing knee pain, allowing a return to an active, independent lifestyle.

If you do suffer from knee pain, do not ignore it. Seek treatment from qualified professionals to ensure early, effective treatment and optimal outcome in the long run.