| "A sharp pain in the knee and a grinding sensation, especially when getting up or walking up stairs."
Knee pain is very common. There a number of different types of knee pain. The one described above is called Chondromalacia of the Patella, or Patello-femoral Syndrome.
Chondromalacia is the most form of chronic knee pain. It is a general term that refers to pain occurring between the knee cap (patella) and the underlying thigh bone (femur). Chondromalacia of the patella causes pain and tenderness in the front of the knee. The pain is worse when you sit for long periods and get up. Or when you climb stairs. Often, people experience a grinding or crunching sensation with this type of knee pain.
There a various causes of knee pain. Usually wear and tear occurs with age and/or overuse (for example in rugby players, tradespeople etc).
Softening of the cartilage beneath the knee cap (patella) results in small areas of breakdown and pain around the knee. Instead of gliding smoothly over the knee, the knee cap rubs against the thigh bone (femur) when the knee moves. The changes can range from mild to complete erosion of the cartilage.
Another very common cause of knee pain is over-pronation of the feet. The knee forms the link between the upper and lower leg and is a hinge joint, designed to flex and extend the lower leg, not to rotate it!
However, when the foot rolls inwards (over-pronation), the lower leg is forced to rotate, resulting in bad knee function. This will inevitably lead to wear and tear to the knee joint, causing long-term damage and pain. |
