Knee pain is the most common uncomfortable experience in adults. These days this knee pain is hitting the teens and the kids. Knee pain in kids is the major concern for many parents. This article helps you to make your child get relief from the knee pain.
Knee pain makes the child to experience the episodes of pain especially at some parts of the day. Knee pain sometimes interferes with daily activities of your kid and makes them lethargic.
This article discusses the causes of the knee pain in child. It presents the remedies for the knee pain in child.
Knee pain in children:
Knee pain makes you to experience the pain in or around the knee that may affect the knee joint or the soft tissues around the knee.
It is the most common complaint that affects the people of all the ages. It may be short term or long term pain that affects one or both the legs. It results from over usage of the knee or any other physical injury.
Causes of Knee Pain in Children:
Knee pain may results in the pain that may go on it’s own if the proper care and medication is given to the child with the knee pain. Here are a few causes for knee pain in a child.
1. Injuries:
Ligaments, tendons, or fluid filled sacs cartilage and ligaments may get affected when you get an injury. Some of the most common injuries that affect your elements of knee are:
A. ACL Injury:
An ACL injury results in the tear of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). ACL is one among the four ligaments that connects your shinbone with the thigh bone. This type of injury is most common in the people who play sports like basketball, soccer, and other games that require sudden change in the direction.
B. Fracture:
Motor vehicle collisions or any other falls may break the bones of the knee including the kneecap.
Sometimes osteoporosis may cause fractures when the people who are diagnosed with this condition step wrong because of their weakened muscles.
C. Torn Meniscus:
The meniscus that is formed due to tough, rubbery cartilage may act as a shock absorber between your shinbone and thighbone. If you suddenly twist your knee it may torn.
D. Knee Bursitis:
A small sacs of the fluid exists outside your knee joint known as burase. They help the tendons and ligaments to move smoothly over the joints. Some of the knee injuries may cause inflammation in this burace.
E. Patellar tendintis:
It is the irritation or inflammation that one or more tendons may experience. Runners, skiers, cyclists, and the persons who are involved in the jumping sports are more vulnerable to this type of injury.
2. Mechanical Problems:
Here are a few mechanical problems that cause knee pain.
a) Loose Body:
Sometimes injury or degeneration of the bone may cause a piece of bone to break and float in the joint space. This may not create any kind of problem unless the loose body interacts with it.
b) IT Band Syndrome:
The band of tissue that is extending from the outside of the hip to the outside of the knee becomes sop tight and it rubs against the outer portion of the femur. Runner and cyclists are more likely to be affected by this syndrome.
c) Dislocation of Kneecap:
This condition occurs due to the slipping of the triangular bone that covers the knee cap. Sometimes you may be able to notice the dislocation of the knee cap.
d) Hip or foot pain:
In case of hip or foot pain some people alter their walk exerting more pressure on knee joints this leads to knee pain.
3. Arthritis:
It is the inflammation of the joints. It can affect one or more joints and results in the pain and stiffness that get worse with the age. More than 100 different types arthritis exist. Among the available types the ones that most commonly affect the knee are:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Pseudogout
- Septic arthritis
4. Bacterial infection:
Bacterial infection can cause pain and swelling in the knee region. It prevents the child from walking properly. If you notice any inflammation near the knees of your child, there are chances for the formation of pus within the joints.
5. Osgood-Schlatter Disease:
This is a knee disease which is most common in the people reaching the stage of puberty. You may notice the inflammation in the area where the shin bone attaches to the knee cap. Rest is more essential for the child to recover from this disease.
6. Tumours:
This condition offers very mild knee pain in your child. Tumours are most likely to form around the knee area. The best way to diagnose this condition is to look for any abnormal growth of the tissues.
7. Overweight:
Overweight increases the risk of knee pain. The extra pounds may exert the stress on your knee. Studies suggest that both the overweight and obese people are at the risk of hand, hip, and knee pain.
Signs & Symptoms of knee Pain in child:
Growth spurt can stretch the muscles and leads to the knee pain. The signs and symptoms of knee pain depends on the cause. Pain is the most common symptom of the knee pain.
Few other symptoms of knee pain are as follows:
- Weak knee
- A feeling of locking
- May not be able to bend the knee
- Swelling near the knee
In most of the kids, knee pain is a result of growing pain. Here are a few characteristics of growing pains:
- They often occur or become severe in the evening and in the night.
- They may wake up the child in the night
- They may usually affect both the legs
- They are often accompanied by headaches and stomach ache.
- Your child may experience severe swelling around the knee area.
- You may notice the signs of rashes around the knee region.
- Your child may experience fever under certain conditions of the knee pain
- Your child’s knee may become weak and does not allow to walk properly.
Treatment for Knee pain in children:
If your child has severe injury, you may notice the following in your child:
- You child is unable to walk or put his/her weight on the knees.
- You child may experience extreme pain and the knee often look deformed
- Your child may encounter numbness near the knee region.
The thumb rule to give your child some relief is to follow RICE rule:
Rest: Allow your child to take rest so that you can protect the affected area from the pressure.
Ice: Apply a cold pack of ice on the affected area to minimize the swelling. Keep applying the ice till the swelling becomes less intense. Once the swelling comes down apply the heat compress to the same affected area. Do not apply the ice pack or heat pack directly over the skin.
Compress: Wrap the swollen area with the elastic bandage that can reduce the swelling. Do not wrap the bandage too tightly as this may increase the swelling.
Elevate: Use pillow or cushion to keep your knee elevated while putting compression.
If your child is experiencing the extreme pain, drugs such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, and Naproxen can be consumed for the immediate relief.
Home Remedies for Knee pain in a child:
Along with the medication and therapies, home remedies will help your kid to get the relief faster.
Knee pains with the severity ranging from mild to moderate can be treated at home. Here are a few home remedies to treat the child with knee pain.
1. Massage with essential oils:
Essential oils are the great way to get relief from the pain. The following essential oils can be used to relieve pain and swelling:
- Lavender oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Roman and German chamomile oil
- Rosemary oil
- Yarrow oil
Massaging helps to get relief from the symptoms of knee and joint pains. Essential oils for massaging is the great way to achieve faster relief from the pain. The essential oils will help in releasing the stiffness and reduces the pain.
2. Turmeric:
This is one of the best ways to treat knee pain in child. Research suggests that turmeric is as effective as ibuprofen and is an anti inflammatory drug. Turmeric is the safe and tolerable home remedy. Turmeric contains Curcumin, which has anti oxidant and anti inflammatory properties.
How to Use:
- To make turmeric drink mix 1/4 tablespoon of turmeric with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- Dilute this with 1 cup of water and give it to your child once or twice a day to get relief from the pain.
3. Lemon:
Fragrant essential oils that are present in the lemon peels help to relax the blood vessels and offer anti inflammatory effect.
How to Use:
Put the outer layers of two whole lemons in a jar containing olive oil and leave it closed for two days.
When this remedy is ready to use put this oil in a fabric cloth and place it over the affected area.
4. Ginger Extract:
Studies suggest that highly concentrated ginger is effective in reducing the symptoms of oesteoarthritis. Ginger can also offer many health benefits including relief from stomach upset and nausea.
Apply a cream or gel containing the ginger onto the affected area. You can also make your child to drink ginger tea for 2-3 times a day for the effective results. Ginger extracts can also be consumed along with any other prescribed drugs for knee pain.
5. Heat and cold compress:
Both cold and heat compress work well to get relief from the symptoms of the knee pain. The type of compress that you choose completely depends on the type of knee pain. If your kid has inflammation, it is not recommended to use heat compress.
Heat compress works well with the chronic pains such as arthritis. A cold compress is the best choice for sports injury.
6. Willow Bark:
Willow bark works well to treat the symptoms of pain and inflammation. It is the best home remedy to treat arthritis. It will be helpful to lower the symptoms of fever, cold, and flu.
Consuming willow bark tea is the effective home remedy to treat arthritis in child.
7. Apple cider Vinegar:
The alkaline properties present in the apple cider vinegar will help to overcome the pain.
Drinking warm water mixed with apple cider vinegar will help in removing the toxins around the knee area. It will restore the lubricants around the knee there by helps in restoring the normal knee movements.
8. Mustard Oil:
Mustard oil has anti inflammatory properties that helps in alleviating many pains.
Massage the affected area with the mustard oil. It offers proper blood circulation and reduces pain and inflammation. For the effective results use the warm mustard oil.
9. Cayenne pepper:
This herb contains pain reliever known as Capsaicin. The capsaicin offers the warn sensation near the affected area and helps in relieving the pain.
Mix a tablespoon of cayenne pepper with two tablespoons of olive oil and apply it over the affected area.
10. Exercise and weight management:
Daily exercise will help to move your joint muscles and reduce the knee pain. Keeping the leg stationary and avoiding any other motion may worse the pain.
Teach your child some exercises that help in weight management.
When to Call a Doctor for Knee Pain in Child?
Children mostly hurt their knees when they fall while playing. Home remedies, pain killing medications, sprays, and ointments may work well in many situations.
Doctor’s visit is essential under the following conditions:
- If your child experiences severe pain around the knee area.
- Severe swelling and redness around the knee
- A feeling of stiffness, tenderness, or warmth around the knee.
- A popping sound when your kid got injured.
- If the pain lasts throughout the day even after using medication, and home remedies.
- If the pain is interfering with the normal activities of the child
- If the child experiences the signs of stiffness, and weakness near the knee.
In conclusion, knee pain may pave the way for many long term problems if not treated properly at the right time.
