Knee joint pain due to arthritis or any other disease or infection is treated along with the major problem while knee joint pain due to any injury can be treated by hot and cold compresses, massages with warm oil, light exercises like walking and cycling, yoga and aerobics. Knee replacement surgery is the last option to treat a completely immobile and painful knee.
 
Knee joint is the junction of two large bones of leg in which pain can be caused due to many reasons. The exact location of the pain helps medical experts to diagnose the problem better and quickly for treatment. Like any other joint of the body knee too is prone to the injuries, infections and disorders, in fact in older people complaints for knee pain is more common than compared to any other joint of the body.
 
The knee joint is formed by two bones femur and tibia supported by four ligaments and a patella also popularly known as knee cap. This whole joint is covered by synovium and is filled with synovial fluid which provides nourishment to the cartilages and keeps them elastic. Synovial fluid inside synovium also keeps cartilages smooth and slippery to ensure friction free and pain free movement of the knee. The knee joint joins thigh and shin bones to make normal activity like walking possible. This joint can bend up to 135 degrees and extend to 0 degrees. It is a weight bearing joint and complex in design which makes it most commonly injured joint of the body.
 
Injuries can promote pain in the knee. Any traumatic event can cause damage to ligaments attached to the knee joint. As knee has four ligaments attached to it exact area of pain can help the doctor to find out the particular ligament that has been damaged. Pain occurs when weight is transferred on the joint. Swelling of tendons also referred as tendinitis or jumper’s knee, injuries caused to meniscus by sharp and quick movements can cause mild to severe pain in the knee joint. The pain due to tearing of meniscus is felt with a popping sensation and locking or feeling of unstable knee. Swelling of tendons causes pain below the knee cap or at the back of the knee joint. All of these knee pains may also occur due to old age or overuse of the knee joint like in sports and other activities.
 
Osteoarthritis and rheumatic arthritis are other common causes of pain in the knees. Osteoarthritis causes damage to cartilages which eventually exposes ends of the bones to rub each other to cause severe pain and inflammation and also can cause complete immobility of the joint. Rheumatic arthritis makes immunity system attack its own healthy tissues which causes damage to the tissues present in the knee joint causing inflammation, redness, pain and infection in the synovial fluid. Arthritis also promotes secretion of fluid in the joint which gets accumulated in the form of a cyst at the back of the knee joint also known as baker’s cyst.
 
Knee joint pain due to arthritis or any other disease, infection or disorder is treated along with the major problem while joint pain in the knee due to any injury can be treated by hot and cold compresses, massages with warm oil or pain relieving ointments and creams, light exercises like walking and cycling , yoga and aerobics. Knee replacement surgery is the last option medically available to treat a completely immobile and painful knee..

A wide variety of disorders can result in a stiff shoulder. These conditions range from tightness in certain areas of the shoulder joint as in a throwing athlete with tightness in the back of the shoulder to a more global loss of motion as in a person with a “frozen shoulder.”
 
Throwing or overhead athletes can develop a disorder called glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD). Repetitive throwing causes scarring of the back of the shoulder joint. This, in turn, changes the mechanics of the shoulder resulting in loss of internal rotation of the shoulder, pain, and often, muscle tears. Overhead athletes complain of pain in the back part of their shoulder when their arm is in the “cocking” and/or “acceleration” phases of throwing and complain of tightness when the arm is brought across the body or behind the back. Treatment should be centered on stretching the back shoulder muscles and strengthening the rotator cuff or front muscles of the shoulder. It’s also important for pitchers to work on stabilizing and strengthening the shoulder blade. Also, overhead athletes, particularly young throwers, should adhere to pitch count guidelines and continually have their throwing motion evaluated to look for flaws that may contribute to this condition. For information on preventing youth pitching injuries, visit www.STOPSportsInjuries.org.
 
A “frozen shoulder” is a more global loss of motion, where the shoulder is tight in several different positions. “Primary frozen shoulder,” also known as “adhesive capsulitis,” is a condition which is more common in 40- to 60-year-old women or people with diabetes or thyroid problems. It can be following a minor injury to the shoulder,or more commonly, develop without a particular event. The cause of this condition is not entirely clear, but scar tissue forms in all portions of the joint, most often starting in the front of the shoulder. This disorder goes through the following distinct phases: the “freezing” or inflammatory stage during which pain develops and motion loss occurs, the “frozen” stage where there is significant loss of motion, but decreased pain, and the “thawing” phase where there is a gradual return of motion. In a majority of patients, the shoulder “thaws out” on its own without surgical intervention, but this process may take anywhere from six months to two years. Cortisone injections in the early inflammatory phases and gentle physical therapy may expedite the process. Rarely, manipulation of the shoulder under anesthesia with surgical release of the scar tissue is needed to regain motion.
 
If one starts developing shoulder stiffness, it is important to be evaluated by a medical professional familiar with shoulder disorders to get an appropriate diagnosis and treatment plan. Often these conditions are misdiagnosed and inappropriate treatment is undertaken initially, prolonging recovery..