Physical pain has a habit of springing on us when we least expect it. Let’s take a look at different types of pain and how to deal with it.
Iliotibial band (ITB) irritation
Iliotibial band irritation is a condition that is commonly experienced in athletes and those who exercise regularly, especially runners. You can take tests on the likes of EverlyWell if you feel you need to tweak your health and fitness regime. Read reviews here for more information. This is important because Iliotibial band irritation can often happen due to workout mistakes.
The condition occurs when the Iliotibial band rubs against a bony prominence at the knee’s outer aspect, which causes damage and inflammation to the local tissue and the Iliotibial band. This condition can be painful, particularly when carrying out activities, and it can cause people to have difficulty when it comes to normal everyday movements.
Iliotibial band irritation is an overuse injury, which means it occurs through excessive activity, with most patients encountering this problem through excessive running, typically during periods where they have increased their training intensity of volume, while it can also occur through any overuse in regards to repetitive knee straightening and bearing, such as rowing and cycling, and because of this you will find that Iliotibial band syndrome is most commonly seen in footballers, marathon runners and other kinds of athletes.
Symptoms vary when it comes to this condition, with some people suffering moderate pain and others experience extreme discomfort. Patients will encounter pain at the outer aspect of their knee that can be made worse when carrying out activities that aggravate the symptoms, such as walking and running, and it tends to get worse over time too, which is why it is advisable to book a physiotherapy appointment as soon as possible. Other symptoms that can occur include stiffness, swelling and a grinding sound, with some patients experiencing episodes of collapsing or the knee giving way because of the pain.
If it gets to the point whereby it is completely unbearable, a full knee replacement may be required. This is only in severe cases, though.
Meniscus injury
Each knee joint has a lateral meniscus and a medial meniscus, which is a fibrocartilage that separates your shin bone from your thigh bone. Your meniscus is vital because it offers rotational stability while also acting as a shock absorber, and so when it is injured it can cause impairment to a person’s normal movement, which is why physiotherapy is required as soon as possible.
There tends to be two main courses of meniscus injury, and this is typically age-dependent. Traumatic injuries are usually responsible for meniscus tears amongst the younger population, with sports-related injuries being the most common, yet when it comes to the older population a meniscus injury can usually be put down to general wear and tear, and so is part of the degeneration process.
There are several signs and symptoms to look out for if you think you could be suffering from a meniscus injury, including joint swelling, pain along the knee joint line, and locking, popping or clicking of the knee. It is worth pointing out the meniscus repair can be complicated, which is why it is so important to use the services of an experienced physiotherapist.
A whole host of techniques can be used when it comes to meniscus injury treatment, including massage, strengthening exercises, flexibility exercises, heat and ice application, ice therapy machine, electrotherapy and more.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis is a condition that involves the inflammation of the patellar tendon, with tissue damage also commonly being present, which in turn can cause a considerable amount of pain in the front of the knee.
There are several different causes of tendonitis, yet most people tend to suffer from this condition because of prolonged or repetitive activities that have put the patellar tendon under strain, including activities that involve repetitive running, kicking, squatting, jumping, hopping and such like. There are incidents when people suffer from tendonitis because they have had to withstand high force that is beyond what the tendon is used to, for instance when rapidly accelerating while running or when jumping and landing on a hard surface.
There are many different signs and symptoms to look out for if you think you could be suffering from tendonitis, including gradual pain around the knee cap, pain that is aggravated by activity, walking and standing, as well as a feeling of weakness and pain when touching firmly on the tendon.
There are many different techniques to utilise when helping you to recover from knee tendonitis, including soft tissue massage, ice or heat treatment, strength exercises, joint mobilisation, balance exercises, flexibility exercises, protective taping, bracing, the use of crutches, core stability exercises, stretches and electrotherapy.
Patellofemoral joint pain
The patellofemoral joint can be found between the thigh bone and the kneecap, and this joint can be a source of pain if there has been tissue damage to the structure of the patellofemoral joint or the joint is inflamed.
Patellofemoral joint pain is a very common condition, especially as it tends to occur through exercise and is common in runners and other athletes, and it can be particularly common in adolescents during a time of growth. There are cases when patellofemoral joint pain arises as the result of the degenerative process, which causes the joint to change, and means treatment is a necessity to manage the pain effectively.
There are many different signs and symptoms you should look out for if you think you could be suffering from patellofemoral joint pain, with pain in the knee cap being the most common. Aside from this, other symptoms include an ache that turns into sharp pain when carrying out activities, pain at the back of the knee, as well as muscle wasting and the knee giving way in more severe cases. These symptoms tend to get worse during activities, such as running, heavy lifting, jumping and walking excessively, as stress is place on the patellofemoral joint.
