Did you know that calling a person to be ‘no larger than bee’s knee’ meant that he/she was very short? Bees also have knees which do not have kneecaps. They contain femur and tibia.
When you want to understand the problems in your knee, you should also be versed with its structure. There are four main bones in your knee, namely, tibia (shin bone), fibula (on the other side of shin), patella (kneecap) and femur (thighbone). Meniscus and cartilage act as trauma-absorbers, reducing the pressure on your bones. Quadriceps is the primary muscle that runs through the knee. Ligaments connect one bone to another. Tendons link the bone to muscle. In order to avoid swelling, there are small-sized fluid bags which bring down the clash between bones and soft tissues. The triangular bone which is seated in the quadriceps muscles at the knee-front is also called kneecap.
One could have popping sound in the knee with or without pain. If you do not experience any pain, then there could be popping sound due to the sedimentation of gas bubbles in your joints. This is caused due to modifications in the pressure on the joints. This process is also called cavitation. It is harmless and not connected to arthritis. When you have an accident and you hear a sudden popping sound, you could have had a ligament or cartilage tear. There are two types of ligaments which lead to the pain: Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Medial Collateral Ligament.
If your knee pops frequently and you have not had any injury lately, then you could have a cartilage tear, runner’s knee, arthritis, or chondromalacia patella.
In a runner’s knee, your kneecap moves from its normal position causing ache. Arthritis refers to the deterioration of the cartilage. Lastly, chondromalacia patella is the condition where the cartilage which lines the back of the kneecap, becomes swollen and aches.
If you feel like your knees are locked, that is, your knees are stuck in a particular position, then there is something stuck in your knee which you have to wriggle and move. This is mostly caused by meniscus tear, which is a tear in the cartilage which forms the lining of the joint.
If you have pain and swelling in the knee, then it is time to make an appointment with the doctor. Clear your thoughts regarding what the exact symptoms are, what is the exact location of pain, when did the pain arise, and what was the event that triggered it?
TIPS TO KEEP YOUR KNEES HEALTHY: Exercise regularly with weights. You could also try out body-weight movements like lunges and squats twice a week. If you want to go natural, then quit the elevator and take the stairs, ride a bicycle which will help to strengthen your muscles. Remember to warm up before you begin to exercise. Many injuries are caused due to lack of warm-up prior to a workout. Stretching is essential to any form of exercise. Check out stretches which allow you to move your muscles to their full scope. After you have worked out, you should do static stretches where you pause and stay for at least 30 seconds. This will avoid your muscles from getting injured. In your workout regimen, progress from the slow exercises to longer ones. Also, make sure you are using shoes which are correctly sized. It is important to maintain an appropriate weight. If you are obese, it could stress your knees and increase the chances of early arthritis.
