Aches & Pains / Question
Published: June 11, 2002
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I'm suffering from knee pains. Sometimes I'm unable to walk well or bend my knees due to ligaments or muscles preventing me from doing so. Other times, I just have pain in my knees and can't sleep at night, etc.. My doctor thinks it is arthritis. Could it be something else, as they have not discovered the cause yet? Physiotherapy does not have any effect except for worsening the area.
Signed: A Lot of Knee Pain
Dear A Lot of Knee Pain,
Pain in or around the knee can be related to an injury or develop spontaneously from several conditions such as arthritis. Osteoarthritis is a condition of unknown cause accompanied by wear and tear on the joints. It usually becomes apparent in older people when the smooth lining of a joint, known as the cartilage, begins to flake and crack. As the cartilage deteriorates, the underlying bone is affected, and moving the joint becomes painful and difficult. Rheumatoid arthritis is different, and is characterized by alternating periods of active inflammation and the absence of symptoms. Its exact cause is unknown, but for some reason your immune system begins to form antibodies that help create a chronic or lasting inflammation of the joints.
Other than pain related to injury, these two forms of arthritis account for most cases of chronic knee pain. If you are not satisfied with your diagnosis and treatment TeenHealthFX recommends you obtain a referral to another orthopedist for a second opinion. You should not have to live in so much pain. There are many safe medicines a doctor can use to alleviate it.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
Teens often abuse prescription drugs because of the myth that these drugs provide a medically safe high.
