Chronic Knee Pain

chronic knee pain

Chronic knee pain is caused by diseases or conditions that occurs in knee joint, the soft tissue and bones around the knee, and also nerves fiber in the knee area. Knee joint is the most common organ involved in rheumatic disease, immune disease, and also joint inflammation or known as arthritis.

Chronic knee pain: Risk factors

There are some risk factors for people to develop chronic knee pain, such as:

• Aging. The risk of chronic pain increases with age.
• Sex. Women have a higher risk although the mechanism is still unknown.
• Obesity. 
• Sedentary lifestyle and less exercise.
• Trauma/injuries. Pain caused by injuries can be worse by bending the knee, putting weight on the knee, or walking. A single traumatic event can caused one or more injured area.
• Athletic/sport activities.

Treatment of chronic knee pain

• If the problem is arthritis, the treatment is according to the nature of type of arthritis. If analgetics do not  give any response, it may require a total knee joint replacement by surgery.
• If the cause is infection, treatments are antibiotics and sometimes it needs joint surgery.
• Tumor should need a surgery.
• Bursitis. It can be treated with ice packs, immobilization, and antiinflamatory drugs such as ibuprofen, diclofenac, aspirin, and for severe cases, it needs corticosteroid injections as well as physical therapies.

The outlook and prevention of chronic knee pain

The outlook (prognosis) for persons with chronic knee pain depends on the exact cause of pain. Knee pain caused by degenerative or auto immune disease can be chronic and cannot completely recovered, while chronic knee pain from injuries can be resolved with appropriate management. Only knee pain caused by injuries that can be treated such as enough warming up before having exercise, etc.