A pain in the knee

Movement for Life

by Lauren Walker

Knee pain is something we often see, and the cause of it can be due to many factors. Let’s look a bit more at the knee.

The knee is a hinge joint. Much like the hinge of a door, it moves in two directions: flexion and extension. An example of flexion is if you’re sitting and kicking your foot. The extension is if you’re standing and trying to bring your heel to your rear end. It is not designed to move laterally or twist.

Most injuries occur with abrupt changes in lateral movement. For example: when the foot is planted, such as in sports like soccer, tennis or even skiing.

Ligaments are designed to keep the knee in place during movement. Much like staking four corners of a tent, the ligaments and attached muscle work together to prevent injury.

Ligaments of the knee:

ACL- Anterior cruciate ligament

MCL- Medial Collateral ligament

PCL- Posterior Cruciate ligament

LCL- Lateral Collateral ligament

Most injuries tend to occur in the ACL and MCL and may require surgical intervention or rehab through exercise.

Let’s look at other causes of knee pain:

Lack of activity: Degeneration of muscular strength can cause joint pain in any joint of the body.

Arthritis: Inflammation of the knee joint can cause chronic discomfort.

Bakers Cyst: This is a fluid sac in the back of the knee which presses on the joint.

Osteoporosis: Joint degeneration caused by osteoporosis can be managed by medication, proper diet and exercise.

Joint degeneration: This is a precursor to needing a knee replacement. This pain cannot be managed by medication and requires surgical intervention.

Next, we’ll look at the benefit of exercise for your knee.

All Fit All Ages Gym is located in the Port Perry Food Basics plaza. Call 289-356-2140 for more info.