Pain in Side of Knee

This article points out the possible reasons for a pain in side of knee and the ways to treat it.

Knee pain has off late become very common. Blame it to the lifestyle changes that we have undergone. We spend most of our time sitting in front of our work stations without even realizing that our body needs rest. Diet has moved from nutritious to readymade frozen foods cutting short of all the minerals calcium needed for our bones. Lack of exercise can result in obesity and exerts pressure on our knee joint. Pain in side of knee may develop due to all these reasons and may be for others too.

Knee pain however minor should never be ignored because this could be a signal to a major sickness. Knee joint is one of the most important joint of our body which facilitates the movement of the body. Pain in side of knee may arise due to many reasons. Anatomy of knee will help us understand the structure of the knee joint and the areas injury to which could cause pain in the knee. Arthritis is one such very common reason. It is a degenerative disease of the tissues which results due to wear and tear of the cartilage causing inflammation and pain in side of knee. Other reasons may include infection, overuse of the knee as in case of runners or athletes, torn tendons and ligaments, or gouts also causes side knee pain.

Knee joint is protected by the knee cap; any injury to it also causes pain in side of knee. It could result in immobility as it is the patella which helps in the smooth movement of the joint bones. At initial stage only care should be taken to reduce the pain by use of RICE therapy which aims at providing rest to the joint together with ice, compression and elevation of the joint. While at work knee aids like braces or straps should be used to prevent straining the knee.

Pain in side of knee is very common in athletes so they should maintain proper measures to prevent pressure on knees. Stretch exercises before playing will help in prevention of the pain. It will make the joint come in motion slowly to prepare itself to bear the shocks while running or playing. Changing the lifestyle and the diet can help in preventing the natural cause of the pain in the knee. Treatment of the pain is very important in case of knees since it is the joint which helps you in the daily activities.

Besides all the medication there are alternative methods present which are cheap as compared to the traditional methods. Physiotherapy is said to be the most effective in treating knee pain when it is due to arthritis. Other methods include use of natural herbs, oil massage, etc. which reduces the pain in side of knee considerably. Only in severe cases where the medications and the alternative methods do not respond do the doctors suggest for surgery which may include a partial or full replacement of the knee joint. It enables the joint to work in normal capacity so that the patient is not affected in terms of his mobility.

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