How to Understand What Causes Knee Pain

A large number of people all over the world suffer from knee pain on a daily basis. These individuals often find walking or climbing stairs very painful which greatly limits their mobility in performing daily tasks. In most cases,older people experience knee pain since their knees become weak after years of wear and tear. Nonetheless, younger people or adults can still have the same conditions since knee pain causes can have many sources. In general, people use their knees for different movements like running, climbing, and crawling. As years go by, the knees break down due to normal wear and tear but other knee pain causes can also add complication to the  situation. One must fully understand that the knee is a hinge joint formed by two bones- the femur and tibia. There are four important ligaments hold the knees together which is surrounded by synovium. The synovium is a thick fluid that protects the cartilage. Likewise, the outer layer of the synovium protects and supports the joint. A good understanding of the knee's anatomy can guide you in understanding the following knee pain causes.

Rheumatoid arthritis -One of the common knee pain causes experienced by the elderly. This condition happens when the body's own immune system attacks its own joints. The white blood cells accumulate in the synovium making it swollen. This leads to redness, swelling, and pain especially after waking up in the morning. As the condition worsens, the cartilage slowly erodes which can really be debilitating.

Osteoarthritis  One of the top leading source of knee pain causes. Due to the breakdown of cartilage, the bones begin to rub together which can be really painful. The result is inflammation and loss of motion. There's also the likelihood of having a bone deformity later as time progresses. Small bone spurs slowly develop along joint edges which is one of the painful knee causes in this condition.

The above mentioned are just some of the typical knee pain causes but there are other sources of knee pain too. The knee pain causes can be a symptom of something more serious depending on the pain's location in the knee. Other possible knee pain causes can be bursitis, softening of the patella or Bakers cysts. Past injuries or infections can also be knee pain causes that must be examined by a health professional.