The InTENSe REBOUND® – Chronic Pain Management Series Part 3

Chronic Knee Pain – Don’t Let it Get in Your Way

Did you know that one third of all visits to the doctor are muscle and/or bone related? Of those visits knee pain is one of the most common reasons people are crowding the waiting room.

The knee is one of the most complex joints in our body.  No other joint in the body has four bony structures that meet at one place like the knee does.  They are the femur, patella, tibia, and fibula.  In between these bones are cartilage, ligaments, and muscle tendons.

Why does knee pain hurt so badly?  One of the major reasons knee pain hurts so bad is the fact that it’s a joint.  Every joint in your body has concentrated amounts of various nerve bundles surrounding it to help you move and give feedback to the body.  These increased amounts of pain receptors known as nociceptors are also the reason why it hurts worse to bang your knee into a desk than it is to bump your leg into a counter.  Both hurt, but you have experienced either of the injuries just mentioned, you obviously have felt the difference.  Strangely, there are no pain receptors in the cartilage so if the origin of your pain is from this type of tissue breakdown chances are by the time you feel the pain the major damage has been done. Knee pain can also be referred pain from injury to the hip, ankle, or low back so proper diagnosis is critical for proper treatment.

Reasons for knee pain are about as unique as you are.  However, they can be summarized into five categories: arthritis, tracking disorders, trauma, disease, and repetitive strain.  Knee arthritis is the number one cause of knee pain and affects over 10 million Americans.  Tracking disorders occur from muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee that are tighter or looser than they should be pulling the knee cap out of alignment.  Trauma is self-explanatory.  Accidents, injuries, and other trauma can cause all sorts of trouble for the knee.  Diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Osgood-Schlatter disease, degenerative joint disease, and others not mentioned are other reasons for chronic knee pain.  Lastly, repetitive strain through misuse, abuse, attributed to work or sports activities can also lead to chronic knee pain.

Treatment for chronic knee pain depends on the severity of your condition.  If you have not been properly diagnosed consult with your physician about your symptoms to understand exactly what you’re dealing with.  If the pain originates from trauma or degeneration your treatment may include prescription medication, surgery, electrical stimulation and supplements as appropriate.  If the pain is from muscular issues, treatments can include changes in diet and exercise, medications and herbal treatments, as well as physical therapy, massage therapy, acupuncture, and electrical stimulation.

Regardless of your chronic knee pain level transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation can help.  Transcutaneouselectrical nerve stimulation (TENS) treats the symptoms of knee pain from two angles:  First, it interrupts the constant signals the nociceptors mentioned earlier continuously send from your knee area to your brain causing you pain.  Second, use of safe electrical impulses from the REBOUND®  TENS unit stimulate production of natural pain killers called endorphins to give you long lasting relief.  Call 800.457.0477 or click here to find your pain relief today!