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Some treatments for your knee pain and swelling

admin — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 07:20:56 +0000

People who have a swollen knee can either have fluid within the knee joint itself, or in the surrounding soft tissue. The first step in determining the cause of the fluid accumulation is to determine where the fluid is located.

The knee joint is surrounded by a capsule. This capsule forms the “joint space.” The joint space normally has a small amount of lubricating fluid within the knee to help keep the knee moving easily. Some conditions cause an accumulation of this fluid. This is what most people consider a swollen knee, also called a knee effusion.

There are a number of causes of knee swelling, the most common of which is arthritis. Other causes include the following:

* Infection (infection of the knee is serious and requires swift medical treatment)
* Pregnancy
* Blood clots
* Trauma or injury to the knee (e.g., after a fall or a cruciate ligament, meniscal, or collateral ligament tear )
* Dehydration
* Obesity or being overweight
* Water retention or fluid buildup from infection, blood or joint fluid
* Poor circulation
* Insect bite
* Menopause
* Menstrual cycle
* Multiple sclerosis
* Mono
* Autoimmune disease (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)
* Hypothyroidism
* Bursitis
* Gout
* Tendonitis
* Chondromalacia patella (a condition that causes a softening of the cartilage)
* Over-use or strain during exercise

Treatment
• Exercises are important. Many knee conditions will improve with conservative treatment consisting of low impact activities and exercises to improve muscular strength and flexibility. Patellofemoral dysfunction is best treated with vastus medialis strengthening and hamstring and calf stretching [B*] .
• In most cases a home treatment program should be explained in detail to the patient, including specific guidelines for activity modification and exercises. Initially, formal physical therapy is usually not required.
• All patients with mild to moderate knee osteoarthritis who do not have medical contraindications should be offered an exercise program that includes lower extremity strengthening and stretching exercises combined with low impact aerobic exercises (e.g., swimming, biking, walking, cross- country skiing) [A*] .
• The initial drugs of choice for the treatment of the pain of knee osteoarthritis are acetaminophen and/or topical capsaicin [A*] . If a traditional NSAID is indicated, the choice should be based on cost (see Table 6). COX-2-Inhibitors are no more effective than traditional NSAID agents; they may offer a short-term but probably no long-term advantage in GI tolerance for some patients. Due to cost and potential cardiovascular effects, COX-2 inhibitors should be reserved for carefully selected patients .

A list of causes of knee pain

admin — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 02:20:50 +0000

Knee pain is a common complaint for many people. There are several factors that can cause knee pain. Knee pain can be caused by a sudden injury, an overuse injury, or by an underlying condition, such as arthritis.

A knee injury can affect any of the ligaments, tendons or fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that surround your knee joint as well as the bones, cartilage and ligaments that form the joint itself.
Some common injuries causes knee pain include:
* Sprain (Ligament sprain)
o Medial collateral ligament
o Lateral collateral ligament
o Anterior cruciate ligament
o Posterior cruciate ligament

* Tear of meniscus
o Medial meniscus
o Lateral meniscus

* Strain (Muscle strain)
o Quadriceps muscles
o Hamstring muscles
o Popliteal muscle
o Patellar tendon
o Hamstring tendon
o Popliteal tendon

* Hemarthrosis. Hemarthrosis tends to develop over a relatively short period after injury, from several minutes to a few hours.

Some of the diseases of cause of knee pain include:

* Knee osteoarthritis
* Chondromalacia patella
* Baker’s cyst
* Meniscal cyst
* Discoid meniscus
* Osgood-Schlatter disease
* Larsen-Johansson disease
* Knee rheumatoid arthritis
* Osteochondritis dissecans disease
* Synovial chondromatosis disease
* Tumors
* Ankylosing spondylitis
* Reiter’s syndrome
* Tuberculosis arthritis
* Septic arthritis (Pyogenic arthritis)
* Osteomyelitis
* Hemophilic arthritis
* Gout (Gouty arthritis)

Other problems:
# Iliotibial band syndrome.
# Chondromalacia patellae (patellofemoral pain syndrome).
# Osgood-Schlatter disease.
# Osteochondritis dissecans.

Eucalyptus Oil relieves pain in the knees

admin — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 07:54:12 +0000

Eucalyptus essential oil is a strongly scented and vigorous essential oil
derived from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree. The eucalyptus tree originated in Australia though it’s planted all over the world now. The active ingredient is euclyptol (similar to menthol) which gives the oil the strong scent. Learn four healthy uses for eucalyptus oil below.

Eucalyptus Oil has been used by the Aborigines in Australia for hundreds of years to relieve pain, clear lungs from congestion, especially in children, and for relief of irritation from insect bites, burns and minor skin irritations.
Relieves Muscular Aches
For an invigorating and muscular releasing massage, add a few drops of eucalyptus essential oil to a massage oil (about half a cup). Eucalyptus oil may also help with muscular strains, pulls and even sprains. Massage a little of your eucalyptus massage oil into the affected area or apply a drop of oil to a warm compress and cover the area.

How to use: Pump a small amount of the oil and apply to areas of concern.
Examples: neck, back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hands, knees, muscles, etc; Use a gentle massaging motion to attain maximum effectiveness. May also be used as a general sports and massage oil.
Note: For external use only. Do not apply to broken or damaged skin. Keep out of reach of children.
Proprietary blending: Effectiveness is determined by multiple factors. Blending is what sets this formula apart from others. For centuries master herbalists have emphasized the importance of the interaction and synergism between the oils in a formulation as the key to their overall effectiveness. It’s what sets Dr. Cherubino’s Best Pain Oil apart. It’s why it works so well.

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Closed Chain Exercises for the Knee

admin — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 06:52:38 +0000

In general, fitness experts, physical therapists, and athletic trainers agree that closed chain exercises are better for you. Here why:

1. Closed chain exercises better mimic activities of daily living, which means they improve yourunctional fitness. They are great for athletes, too, since sports require multiple joint and muscle movements to happen at once. Very few movements in real life or in athletics isolate joints and muscles like open chain exercises do.
2. Closed chain exercises work many muscle groups at once. That great for the reasons above, but also because you can get more benefit in less time.
3. Closed chain exercises are safer for your joints specially the knee joint, which is very vulnerable to stress and injury. The force involved in closed chain exercises like lunges and squats is compressive, meaning it actually stabilizes the joint and helps strengthen it. In contrast, open chain exercises, like knee extensions or hamstring curls produce shear force, which stresses the knee joint (and the ACL) and is more likely to result in injury.

# Closed chain knee exercises are two different types of movements. Activities that are closed chain require the person’s extremity to be fixed to the floor or to a device that has a preset range-of-motion. The benefits of closed chain knee exercises include less force to the joint and exercise using functional movements necessary for daily activity.
Wall Squat
# Squats are an exercise used to strengthen the legs. Modifying the traditional squat to a squat done while leaning against the wall will provide the same benefits with less stress to the knee joint. Turn your back to the wall and walk two or three steps away from the wall. Lean your back against the wall and lower your body a bit. While supported by the wall, hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds and be certain your knees do not bend more than 90 degrees during this move. Repeat for 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Modify this move by placing a stability ball between your back and the wall and perform the squats. Be sure you can stabilize yourself while doing this exercise so you do not lose your balance.
Leg Press
# Exercising on a leg press machine is a closed chain exercise, which can be modified for comfort. Lie on your back on the leg press machine and place your feet on the platform. Select the desired amount of weight for your exercise and make sure your feet are in a comfortable position. Your knees should be bent slightly at the beginning of this exercise. Press down on the platform to lift the weight and slowly go back to the start position. Placement of the feet can be moved slightly up or down for comfort. Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Knee Flexion/Extension
# Knee flexion and extension exercises are closed chain activities that work the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the legs. Perform the knee extension move with rubber exercise tubing for added resistance. Attach the tubing to a stable object and tie the tubing to the back of the knee. Bend the knee that has the tubing tied around it and straighten it into the resistance of the tubing. Hold this position for a count of three before releasing. Perform three sets of 10 on each knee. Perform the knee flexion move by turning away from the object in which the tubing is attached, leaving the tubing tied around one knee. Begin this move with your knee straight, then bend the knee into the resistance of the tubing. Hold for a count of three and release. Perform three sets of 10 repetitions on each knee.

What is a Closed-Chain Exercise?
A closed-chain exercise is a strengthening activity done with your arm or leg
pressed against an object that does not move. Your arms or legs then push to
move your body against the resistence. Your body is used as the weight or force
to be controlled. An example would be balancing on one leg and then bending
and straightening that leg. Exercising the knee like this makes joints and muscles
above and below it also work.

Does apple cider helps with knee problem?

admin — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 00:41:00 +0000

Apple cider (sometimes soft or sweet cider) is the name used in the United States and parts of Canada for an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic drink made from apples. It is opalescent, or opaque, due to the fine apple particles in suspension, and may be tangier than conventional filtered apple juice, depending on the apples used.[1]
This untreated cider is a seasonally produced drink[2] of limited shelf-life enjoyed in the autumn, although it is sometimes frozen for use throughout the year. Traditionally served on the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, it is sometimes heated and spiced, or mulled.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Cure for Everything?
Apple cider vinegar for knee pain: a friend of mine mentioned something about a orthopedic recommending dousing a cloth in apple cider vinegar and wrapping it around the knee as a cure for pain. anyone ever done it? have problems with my knees myself .
I seriously doubt that would work. The majority of knee pain is inside the knee (i.e. underneath the skin) so wrapping your skin with a piece of cloth soaked in vinegar would hardly accomplish anything.

But then again, I’m a pilot, not a doctor, so what do I know. You should try it – it’s not like it costs anything (aside from the cost of the vinegar) and it can’t harm you.
If it doesn’t work, I would suggest a GP visit or physio.
Is the problem with both of your knees or just one?

Does apple cider vinegar can cure alopecia areata?

Foods help for knee pain

admin — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 07:16:18 +0000

Diet Food Glucosamine - Knee pain - Relieve your Arthriris

Millions of people have stiff, painful knees thanks to osteoarthritis. Remedies range from keeping active and dropping excess weight to steroid injections and even surgery. But research shows that you can take a tastier route to improvement:
1. Glucosamine HCI Boswellia & Bromelain is a dietary supplement that promotes joint health, it contains active lucosamine �a nutritional �building block�that provides essential lubricant for your joint cartilage.
2. Soy: People with knee pain reported less discomfort and used fewer pain meds after eating soy protein every day for three months, according to Oklahoma State University research.
3. Fruit: In a study of 293 Australian adults, eating plenty of fruit reduced the risk of developing bone marrow lesions—a marker for worsening knee osteoarthritis and pain.
4. Fish: Many studies have found that fish and fish oil ease the joint pain and stiffness of rheumatoid arthritis.

fix-it-with-food-knee-pain

About knee replacement surgery recovery time

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 07:13:15 +0000

Recovery times for any type of medical procedure, including knee replacement surgery, vary from person to person depending on the individual’s health.
Recovery in the Hospital: Most probably, the patient would need to be in the hospital for around 3 to 5 days post surgery. Majority of patients are asked to stand the next day after the surgery. Here, the type of surgery comes in the picture. The partial knee replacement surgery recovery takes less time than the time needed for a double knee replacement surgery recovery. If patients can bear the weight, they are allowed to walk with the help of a walker in a couple of days. After a few days, the patients start on their physiotherapy and knee exercises. Before that, ankle and feet exercises are advised to avoid blood clotting and swelling.

Recovery at Home: Home is where most of the time is spent after the surgery, which is several weeks after you are discharged from the hospital. The first phase of rehabilitation to physiotherapy at home with strength building exercises is around 3 to 6 weeks. After that, the routine activities can be carried out though gradually. For the first few weeks, kneeling and squatting is not advisable. You can drive after you get used to your routine activities, but that too depends upon how much you can bend your knee. The total with all the factors responsible for that (your general health, your response to physiotherapy, no complications and so on) is 2 to 3 months. In case there are any knee replacement surgery complications, then the things could be different.

Ways to prevent wrinkly skin on the knees

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:35:06 +0000

wrinkly skin on the knees images

Wrinkly skin syndrome: A very rare genetic disorder characterized by wrinkly skin that occurs primarily on the palms and soles but can occur on other parts of the body. The condition is also associated with various other abnormalities. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Wrinkly skin syndrome is available below.

Easy preventative measures for knee de-wrinkling:

The skin on any part of your body which is forced to bend and stretch repeatedly, such as the knees and elbows, becomes scaly, cracked, and wrinkled-looking as you age. In addition, these parts often have to support the weight of your entire body (from leaning, kneeling, etc.), exacerbating their condition. Call it payback for all that exhausting stress, but with time, these areas tend to show more dryness and wrinkles than the rest of your skin. The best reward you can give your knees is to keep them moisturized at all times.

The best body lotions for desiccated knees will help drive moisture through the skin barrier. Look for formulas containing urea or ammonium lactate (ie. Eucerin Plus Intensive Repair Body Cream or AmLactin Moisturizing Lotion. A number of brands, from B. Kamins to Dermal Therapy, offer targeted products to treat the knee, elbow, and foot areas specifically. Take a gander at Marta’s recommendations for the five best body moisturizers on the market (along with a frightening tale of what could happen to your knees if you don’t take proper care of them).

If you’re really serious about improving the appearance of your knees, get in the habit of exfoliating, thus revitalizing them on a cellular level. After scrubbing your knees in the shower (with a loofah, scrub, or Clarisonic body brush) to slough off dead skin cells, coat the area with some heavy-duty petroleum-based products like Curel or plain-old Vaseline. If you’d prefer the natural path, use a rich cream (or concoct your own) with wholesome emollients like shea butter and emu oil. You may look like a volleyball player, but tying long, clean socks around your knees will keep the cream from rubbing off on your sheets. Forming regular habits is far easier than trying to cure a long-neglected disaster- which brings us to the next level of knee skin therapy.

wrinkly skin on the knees images

Strengthen knees with Cycling-Exercise

admin — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 00:27:57 +0000

Is there any kind of exercise you can do to strengthen your knees?

1. Riding an exercise bike strengthen your knee
On One Hand: Improves Knee Strength
An exercise bike works on both the deep and superficial muscles that act on the knee, as well as the surrounding and supporting tendons and ligaments. This adds strength and stability to the knee joint without jarring the delicate joint like actual biking can do. The exercise is favored among physical therapists.
On the Other: Possible Wear and Tear
Pedaling aggressively or against too much resistance can further damage the knee for those with existing knee joint or joint tissue problems. For example, cycling exercise classes are known for aggressive pedaling that may contribute to non-muscular-related knee pains.
Bottom Line
Consult a physician or certified fitness trainer for advice, or consider using a recumbent stationary bike. Recumbent bikes place the legs forward versus underneath a person like traditional bikes, thus alleviating pressure to the knee joint while maintaining positive stress on the muscles and related structures.

cycling will strengthen your legs in general. actually, your knees have no muscles to strengthen. what you do is build the attaching muscles and it tightens the tendons and parts of the knee.
cycling can destroy knees if done wrong. you must have your saddle up, so your knees are almost straight at the bottom of the pedal stroke. you should spin lightly, and avoid pushing hard on the pedals, and you should make sure your legs are correctly aligned. a bike shop can help with all these things. cycling works your knees a lot, and if something isnt right all that work can quickly damage them. if done correctly, cycling will build your legs very well.

About knee transplant surgery

admin — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 00:30:53 +0000

A knee transplant, or a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) involves removing the natural, damaged knee, and replacing it with a mechanical implant that will mimic the action of the natural knee.

Literally, the surgeon removes the knee bone and cartilage, the tissue that holds the muscle to bone. This is replaced by the implant of metal and plastic.

There are different types of implants a surgeon can use. Some implants are cemented; they are fixed to the bone. Others are fit into the knee area and the bone around the knee grows around it holding it into position.

ONE way for surgeons to repair injured knees is to take cartilage and bone from another part of the knee and transplant it in the damaged area.

Now companies are developing potentially simpler knee patches: small, off-the-shelf plugs engineered to mimic the composition of human bone and cartilage.

These ready-made cylinders can be inserted in an arthroscopic procedure; they are often used after a sports injury. They are known as osteochondral scaffolds, because they support new bone and cartilage as it grows.

“The scaffold guides the tissue formation of bone on one side and cartilage on the other,” Dr. Gibson said.

The scaffold disappears in about six months. “Over time the cells that attach to the scaffold produce enzymes that dissolve it,” Dr. Gibson said. At the same time, the cells are putting down their own matrix.

knee transplant