Knee Pain
Overview
The knee is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human body. Pain in knee is a common condition that affects people of all ages. According to a study published on Research Gate, the overall prevalence of knee pain in the population is approximately 19%. The severity of the pain varies depending on the cause. Knee pain can be accompanied by stiffness and swelling, redness and warmth around the joint, weakness or instability, popping or crunching noises or the inability to fully straighten the knee
Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can be caused due to a sudden injury, overuse or by an underlying condition. Let’s look at some of the knee pain causes:
• Ligament Tear: Ligaments are strong bands of tissue that connect the bones in our body. There are four ligaments in the knee that are prone to injury. Such injuries are more common among athletes or those with a high degree of physical activity in their routines. The pain in the knee area is often sudden and severe, followed by knee joint swelling in the first 24 hours after the injury. One may feel looseness in the joint and experience an inability to put weight on the joint without pain. It requires immediate medical attention.
• Osteoarthritis: Also known as degenerative or wear and tear arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. It refers to the condition where the cartilage in your knee deteriorates with age and use. It can cause stiff joints and knee pain in the morning. It is a common cause of knee pain after the age of 50. According to Deccan Chronicle, India may become the osteoarthritis capital of the world with over 60 million cases by 2025.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis: It is a condition where the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy tissues in our joints. It generally affects the joints in hands and feet, but it can also affect the knees. It causes pain, stiffness and swelling in joints that can get in the way of everyday life. Untreated rheumatoid arthritis can cause long-term and progressive inflammation that can eventually lead to joint damage.
• Gout: This is a painful form of inflammatory arthritis that occurs when uric acid crystals build up in the joint. This acid forms sharp crystals that cause sudden bouts of swelling, pain and tenderness. While gout most commonly causes pain in joint of big toe, it can also occur in the knee.
• Infection of the Knee Joint: When bacteria contaminate the synovial fluid that lubricates the knee joint, it can result in an infection called a septic joint. Knee infections sometimes occur as a complication of surgery, inflammation or due to other reasons. The symptoms include inability to move your knee due to pain or stiffness, fever that lasts for over 24 hours, chills and nausea as well as swelling, redness or irritation around your knee. It requires immediate and aggressive medical treatment.
What if the Patient is Left Untreated?
• It can lead to reduced physical activity and social restrictions. The person may feel isolated and depressed. It can adversely affect the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL).
• It can cause permanent damage to the knee joint and even lead to disability. Knee locking is a condition where the knee gets stuck in one position and cannot be moved at all.
• Untreated knee injury can lead to wear and tear of the joint and osteoarthritis.
• Long term use of pain killers can have adverse effects.
Importance of Homeopathy Treatment and its Benefits
A safe and trusted way to treat knee pain effectively is through homeopathy. Homeopathic medicines are made from natural ingredients and are thus free from side-effects. Homeopathic remedies go to the root cause of your knee pain and treat it to ensure long-term relief. Homeopathic treatment also treats the different underlying ailments that may be causing or aggravating your knee pain, thus providing holistic relief. The medicines can be safely taken by people of all age groups without any fear of addiction.
A study published in the Indian Journal of Research in Homeopathy studied the effect of homoeopathic treatment on activity of daily living (ADL) in people suffering from knee osteoarthritis. Its findings are as mentioned below:
• The mean pain score improved from 10.50 to 5.48
• The mean pain score improved from 10.50 to 5.48
• The mean stiffness improved from 4.55 to 2.18
• The mean ADL (activity of daily living) improved from 35.85 to 19.08
Homoeopathic medicines were found to be potent enough to improve the ADL of patients. It was effective in reducing the pain and stiffness and limiting the progress of the disease without any adverse, systemic effect. Thus, it can safely be employed as a comprehensive health-care therapeutic.