SearchExclusive.com

Most Common Causes of Knee Pain Diagnosis and Treatment

Most people suffer from knee pain in their lives at some point in time. Exercise, sports, etc. cause tendinitis, muscle strains and serious injuries to cartilage and ligament. Many people are so severely affected by knee pain that their daily activities are restricted. There are others for whom even mild knee pain is a matter of concern as they hinder the active lifestyle they want to live. It is important to investigate the reason that is causing the knee pain and treat it immediately to avoid further damage.

Given below some of the most common causes of knee pain:

Knee ligament injuries
The ligaments connect your thigh bone to the lower leg bones. They hold the bones together and also keep the knees stable. In sports, sprains and knee ligament tears are extremely common and occur to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL). If you suffer from any of these injuries, you would experience extreme pain in the knee and may need surgery as well.

Knee cartilage tears
Other injuries like tears can happen in the cartilage. It is a semi-hard tissue which covers the end of the bones. There are two menisci on both sides of the joint- the lateral meniscus found on the outside of the knee and the medial meniscus positioned on the inside of the knee. Meniscus tear causes knee pain. A knee cartilage tear is a quite common and needs surgery to treat it.

Arthritis of the knee
Arthritis causes severe knee pain and sometimes disability as well. It is a degenerative condition that needs surgery eventually. There are three main kinds of arthritis. These are osteoarthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Any of these conditions can result in swelling, the stiffness of the knees. You may find it difficult to bend the knees as well.

Rheumatoid arthritis of the knee
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. It makes the tissue around the joint to get thickened and inflamed. Chronic inflammation can cause loss or damage to the cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis accounts for 10% to 15% of all cases of arthritis.

Post-Traumatic Arthritis
This kind of arthritis result from a severe knee injury that includes ligament tears and bone fractures. These injuries would cause damage to the cartilage in your knee and cause swelling, stiffness, and pain as well over time if neglected.

Osteoarthritis of the knee
Among all types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common. It wears off the cartilage present in the knee joint. It is common for people who are 50 years old and over. The impact of the condition worsens in these people since wearing down of cartilage is associated with aging. The various things that osteoarthritis brings with it are a limited range of motion, pain, tenderness, weakness, deformity, and swelling of the knee. Some of the major causes of osteoarthritis are previous injuries, genetics, weight, age, and illness like gout or tumor. Osteoarthritis can also cause injuries sustained in sports or wear and tear as a result of physical work at job locations like manufacturing and construction.

Dislocation
Dislocation of the knee joint causes knee pain. This emergency needs urgent medical intervention. Knee dislocation can prevent blood flow to the lower leg and cause additional problems. This kind of injury happens during the motor-vehicle accident as the knee hits hard on the dashboard.

Fractures
Direct trauma to the bony structure of the knee causes the bones to break. This is a very painful injury to the knee. It is not only painful but can also interfere with the functioning of the knee as well. Fractures always need immediate attention. A thorough examination is required to be performed to detect any other injuries.

Diagnosing knee pain
Doctors diagnose knee problems or arthritis using physical evaluation and s-rays. The questions asked by the physician include your level of pain, functioning, and flexibility of knee, general mobility, etc. They would also run special tests on you to find out the exact kind of arthritis you are suffering from or anything else that is affecting the knees.

Treating knee pain causing Due to arthritis
Knee pain worsens as arthritis progresses. Treatments for this condition include strengthening exercises, weight loss, pain relievers, and wrapping. Pain relievers to be used include non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acetaminophen.

Knee pain causing due to arthritis can be resolved with surgery. It may be a partial or complete knee replacement surgery. It is important to discuss with the doctor about the various treatment options available before opting for the last resort which is surgery. If you are opting for the surgery, ensure that your physician is an expert surgeon as well. There may be some preparation that you need to do before the surgery which your doctor will tell you.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.