Suffering From Knee Pain?
One of the largest and most essential joints in the body is the knee joint and any sort of injury or degeneration to this joint will cause disabling inconvenience. The knee joint is a complex assembly of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. Knee pain can be a result of damage to this joint either due to wear and tear (degeneration) or a sudden impact or injury such as a fall, sports trauma, or even just a twisting the wrong way. One such common injury that can be due to harsh movement of the knee is Meniscus tear.
Perhaps the most common cause of injury to the knee is participation in sports activities. Sports can place tremendous forces on the knee joint and while most of the time the knee can handle these forces, there are instances when they can lead to injury that might need Knee Surgery.
Some of the more common athletic and sports-related causes of knee pain include the following:
Sports Injuries To The Knee
Athletes who are passionate about playing their favorite sport are more prone to be affected by sports injuries to the knee.
Knee pain is caused by the following:
Fractures
Severe knee pain can be caused by the fracture of the Patella (kneecap) or the connecting thigh bone or shin bone. Most fractures occur due to a sudden high-energy impact such as ball-hitting or high-altitude falls. But often fractures can be from tendons and ligaments pulling on the bone in a stressful manner. This is called an avulsion fracture.
Dislocation
A physical injury that causes the bones in the knee to shift out of place is called a dislocation. Dislocation of bones can be caused by traumatic falls, twisting of the knee, or high-impact collisions. These injuries are treated by resetting the bone physically. However, if left untreated this condition can cause further biomechanical instabilities that lead to degeneration and knee, hip, and back pain.
Knee Tears and Sprains
Athletes who play high-demand sports like soccer, ice hockey, baseball, football, and basketball are much more prone to knee tears. Specialized ligaments and tendons of the knee are damaged while twisting, pivoting, tackling, and unexpected movement of the joints such as seen in high-speed vehicle crashes or sports.
Athletes who play high-demand sports like football, baseball, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, and basketball are more prone to knee tears and sprains. Specialized ligaments, tendons, and cartilage of the knee can be damaged while twisting, pivoting, and tackling. In addition, sudden unexpected movements of the joints in acceleration or deceleration can also cause injury to the knee joint. Meniscus tear is one such injury that is common among the athletes.
Medial Collateral Ligament sprain or MCL injury –
- MCL is a ligament tear on the inside of the knee caused due to twisting motion or direct impact.
Meniscal (Cartilage) Tears –
- Damage to the meniscus (which acts as a cushion to the knee joint) caused mainly due to contact sports.
Tendon Tears –
- Tendons attached to the kneecap get stretched or torn. Tendons (which attach muscles to bones) from muscles that support the knee joint can get stretched or torn.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament injuries (ACL) –
- A rapid change in direction or an improper landing on a jump may cause ACL tears. This is the most common sports injury. Ligaments attach bones to bones and therefore when torn can cause significant joint instability.
Posterior Cruciate Ligament injuries (PCL) –
- A blow to the front of the knee while the knee is bent may cause PCL tears. This injury can be seen in motor vehicle accidents.
Reach Out To Xcell Life, Today!
When knee pain doesn’t go away, despite trying various treatments, it’s time to look for a permanent solution. The team at Xcell Life will perform an initial FREE consultation to see the root cause of your discomfort and the extent of the issue to provide a customized treatment plan. We offer Non Surgical Treatments and drug-free options to help get you back to doing what you love most.