In just about every activity that you partake in on a daily basis, your knees will be involved. As a result, they are subjected to a significant amount of stress on a daily basis – much more than many of your other joints. While aches and pains here and there are inevitable, how are you supposed to know when the pain is too much and serious enough to warrant a visit to an orthopedic surgeon? For starters, your quality of life is going to be impacted. Here are three issues that will likely send you a trip to a knee surgeon:
1. Chronic Pain
As a general rule, if you are just having a twitch of pain occasionally, you have nothing to be worried about. However, if you suffer from pain that continues over a period of time, especially if it makes your daily activities increasingly difficult, it is important that you contact an orthopedic surgeon immediately to schedule an appointment. In most cases, arthritis will be the culprit for which there is are early treatment plans, but there could be an underlying and more serious problem at play.
2. Mechanical Issues
There are certain conditions that can develop over time that could make it exceedingly difficult for your knee to properly function, which can reduce your overall quality of life. A few examples would include the patella (aka the kneecap) becoming displaced, a piece of cartilage or bone breaking off and floating within the joint, and the tightening and inflammation of the iliotibial band (the ligament extending from the hip to the outside of your knee) caused by the band's overuse.
3. Trauma or Injury
While injuries or trauma will most frequently occur to the knee while playing sports, all knee-related injuries aren't brought on by sports. Instead, injuries can occur by simply twisting the knee in the wrong direction. Sometimes, you don't even realize it happened. Common types of knee injuries and trauma that would require a visit to knee surgeon include ACL tears, cartilage tears, tendon tears, and ligament sprains, though you won't know that any of these have happened until you have visited the doctor.
It's virtually impossible to diagnose your own knee problem. Therefore, if you are experiencing problems with your knee and it is affecting your ability to go about your day, it is imperative to consult with an orthopedic surgeon sooner rather than later so that your condition can be diagnosed and a treatment plan can be drafted.
Share
