Knee-pain: Knee pain and osteoarthritis— treatment solutions for knee joint pain, tendonitis, and knee sprains from Senior Health Stores can help you bring pain to its Knees!

The knee is a joint that has three compartments:

1. The thigh bone (femur) meets the large shin bone (tibia) forming the main knee joint. This joint has an inner (medial) compartment;
2. The other is an outer (lateral) compartment;
3. The kneecap (patella) joins the femur to form a third compartment, called the patellofemoral joint.

The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the joint (cruciate ligaments). These ligaments provide stability and strength to the knee joint.

The meniscus is a thickened cartilage pad between the two joints formed by the femur and tibia. The meniscus acts as a smooth surface for motion and absorbs the load of the body above the knee when standing.

Anatomy of the Knee ( Click to Enlarge)

The knee joint is surrounded by fluid-filled sacs called bursae, which serve as gliding surfaces that reduce friction of the tendons. Below the kneecap, there is a large tendon (patellar tendon) which attaches to the front of the tibia bone. There are large blood vessels passing through the area behind the knee (referred to as the popliteal space).

The large muscles of the thigh move the knee. In the front of the thigh, the quadriceps muscles extend the knee joint. In the back of the thigh, the hamstring muscles flex the knee. The knee also rotates slightly under guidance of specific muscles of the thigh.

The knee functions to allow movement of the leg and is critical to normal walking. The knee flexes normally to a maximum of 135 degrees and extends to 0 degrees. The bursae, or fluid-filled sacs, serve as gliding surfaces for the tendons to reduce the force of friction as these tendons move. The knee is a weight-bearing joint. Each meniscus serves to evenly load the surface during weight-bearing and also aids in disbursing joint fluid for joint lubrication.

Injury can affect any of the ligaments, bursae, or any of the surrounding tendons causing knee joint pain or tendonitis. Injury can also affect the ligaments, cartilage, menisci (plural for meniscus), and bones forming the joint and may lead to osteoarthritis. The complexity of the design of the knee joint and the fact that it is an active weight-bearing joint are factors in making the knee one of the most commonly injured joints.

• Causes of knee pain include injury, degeneration, arthritis, infrequently infection, and rarely bone tumors.
• Ligaments within the knee (cruciate ligaments) and on the inner and outer sides of the knee (collateral ligaments) stabilize the joint.
• Surgical repair of ligament injury can involve suturing, grafting, and synthetic graft repair.
• Routine X-rays do not reveal meniscus tears but can be used to exclude other problems of the bones and other tissues.
• The knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic diseases, which are immune diseases that affect various tissues of the body, including the joints, to cause osteoarthritis.

Our educational information pages and health aide stores will be focused on your foot-pain, hand-pain, Joint-pain, back-pain, hair-skin-nails, fitness, and mobility-aids just to name a few.

Knee Pain — Osteoarthritis

What is osteoarthritis of the Knee?

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is one of the five leading causes of disability among elderly men and women. The risk for knee-pain disability from osteoarthritis of the knee is as great as that from cardiovascular disease.

Osteoarthritis of the knees is often associated with excess upper body weight, with obesity, or a history of repeated injury and/or joint surgery. Progressive cartilage degeneration of the knee joints can lead to deformity and outward or inward curvature of the knees referred to as "bowlegged" Patients with osteoarthritis of the weight-bearing joints (like the knees) can develop a limp. The limping can worsen as more cartilage degenerates. In some patients, the pain, limping, and joint dysfunction may not respond to medications or other conservative measures.

What are some of the causes for developing osteoarthritis of the knee?

Several factors may increase the risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee.

• Heredity: There is some evidence that genetic mutations may make an individual more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee;
• Weight: Weight increases pressure on joints such as the knee;
• Age: The ability of cartilage to heal itself decreases as people age;
• Gender: Women who are older than 50 years of age are more likely to develop osteoarthritis of the knee than men;
• Trauma: Previous injury to the knee, including sports injuries, can lead to osteoarthritis of the knee;
• Repetitive stress injuries: These are usually associated with certain occupations, particularly those that involve kneeling or squatting, walking more than two miles a day, or lifting at least 55 pounds regularly;
• High impact sports: Elite players in soccer, long-distance running and tennis have an increased risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee; and
• Other illnesses: Repeated episodes of gout or septic arthritis, metabolic disorders and some congenital conditions can also increase your risk of developing osteoarthritis of the knee.

What SHS treatments are available for osteoarthritis?

The goal of treatment in osteoarthritis is to reduce joint pain and inflammation while improving and maintaining joint function with one or more od the following aides:

• Exercise usually does not aggravate osteoarthritis when performed at levels that do not cause joint pain and our Senior Health Stores light weight training kit is a great tool for your exercise program;
• We also provide support devices, such as splints, canes, walkers, and braces. These devices can be helpful in reducing stress on the joints; and
• Our paraffin wax dips can also be a great source of soothing comfort.

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Thermoskin Knee Patella Support

Provides protection and support against general wear and tear including knee sprains, strains and twisted knees. The patented Trioxon® lining is a series of soft spirals that stimulate the skin to help create heat required for healing.  The small fibers in Trioxon lift moisture away from the skin while the knitting process holds air inside the pile to allow the skin to ventilate. The Trioxon® lining creates a micro climate that allows your skin to ventilate and remain well oxygenated for hours of continuously comfortable wear

KP-8-109 or KP-8-209

$29.90

Sizes X-S Small Medium Large X-Large XXL Color Black KP-8-109 Beige KP-8-209

Doctor’s Pain Formula is a topical analgesic cream, registered with the FDA as an over-the-counter pain reliever. Our patented formula has a unique and proprietary blend of 26 exceptional ingredients, including 11 natural herbs, Doctor’s Pain Formula contains an FDA approved active pain relief ingredient and other ingredients recognized by natural healers and herbalists to decrease inflammation and enhance the healing process. Click image or here to view these products