Saturday Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
45
July 28, 2012
Knee pain
and skin. • Compression. This helps prevent fluid build-up in damaged tissues and maintains knee alignment and stability. Look for a compression bandage that’s lightweight, breathable and self-adhesive. It should be tight enough to support your knee without interfering with circulation. • Elevation. Because gravity drains away fluids that might otherwise accumulate after an injury, elevating your knee can help reduce swelling. Try propping your injured leg on pillows or sitting in a recliner.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK What are risk factors for knee pain? A number of factors can increase your risk of having knee problems, including aging, athletic activities, and trauma injuries. Others are; • Excess weight. Being overweight or obese increases stress on your knee joints, even during ordinary activities such as walking or going up and down stairs. It also puts you at increased risk of osteoarthritis by accelerating the breakdown of joint cartilage. • Mechanical problems. Certain structural abnormalities, such as having one leg shorter than the other, misaligned knees and even flat feet, can make you more prone to knee problems. • Lack of muscle flexibility or strength. A lack of strength and flexibility are among the leading causes of knee injuries. Tight or weak muscles offer less support for your knee because they don’t absorb enough of the stress exerted on the joint. • Certain sports. Some sports put greater stress on your knees than do others. For example, repeated pounding your knees take when you run or jog all increase your risk of knee injury. • Previous injury. Having a previous knee injury makes it more likely that you’ll injure your knee again. Not all knee pain is serious. But some knee injuries and medical conditions, such as osteoarthritis, can lead to increasing pain, joint damage and even disability if left untreated. And having a knee injury — even a minor one — makes it more likely that you’ll have similar injuries in the future.
What is the outlook (prognosis) for knee pain? The outlook for an individual with knee pain depends on the particular cause of the pain. For examples, knee pain caused by degenerative cartilage can be chronic, while knee pain from injury sometimes resolves completely with appropriate treatment. Treatment and drugs: Treatments will vary, depending upon what exactly is causing your knee pain. Medications: Your doctor may prescribe medications to help relieve pain and to treat underlying conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis or gout.
surgery, it’s usually not necessary to have the operation immediately. Before making any decision, consider the pros and cons of both nonsurgical rehabilitation and surgical reconstruction in relation to what’s most important to you.
Therapy: • Physical therapy. Strengthening the muscles around your knee will make it more stable. Training is likely to focus on the muscles on the front of your thigh (quadriceps) and the muscles in the back of your thigh (hamstrings). Exercises to improve your balance are also important. • Corticosteroids. Injections of a corticosteroid drug into your knee joint may help reduce the symptoms of an arthritis flare and provide pain relief that lasts a few months. The injections aren’t effective in all cases. There is a small risk of infection. • Surgery If you have an injury that may require
Self-care measures for an injured knee include: • Rest. Taking a break from your normal activities reduces repetitive strain on your knee, gives the injury time to heal and helps prevent further damage. A day or two of rest may be all that’s needed for minor injuries. More severe damage is likely to need a longer recovery time. • Ice. A staple for most acute injuries, ice reduces both pain and inflammation. You can use an ice pack wrapped in a thin towel to protect your skin. Although ice therapy is generally safe and effective, don’t use ice for longer than 20 minutes at a time because of the risk of damage to your nerves
LIFE SAVERS Call or see your doctor if you: Can’t bear weight on your knee Have marked knee swelling Are unable to fully extend or flex your knee See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain and swelling in your knee Fall because your knee “gives out” CONCLUDED
LETTER
Help stop this pain Dear Doctor, I’m a youth copper serving in Lagos State and I hope I won’t bore you with my complaints but I need your help urgently. My problem started last December as soon as I came back from the village where I’d gone for my father’s burial. First, I developed pain in the upper region of my back and there hasn’t been any relief after several visits to five different hospitals and frequent use of pain relievers. Sometimes my back and stomach
will suddenly become hot and without taking any drug it will become normal again. There’s this occasional change of taste on my tongue which could be salty, sugary or even bitter. Also, I always feel some jerky movement all over my body and some sharp pain in my head, throat and joints. As I write this, my entire body is shaking but I guess this could be out of excitement of writing to you. Doctor, I really need to see you to take a look at me and tell me what is really wrong with me. Please,
write and give me an appointment. I’ve already spent a lot of money trying to find a solution to the problem but I’m not really satisfied with the results. Some blood tests I did some time ago only revealed the presence of malaria parasites in my system but I believe the problem is beyond that. I know something is seriously wrong with me. B.J.Y Ikoyi, Lagos Mirror Doctor replies: The main problem I can pick from your mail is that of back pain. All the other associated problems can be said to be psychological or in the least constitutional, in my own opinion. However, I
will advise that you have an x-ray of the upper back bone with emphasis on the spinal column since you seem to have jerky movement and pain in the head. The possibility of a vertebral problem must be borne in mind here. Let me advise here that if the back pain persists you may need to see a consultant physician because of your rather vague but genuine symptoms. In the meantime, you can take analgesic and try to relax as much as possible. I’m afraid I cannot give you my address as this column is not designed for that purpose but I’m sure your doctor will be able to refer you to a physician, if he deems it necessary so that the problem can be solved.