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WHY DO KNEES HURT?
Developing due to trauma, advanced age and wrong movements made in daily life; knee pain, which is common in society, can be severe enough to reduce the quality of life.
Istanbul MedicalPark Hospital Orthopedics and Traumatology Clinic, Specialist Assoc. Dr., explained the causes of knee pain, diagnosis and treatment methods; gave information about ways to maintain knee health.
1- Knee pain is a common complaint in society, but is every knee pain serious?
Knee pain is a common ailment in society at any age. Most of the time, it occurs due to sudden traumas at a young age, rarely due to inflammation or rheumatological diseases. Usually, knee pain in advanced ages is observed due to calcification as a result of chronic degenerative (wear-related) processes.
2- Are there any types of knee pain? What do the pains in front or behind the knee tell?
We can classify knee pain as acute (sudden development), developing due to a fall, impact, or sprain, or chronic (due to time wear and calcification).
3- Which pains should I consult a specialist for?
In pain that does not go away with simple measures or spontaneously over time, in cases with walking or movement difficulties after acute trauma, especially if there is a sound during swelling or spraining of the knee, if there is an increase in the severity of pain in chronic pain and if it has a bad effect on the comfort of life, it is absolutely necessary to consult a doctor in Istanbul, Turkey.
4- How is knee pain and problems diagnosed, and by what methods are they identified?
First of all, it is necessary to listen very well to the patient, his history is very important. 90 Percent of the diagnosis is made with a good physical examination. Usually, evaluation by X-ray is sufficient. However, MRI may be required for a better evaluation of soft tissues, articular cartilage or meniscus structures.
5- Which knee problems are seen most often?
The most common cause of knee pain is osteoarthritis, known as calcification. In addition, rheumatic diseases, meniscus tears, ligament and cartilage injuries due to acute traumas, chondromalacia can be considered.
6- Are there any specific knee problems that are especially common in Turkish people?
There are some studies that show that knee, hip and lower back pain are more common in all societies with the habit of sitting on the floor, especially. Although Turkish society has traditionally changed in recent years, there is a habit of eating sitting on the floor and doing business sitting on the floor.
In people with meniscus, articular cartilage, ligament lesions, rheumatological diseases or calcification-related pain in the knee joint, sitting habits on the floor are necessary in the treatment.
Even people who are likely to have problems with the knee joint should change their habits of sitting on the floor and using the toilet in alaturka.
7- What mistakes do we make in everyday life make us a knee patient?
We may experience knee injuries from time to time in challenging sports activities, so it is necessary to protect the knee joint in sports activities, including those who play professional sports.
Since muscle weakness will increase the loads placed on the joint, exercises that strengthen the quadriceps and hamstring muscles should be performed in particular.
Constantly wearing high heels damages the knee joint. Walking or jogging for a long time can speed up the calcification process in those who are predisposed to knee joint calcification.
Sitting on the floor for a long time can damage the knee joint.
8- Are there knee problems that occur more often with age?
Advancing age leads to the appearance of calcification in those with a genetic predisposition to the knee joint. Since the self-renewal process of the tissues will slow down with the progression of age, the knee joint becomes more sensitive to traumas, weight gain and heavy loads. For this reason, daily sports activities should be made habitual and diversified with sports activities suitable for our age.
9- Which ways are followed in the treatment of knee pain?
In the treatment of knee pain, it should first be aimed to eliminate the factors that cause knee disease.
Firstly, lifestyle modifications are important. The environment in which a person lives should be regulated according to knee discomfort.
Straining the knee more than 90 degrees should be avoided, as it will worsen joint health, activities that will strain the knee, such as squatting on the floor, should be avoided.
Weight control is important in the treatment of knee pain.
It is important to arrange appropriate exercise treatment and nutrition in the direction of improving joint health.
Supportive therapies such as collagen and hyaluronic acid, which are effective in joint health, are recommended.
Painkillers can be applied if the measures mentioned above do not reduce the complaints of patients.
In more advanced stages, intra-articular injections; stem cell, PRP, prolotherapy can be applied. If success cannot be achieved with non-surgical treatments, arthroscopy, bone surgeries or prosthetic surgeries may be performed.
10- Does medication and physical therapy help with knee pain?
When using medications, collagen, hyaluronic acid, glucosamine, which are in the form of nutritional support, should be preferred. Painkillers can be used when the pain cannot be controlled by non-drug methods. Physical therapy applications are indispensable parts of the treatment for knee pain.
11- Which knee problems do the patient definitely need to have surgery for?
It is necessary to perform surgery in cases of advanced wear and calcification of articular cartilage, such as meniscus tears that do not heal with non-surgical treatment methods, anterior cruciate ligament lesions.
12- What is a knee replacement? Which patients is it applied to?
Knee replacements are artificial materials that mimic the mechanical properties of the knee joint. Although non-surgical treatment methods have been applied for the last year, knee replacement surgery is preferred in cases where patients wake up due to pain at night with knee calcification pain that does not heal, the walking distance drops to 200-300 meters, and the comfort of life deteriorates significantly.
13- What should I pay attention to before and after surgery?
Before knee replacement surgery, both the knee joint and the general health of the patient should be examined in great detail. Before surgery, it should be made sure that the patient does not have an active infection. Prophylactic (preventive) treatments should be applied against thromboembolism and infection. Risk analyses are performed and appropriate patients are taken to the surgery.
It is important to rehabilitate the patient quickly after surgery. Exercise treatments are started immediately on the same day after surgery. The patient is executed. A day later, he goes to the toilet. Compliance of the patient with exercise treatments after discharge is important. Patients who cannot adapt should be taken to a special rehabilitation program. Patients usually return to normal life from the first month.
14- Do I need to repeat the knee replacement surgery? Does it have a certain lifespan?
In the studies conducted, the average life of knee replacements has been reported as between 15-20 years. Knee replacement replacement surgeries have become successfully applicable today. The advanced surgical techniques increase the life expectancy from prosthetic surgeries.
15- What do you recommend to protect knee health?
It is important not to put too much stress on the knee joint during sports and exercise.
Pain is a signal for us. Just as we take action to extinguish a fire when a fire alarm goes off; eliminating the factor that causes pain in our knee joint is the most important stage to protect the health of the knee joint. It is very important to eat a regular and balanced diet in order to maintain the health of the joint structures.
Wishing you healthy days.
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Turkey's world-renowned organ transplant specialist. Dr. Demirbaş has 104 international publications and 102 national publications.
Physician's Resume:
Born on August 7, 1963 in Çorum, Prof. Dr. Alper Demirbaş has been continuing his work as the President of MedicalPark Antalya Hospital Organ Transplantation Center since 2008.
Prof. who performed the first tissue incompatible kidney transplant in Turkey, the first blood type incompatible kidney transplant, the first kidney-pancreas transplant program and the first cadaveric donor and live donor liver transplant in Antalya. Dr. As of August 2016, Alper Demirbaş has performed 4900 kidney transplants, 500 liver transplants and 95 pancreas transplants.
In addition to being the chairman of 6 national congresses, he has also been an invited speaker at 12 international and 65 national scientific congresses. Dr. Alper Demirbaş was married and the father of 1 girl and 1 boy.
Awards:
Eczacibasi Medical Award of 2002, Akdeniz University Service Award of 2005, Izder Medical Man of the Year Award of 2006, BÖHAK Medical Man of the Year Award of 2007, Sabah Mediterranean Newspaper Scientist of the Year Award of 2007, ANTIKAD Scientist of the Year Award of 2009, Social Ethics Association Award of 2010, Işık University Medical Man of the Year Award of 2015, VTV Antalya's Brand Value Award of 2015.
Certificates:
Doctor of Medicine Degree Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine Ankara, General Surgeon Ministry of Health Turkey EKFMG (0-477-343-8), University of Miami School of Medicine Member of Multiple Organ Transplant, ASTS Multiorgan Transplant Scholarship. Lecturer at Kyoto University. Lecturer at University of Essen, Research assistant at the University of Cambridge .
Professional Members:
American Society of Transplant Surgeons, American Transplantation Society Nominated, Middle East and Southern Africa Council Transplantation Society 2007, International Liver Transplantation Association, Turkish Transplantation Association, Turkish Society of Surgery, Turkish Hepatobiliary Surgery Association.
Disclaimer:
Our website contents consist of articles approved by our Web and Medical Editorial Board with the contributions of our physicians. Our contents are prepared only for informational purposes for public benefit. Be sure to consult your doctor for diagnosis and treatment.