Three Conditions That Cause Knee Pain

Chronic knee pain can make getting through the activities of everyday living extremely difficult. As people live longer, their body is needed to work longer than ever before. Thankfully, improvements in medical technology and pharmaceuticals can help alleviate the suffering. Knee pain results from various reasons, and it's important to find a knee pain doctor who is well versed in the various causes and its treatment. Here are three common conditions that result in chronic knee pain if they go untreated.

Osteoarthritis

This is one of the most common causes of knee pain. It results from advancing age or being overweight or obese. Forcing your body to carry around extra weight is extremely hard on your hip, knee, and foot joints. Unfortunately, the chronic pain can also make it difficult to lose the excess weight. Osteoarthritis is the deterioration of the joint, which results in pain, inflammation, and swelling. The normal everyday wear-and-tear of the joints cause the padding in between to erode, leaving bone to run against bone. Because osteoarthritis is physical damage to the joint, long-term treatment requires replacing the knee joint.

Gout

While the most common place to get gout is in the joint of the big toe, any joint, including the knee, can be affected. Out is an extremely painful condition. The joint suddenly becomes hot, swollen, and red. Some sufferers describe the pain as though it feels like the skin in on fire or is being poked by sharp needles. Gout is a type of arthritis caused by an excess of uric acid in the blood, which will cause crystals to build up. Normally, the body removes the purines that cause uric acid, but age and other conditions, such as kidney issues, can reduce its ability to process them properly. Purines are chemical compounds found in some foods, including offal meat, like liver and kidneys; beef, pork, lamb, and bacon; venison; fatty fishes, such as mackerel, sardines, and herring; and beer and wine. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (NSAIDS) may be used to help alleviate the pain, but changing the diet, quitting drinking, and losing weight is necessary for long-term relief. Rheumatoid Arthritis

Similar to osteoarthritis, the main difference is the cause of the joint degeneration. While osteoarthritis is cause from normal wear-and-tear, the joint damage with rheumatoid arthritis is caused by a malfunction of the immune system. It is an autoimmune disease, which is a disease that cause the body to attack itself. The rest of the body can be affected as well. Most physicians use a multi-faceted approach to treat rheumatoid arthritis, including medications, physical therapy and exercise, dietary supplements, and nutritional changes.

Talk to a doctor, such as at Pottstown Surgical Associates, for more help.