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Identifying Knee Problems

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Your knees have a big job to do and identifying knee problems, at first pain, is important. They provide support for your body, allowing you to walk, run, jump, turn, stand and crouch. Flexibility and stability are essential for performing these tasks. To help your knees accomplish this, other parts of your body come into play, including:

• Bones
• Cartilage
• Muscles
• Ligaments
• Tendons

Common knee problems affect flexibility, performance and the ability to bear weight without pain.

POINTS TO CONSIDER ABOUT KNEE PROBLEMS

  1. Knee problems can be caused by injury, obesity and various diseases, including osteoarthritis, bursitis and gout.
  2. Men, women, and children can all develop knee problems. They can affect all races and ethnic backgrounds.
  3. The symptoms of knee problems depend on the type of injury or disorder, but most all of them trigger pain and can limit your range of movement.
  4. Don’t try to fight through the pain. Contact a physician if you are experiencing these symptoms:

—You can’t bear weight on the knee
—It’s visibly swollen
—You can’t fully extend or flex it
—You can see an obvious deformity
—Pain, redness and swelling are accompanied by a fever
—You feel as if your knee might give out when you try to walk

TREATMENT OF KNEE DISORDERS

The course of treatment for knee problems depends upon its source. Is the source obvious, like a sports injury, or is it something more difficult to see — if at all — such as the development of osteoarthritis?

A qualified orthopedic surgeon will diagnose your specific knee ailment by taking a medical history, performing a physical exam and ordering tests to pinpoint the exact cause of your pain. Then, the doctor will be able to put together the best course of action for you.

Regarding knee pain, Dr. Alexandra Matthews, Sports Medicine Specialist for the Orthopedic Performance Institute says, “I encourage my patients to never suffer in silence! There have been numerous advancements in the treatment of knee pain, and many ways to treat pain without surgery are available. Two of the latest options include peripheral nerve stimulation — where you use a small simulator to keep the nerve from firing in pain, and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections — where you use your own blood to heal your knee pain.”

At Orthopedic Performance Institute, our physicians are experts in diagnosing and treating all types of knee ailments. Our mission is to alleviate your pain and get you back on your feet as quickly as possible. If you’re experiencing any of the above warning signs of knee problems, make an appointment today.

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