The ABCs of Knee Pain
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kelly_Sons]Kelly Sons

Knee pain and related knee problems are extremely common and can occur in people of all ages and health groups. The bones of the upper and lower leg meet in the knee. It is the part of our bodies that is responsible for allowing us to run, walk and jump. When bones meet as in the knee, it is called a joint. What helps joints move smoothly is a pliable substance called cartilage and elastic bands called ligaments. These body parts are subject to injury and disease because of the constant use and pressure they are under.

Knee pain is usually the result of disease or injury. The most common disease that affects the knee is arthritis. There are 100 or more varieties of arthritis that can affect the knee and other joints. There are other rheumatic diseases that can affect the knee and cause knee pain, such as gout and lupus.

Chondromalacia is another disease that can affect the knee. This is a disease that occurs most often in young adults. It is characterized by the softening of the articular cartilage of the kneecap. It usually occurs from overuse of muscles, injury to the muscle, tendon or joint, muscle weakness or misalignment of the patella. In Chondromalacia the knee cap rubs roughly across the lower end of the thigh bone instead of smoothly sliding over it. It usually occurs when a injury tears off a piece of the knee cap or bit of bone.

Meniscal injuries are also a form of knee pain. If the knee cap is rotated while bearing a lot of weight, the menisci can be damaged or injured. This usually happens in sports and can be the cause of considerable pain. A large tear in the mensci can leave it hanging on by a thread of cartilage.

Knee pain is also often the result of sprains or cruciate ligament injury. This is also most often caused by a sporting event or a trauma like an accident.

Knee pain is most often characterized by sufferers as a dull, aching pain around or under the knee cap. It usually gets worse with walking, running or climbing.

Fortunately, many knee injuries can be prevented. Wearing shoes that fit properly can help prevent some knee injuries. Many knee problems that are caused by flat feet can be prevented by wearing inserts in the shoe. Keeping weight down to a healthy level also can help prevent knee problems and injuries.

Knee pain can be treated in a variety of ways. Depending on the cause and severity of the condition the treatment can range to home treatments and over the counter medicines to surgery. PAINenz, a product by MedGen, is a roll-on topical analgesic containing capsaicin, a well known pain reliever.

Kelly Sons, an expert on the topic of pain relief, offers intelligent advice and useful tips for relieving pain naturally and is dedicated to solving pain related problems. Kelly currently writes articles for [http://www.medgen.com/]Medgen where you can find more great information and products for [http://www.pain-enz.com/]pain relief.

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