When Should You See a Doctor for Knee Pain?
Knees are one of the most common parts of the body to be injured. They are usually a result of twisting, bending, or a blow to the knee from falls, accidents, and sports injuries, even some diseases and cancers can cause knee pain too. Knee injuries are especially terrible because they can end your sporting careers and hobbies early, impede your ability to be active in general, and can result in aches and pains when you grow older. One of the most common sporting knee injuries is to the left knee while golfing. The experts at Knee Force have created a detailed guide if you do have this problem.
The contributions to difficulties in walking when you are older are especially worrying as one of the biggest threats for the elderly are falls, which are the main cause of disability and morbidity for geriatrics. Knee injuries should be taken seriously, here is some advice on when to see a doctor and useful information about knee injuries.
Red Flags For Knee Injuries
When you have trauma to the knee, such as a bad fall or collision during a sporting activity, the pain isn’t always immediate because of the body’s stress(fight or flight) response. Whenever you have one of these, it’s worth having it checked by a physio or medic who can confirm if you should see a doctor. If this is not an option, it was worth being check by a doctor anyway as using the injured knee is only going to cause more damage. If your knee is unstable or locking after trauma to the knee, then get to the doctor as soon as possible.
If you have stiffness, swelling, or pain after exercise, you should see your doctor. These could be indications of injuries from overuse, water on the knees, or arthritis. You should also be aware of persistent knee pain, even if you aren’t exercising as this could be an indicator of an underlying problem or disease.
Don’t feel alarmed after reading these red flags. Not all knee problems require surgery and limit your walking. There are many great stories of people keeping healthy and active after being told that they would need knee replacements. The professionals behind www.for-knees.com say that you shouldn’t let your fears of knee surgeries and rehab prevent you from seeing the doctor, with medical knowledge today. The sooner you see the doctor and diagnose the problem the sooner you can start your recovery.
Common Of Types Of Knee Injuries
The knee mostly constitutes bones, cartilage, the meniscus, ligaments, and tendons. The most common injuries are to the ligaments, fractures to the kneecap, dislocations of the bones ( the femur and tibia), tears and strains of the tendons, and tears of the meniscus.
Perhaps the most common knee injury in sports is the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). This is often the result of a sudden twisting movement which is common in many sports like football, rugby, and basketball, to name a few. This is when the foot is twisted in one direction and the knee in another, which can happen easily when you are playing a sport where you wear something on your feet – like skis or boots.
Which activities produce the most knee injuries?
As mentioned early, twisting motions that can happen easily in sports like basketball, football, and rugby cause most ACL injuries. Injuries resulting in some trauma to the knee, such as fractures, dislocations, and hyperextensions, are more common in activities like striking martial arts, karate, and muay thai for example. Lateral and medial ligament(the ligaments on the inside and outside of the knee) tears are common in situations where there is pressure on one side of the knee that pushes the knee inwards or outwards.
These ligaments are collectively called the collateral ligaments. Pressure on the side of the knee can be caused by a blow or a twist to the knee, also common in typical contact sports, like rugby and American football, and in grappling martial arts, such as Brazillian jiujitsu. Knee injuries that are caused by overuse are more common than you may think, the biggest contributor to this is running and jogging.
The moral of the story is that it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to knee injuries. Rather be conservative and see your doctor if you suspect there may be an issue. Remember the red flags and that not all knee injuries are caused by direct blows, some are a result of overuse, while others from underlying diseases and illnesses.
