Blog

Knee pain is quite common among seniors of age 60 and above. However, it has no specific age category to have knee pain. Knee pain can be caused by many reasons and at any age. Sore knees are common and may not be an acute problem. There could be many possible reasons for having painful knees, like aging, nutritional deficiency, muscle strain or tendonitis, being overweight, sports injury, or maybe arthritis. Moderate knee pain can often be treated at home.

How is your knee structured?

Did you know the knee is the largest joint in your body? The knee is made up of four important things: bones, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons.

Bones

Three bones, i.e., the thigh bone or femur, the shinbone or tibia, and the kneecap or patella, make up your knee.

Ligaments

Ligaments join bones to other bones like strong ropes to hold your bones together and keep your knee in place. There are four main ligaments in your knee for different functions.

Cartilage

cartilage has several roles, including improving bone resilience, the ability to withstand compressive stress, and giving support in bony places where flexibility is required. The primary cell of cartilage is called a chondrocyte.

Tendons

These are the fibrous connective tissues that connect muscles to bones.

Common Causes 

Knee Injuries

Sprains, strains, and tears are different types of knee injuries. These can be caused by minor accidents, sports injuries, or sometimes sudden movements.

Tendonitis

In tendonitis you have painful knees. In this condition a tendon swells up and becomes painful. Generally, it happens by injuries.

Osgood-Schlatter disease

It is a common cause of knee pain in growing adolescents. Osgood-Schlatter disease is caused by irritation of the bone growth plate. 

Bones do not grow in the middle but at the ends near the joint, in an area called the growth plate. While a child is still growing, these areas of growth are made of cartilage instead of bone.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome

This is a common knee problem that particularly affects children and young adults. In this condition the patient usually has pain behind or around the kneecap. Pain is felt while climbing, running, squatting, cycling, or sitting with folded legs. Exercise therapy, or physiotherapy, is often prescribed for this condition.

Arthritis

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis. It can affect anyone of any age, although it is most common in people over the age of 50. If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, you may have pain and stiffness at times. It could affect one or both knees.

Nutritional deficiency

Calcium and vitamin D are crucial nutrients for bone and joint health. There is evidence that a deficiency of these vitamins can lead to bone weakening, joint pain, and swelling. Note that vitamin D is required for bone building and its overall health; therefore, a deficiency of it can negatively affect your bones. Generally, calcium and vitamin D are taken together because vitamin D helps in calcium absorption too.

Pain management and self-management

Mild to moderate knee pain due to a sprain or arthritis can often be treated at home. Home remedies can help you by managing symptoms like swelling, if any, and you feel better with reducing pain. Know easy and comfortable ways to manage knee pain by yourself at home. However, if the pain is severe, or if the symptoms persist or worsen, you should seek medical assistance for a thorough examination.

Try RICE.

For a strain or sprain of your knee, you can try “RICE”:

Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation

Get off your feet and apply a cold compress or bag of ice to the knee. Well, wrap your knee with a compression bandage to avoid swelling. While resting, keep your foot elevated.

Exercise and yoga

Daily exercise or yoga postures can help you keep your muscles strong and maintain mobility. It’s an essential tool for treating OA (osteoarthritis) and other causes of knee pain. You can also try low-impact activities, such as:

• Cycling
• Walking
• Swimming
• Water exercise or yoga

However, you may need to rest from exercise if you have an injury, severe pain, or a flare-up.

Weight management

Being overweight can put additional pressure on your knees. There is a link between obesity and inflammation too. For example, people with a high body mass index (BMI) have a greater chance of developing osteoarthritis than those with a low BMI.

Weight management is going to help you get rid of many lifestyle diseases like high cholesterol, diabetes, heart problems, and fatty liver and also protect your joints and knees.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain gel

These are also called topical painkillers. You can buy such pain relief gel or balm over the counter at pharmacies. It is unclear whether rub-on anti-inflammatory painkillers work better than tablets. Zeno pain gel is one of them with the power of sesame oil and linseed oil.

Heat and cold therapy

Heating pads can help relieve pain whilst resting your knee. Cold treatment can help reduce inflammation. In naturopathy treatment mustard plaster is used to treat knee pain, which is an alternative treatment. You can also try this at home.

Herbal treatment

The pain-relieving effects of these ingredients can help relieve pain.

• Cinnamon
• Sesame oil
• Ginger extract
• Flaxseed oil

Ginger, as in tea or as a concoction, can help reduce inflammation. One of the studies found that ginger helped reduce arthritis pain when people used it alongside a prescription treatment for arthritis in naturopathy.

Suitable footwear

Wear comfortable shoes and arch supports if you have flat feet. In the market you will find many foot-friendly shoes and slippers for all age groups and some specially designed for ortho-related concerns.

Knee pain can have an impact on your mood, especially if it lasts a long period, and feeling down might aggravate your discomfort.