Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal disorder. The knee is a vulnerable unstable joint. The knee is the largest and the most complex joint in the body. It involves three bones – the thighbone femur, lower leg bone tibia, front knee bone patella or kneecap. There is one other bone in the calf, fibula that is not involved in the knee joint but lies close to the outer portion of the knee joint. The main function of the knee joint is to bend and straighten the legs. The femur meets the large bone tibia and forms the main knee joint . This joint has two compartments, an inner medial and an outer lateral. The patella joins the femur and forms a third joint known as patellofemoral joint. The three bones are attached to each other through muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Ligaments are strong fibrous bands that connect bones and are capable of providing stability to the joints. There are four main ligaments in the knee that joins femur and tibia. On the inner side of the knee is the medial collateral ligament (MCL) and on the outer side is the lateral collateral ligament (LCL). The other two main ligaments are situated at the center of the knee- the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) these pairs of ligaments provide front and back and rotational stability to the knee.

Tendons are also fibrous brands that connect bones to muscles. There are two main tendons in the knee- the quadriceps tendon and the patellar tendon. The quadriceps connects the quadriceps muscle that lies on the front of the thigh and the patellar tendon connects the patella to the tibia.

There are two structures present between the femur and the tibia and are known as meniscus. These structures act as cushions or shock absorbers and also provide stability to the knee. There are two types of meniscus-medial meniscus and a lateral meniscus.

The knee joint is filled with fluid-filled sacs known as bursae that

Helps to cushion the knee. There are three important groups of bursae present in the knee. The prepatellar bursae that lies in front of the patella. The anserine bursae that is located on the inner side of the knee and the infrapatellar bursae located underneath the patella. All the three groups of bursae serve as gliding surface that reduce friction of the tendons. They also protect bony structures in the knee.

Causes for Knee pain

Knee pain is a common problem among many individuals. Its causes vary from individual to individual. Pain can occur in the knee from conditions that involve the knee joint, the soft tissues and bones surrounding the knee. The knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic diseases, immune diseases that affect various joints of the body. Knee pain usually results from overuse, poor physical activity and inadequate stretching. Overweight is also one of the cause of knee pain as it puts lot of burden on knees. Infections of the bone or joint can sometimes causes serious knee pain and have signs of infection including fever, extreme heat, and warmth of the joint and chills of the body. Injury can affect any of the ligaments, bursae and tendons surrounding the knee joint. Some other causes of knee pain are:

• Arthritis
• Ligament injury
• Sprain
• Fractures
• Tendinitis
• Cartilage tear
• Bone tumors
• Bursitis
• Chondromalacia
• Hip disorders

Treatment for Knee pain

The treatment of any problem depends on the cause. Same is in

the case of knee pain. Depending on its cause there are many self-care treatments for knee pain. The main and the best treatment for knee pain is proper rest. Along with the rest the activities that worsens the pain should also be avoided. Hydrotherapy or water treatments are highly beneficial for all kinds of joint pains. Application of ice and hot packs on the inflamed joint will provide immense relief from the pain. Elevating or stretching the knee muscles and tendons also help in reducing the swelling and ultimately the pain. Wrapping the knee joint with a cabbage leaf and a bandage overnight will also help in reducing swelling and pain. Massaging the knee with warm coconut oil and olive oil will help in reducing the pain and inflammation of the joint. Eating 3-4 walnuts with an empty stomach in the morning helps in curing knee pain. It also nourishes the bone marrow and the brain. Having 1-2 teaspoonful of fenugreek powder with water early in the morning for one to two months helps in curing knee pain. This remedy is equivalent to taking cod liver oil.

The yogic asana janusandhi helps in strengthening the knees but they should not be performed during pain. Regular practice of the asana is recommended for strong knee joints.