Knee joint pain
Knee joint pain is something I’ve lived with for nearly my entire life. It’s effected me both in terms of leisure and exercise, as well as professionally. It’s not something to take lightly, because knee joint pain can presage more serious conditions that can and will have a serious impact on how you’re able to manage your daily routine.
My knee joint pain began when I was just a kid. As a youngster I was very active, but by the time I was seven or eight years old I began having chronic pain in my legs. It started in my ankles, and I was brought to a specialist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut for an examination.
He found that I had a rare condition which was causing some of the muscle in my ankles to turn to cartilage and some of the cartilage to then turn into bone. This was limiting my range of motion as well as causing the bone to rub together, cauing me severe pain.
I had surgery and did rehab. It was about a year before I could walk again, and at that point I would wear high-top sneakers wherever I went in order to keep my ankles stable.
Keep my ankles stable it did, but unfortunatley that meant my knees were bearing the brunt of all my impacts, be it walking, jogging, running, or jumping up and down. All of which you do a lot when you’re a 10 year old kid who loves sports.
As the months went on my knee joint pain got worse and worse, to the point where I was once again brought to Hartford Hospital. This time there wasn’t anything nearly as dramatic wrong with me, but I was diagnosed with chronic systemic rheumatoid arthritis. In other words, knee joint pain was something I was going to have to get used to, and in a hurry, if I wanted to live a normal life.
Unfortunately as the years went on my knee joint pain got worse and worse, especially in the mornings. I’d wake up and be unable to move at all, and became housebound. This obviously limited my options when it came to employment, and as such I’ve had a hard time finding jobs where I could excel. It’s not a pleasant situation.
So if you find yourself or a loved one suffering from chronic knee joint pain, don’t blow it off and don’t expect it to be a nuisance, because it can become so much more than that. Find a doctor who can prescribe you the necessary painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, and find a physical therapist who can design a workout regimen for you as well.
