Do you ever feel like it hurts when you kneel down when sitting on the floor? If this happens, it may be a sign that you have chronic stress on your knees or that you have an injury.
The knee joint is made up of the thigh bone, the femur, the shin bone, the tibia, and the patella, also known as the kneecap.
Normally, cartilage exists between the joints and acts as a cushion, and ligaments are attached around the joints to ensure the stability of the knee.
However, when this cartilage wears away or muscles and ligaments become damaged, problems such as pain and difficulty in bending the joints often occur.
Let's take a look at the causes of pain when kneeling and how to deal with them.
table of contents
What causes pain when kneeling?
The act of ``kneeling'' is the state of bending your knees to about 90 degrees, or kneeling on the floor with your knees bent.
Therefore, the cause is
- knee bent
- Kneeling on the floor and applying pressure
Either or both of these conditions may be causing knee pain.
The most common orthopedic diseases are as follows.
knee osteoarthritis
This is a condition in which the knee becomes deformed due to repeated pressure being applied over a long period of time, causing pain and changes in appearance such as X-legs and bow-legs. This puts stress on the knee, causing it to swell and collect fluid (hydroarthritis).
Swelling is easily visible, and when water accumulates, it will move when you press the kneecap, so it is an easy symptom to self-check.
In addition, when the deformed knee joint is confirmed by X-ray,
- Bone spur: As the name suggests, a thorn-like part of the bone forms around the knee.
- Narrowing of the joint gap: As the cartilage in the knee wears down and no longer acts as a cushion, the gap between the femur and tibia narrows (or there is no gap and they collide directly)
- Sclerosis of subchondral bone: The part that should originally be soft becomes hard like bone.
You can check the status like this.
When the knee joint becomes deformed, it becomes difficult to bend the knee. However, kneeling requires bending the knees to a certain extent, which can put stress on the knees and cause pain. Even if inflammation occurs due to chronic stress on the knee due to deformity, it may also cause pain when bending over or putting pressure on the knee on the floor.
meniscus injury
Meniscus is the name of the cartilage in the knee. Like articular cartilage, it has a cushioning effect on the inside and outside of the knee.
If the inner meniscus is injured, it is called a medial meniscal injury, and if it is outside, it is called a lateral meniscal injury. If the meniscus is damaged, it can no longer function as a cushion, so the pressure on the knee increases two to three times.
Another feature of the meniscus is that when you bend or straighten your knee, it moves gently and supports smooth movement.
If the meniscus is damaged, it becomes difficult to bend or straighten the knee.
You may experience severe pain when bending.
Collateral ligament injuries may also occur, but when ligament injuries occur, walking becomes more difficult than the pain when kneeling, and instability such as knee wobbling or knee bending is often more noticeable. .
Quadriceps tendonitis/patellar tendonitis (jumper's knee)
This condition is more common in young people between the ages of 10 and 20, especially those who engage in sports that involve repeated jumping.
Pain occurs in the front of the knee, particularly where the patellar tendon (the tendon between the patella and tibia) attaches. Also, since the quadriceps muscle passes through the front of the knee, one of its characteristics is that it often feels tender when compressed on the floor.
Even if the pain is only on one side, there are many cases where the patellar tendons on both sides are inflamed, so it is necessary to check both legs.
bursitis
Inflammation of the bursa (a sac-like tissue that allows the joint to move smoothly) around the knee can cause pressure and pain when kneeling.
There may be a distinct lump-like bulge that may be red and swollen.
Treatment methods/home remedies
We will introduce each condition, from treatments at medical institutions to ways to deal with it at home.
Treatment at a medical institution
Regenerative medicine exists as a treatment for regenerating worn or damaged cartilage in conditions such as knee osteoarthritis and meniscal damage.
regenerative medicine
It is attracting attention as an approach to preventing and improving the progression of knee osteoarthritis as well as meniscal injuries and tears.
What is regenerative medicine? However, cells that promote the regeneration of damaged cartilage and cells that suppress inflammation can be injected (or administered intravenously) into the knee to promote the regeneration of cartilage and meniscus, and to suppress pain. Become.
●PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy
Blood is collected from one's own blood and components involved in regeneration are extracted and administered to the inflamed area to suppress inflammation and pain.
●Stem cell therapy
This is a method that stimulates meniscal regeneration by harvesting fat cells, extracting stem cells (and in many cases further culturing), and administering them to areas where the cartilage has worn away or where the meniscus has been damaged.
It is said that the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis increases when meniscectomy surgery, which will be described later, is performed. In particular, stem cell therapy can be performed while preserving the meniscus, so it can be said to be a treatment method that is easily suitable for people who are reluctant to undergo surgery or who find it difficult to be hospitalized.
meniscal surgery
If you have injured your meniscus, it will not heal naturally. The meniscus is difficult to heal because it is an area with little blood flow.
If the injury is small or the pain is not severe, conservative treatment (nonsurgical method) may be selected, but in many cases, surgery to remove the meniscus is required.
meniscal suture
This is a method of sewing the meniscus together.
meniscectomy
This is how to cut out the meniscus. It is often selected for meniscal surgery, but as mentioned above, there are disadvantages such as an increased risk of knee osteoarthritis after surgery.
Pain reliever/compress
Painkillers and compresses are often prescribed by medical institutions.
There is also a compress called ``Locore Tape'' that is specialized for alleviating pain caused by osteoarthritis.
hyaluronic acid injection
If the pain is caused by overloading the knee, it may be chosen to reduce pain and inflammation.
The effect lasts for about 1 to 2 weeks, but even if you apply hyaluronic acid regularly, the effect tends to wear off, and there is a risk of infection, so it should be kept as a temporary measure.
rehabilitation
Like painkillers, it is one of the treatments often prescribed by medical institutions.
We will improve the difficulty in bending or straightening your knee through massage, stretching, range of motion exercises, etc., and we will improve your pain through physical therapy using ultrasound, electricity, etc.
Remedies you can take at home
Here are some remedies you can do at home:
Review of daily activities
- don't carry heavy luggage
- don't walk for a long time
- avoid using stairs as much as possible
- Avoid work that requires bending down as much as possible
Examples include.
Knee deformity and inflammation are caused by the accumulation of daily stress. The more stress is placed on the knee, the more the deformation progresses, but in many cases, just by stopping stressful lifestyle habits, the inflammation gradually subsides and the pain is alleviated.
Be sure to actively use any compensatory means you can, such as switching to a mop instead of rags and using a cart when shopping.
Some people may actively use the stairs for the sake of their health, but you need to be especially careful when going up and down the stairs, which puts a load on your knees that is about 7 times your body weight. .
weight control
There is a strong relationship between knee deformity and body weight, and the higher the BMI, the higher the risk of developing knee osteoarthritis, which is also a risk factor for progression. It has also been reported that for every 1kg of weight loss, the burden on the knees is reduced by 2-4kg.
Try to reduce the load on your knees in a healthy way by being conscious of reasonable weight loss.
strength training
By strengthening the muscles around your knees, your muscles will be able to cover the stress on your knees.
You can also try lying on your back, placing a rolled up towel or plastic bottle under your knees, and pressing your knees into the floor to train the large muscles called quadriceps. It is important to do this within a range that does not cause pain.
summary
There are many pain control methods that can be done at home, but if there is water in your knee, it is best to have it removed as soon as possible, and you should seek advice from a specialist to build muscle strength and cover up your knee pain. If this is the case, you should consider relying on medical institutions, such as using outpatient rehabilitation.
Of course, if the pain is too strong or your knee is unstable, there may be an injury, so don't judge yourself and consider seeing a medical institution. Even if you are told that surgery is the only way to cure your condition, it may be possible to cure your condition without surgery at a medical institution that is capable of regenerative medicine, so it is important to take in a variety of information and choose the treatment method that is right for you. is the best.
In addition, regenerative medicine using stem cells etc.Treatment methods recognized as effective in the field of knee joint treatmentis.
Research and clinical trials are still ongoing, but regenerative medicine such as stem cells is still used as a treatment method. In the future, it will be developed as a more familiar treatment. We hope that you will take this opportunity to develop an interest in regenerative medicine, acquire knowledge about it, and actually consider treatment.
Knee pain and neuralgia do not go away easily. She has been suffering from illness and beauty for many years. Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns regarding your daily life.
Omotesando Helene Clinic specializes in regenerative medicine that does not place a burden on the body, and provides pre-counseling for those who cannot immediately start treatment.
"I'm curious, but I can't decide if prevention is really necessary now." You may be at risk of wandering life and death without realizing it, so Please feel free to contact us.
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