knee pain

In this Mayo Clinic Radio Health Minute, we hear from Dr. Jay Smith, vice-chair of Mayo Clinic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Minnesota, [...]

  Over time, knee pain began to severely limit Mini Kincaid's enjoyment of the activities she loved. But with robotic-assisted knee replacement surgery at Mayo Clinic, Mini is ready to get back in action.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am 42 and training for my first marathon. During my longer runs I have pretty significant hip and knee pain. Some runner friends advise that I just stretch more, and others say I need to do exercises to strengthen my ITB. What can I do to alleviate the pain? Is it safe to run with these issues, or am I doing lasting damage by continuing to train? ANSWER: It may be okay to keep running. But to avoid injury, it’s important that you address the problems you’re having on your long runs. It’s likely that stretching and strengthening will help to relieve the pain. It would also be valuable to have your footwear and running cadence assessed to see if they could be contributing to your discomfort. Proper stretching is an important part of any exercise program. It can increase flexibility, improve your joints’ range of motion and reduce the risk of injury. For runners, stretching the quadriceps, hamstrings and iliotibial (ITB) is particularly important to help avoid the type of hip and knee pain you’re experiencing.

Watch today's Mayo Clinic Minute

• A new drug to lower high cholesterol is approved, researchers say exercise and diet [...]

Summertime has many of us getting out and getting more active once again. That means we may see some of the maladies that come with aggressive exercise. Mayo Clinicorthopedic surgeonDiane Dahm, M.D., says a common concern is a Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal (pop-lih-teel) cyst. It's basically just an out-pouching of fluid on the back of the knee, ranging in size from one to six centimeters or larger. While there can be many causes, Baker's cysts are generally a symptom of some type of injury or arthritis within the knee joint. Dr. Dahm (Dom) says she sees Baker's cysts in the MRI scans of 30 to 40 percent of patients being treated for knee pain, but, they are no cause for alarm. Journalists: Sound bites with Dr. Dahm are available in the downloads Recent upgrades at YouTube have resulted in issues with some older versions of Internet Explorer. If you are only seeing a black box in the player, click here, or open in a different browser.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNJPmjGBrjs

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A meniscus tear — due to injury or wear and tear — is one of the most common knee injuries. The November issue of Mayo Clinic Health Letter provides an overview of this condition and treatment decisions, which can be more complex when osteoarthritis also is present in the affected knee. Meniscus is the cartilage in the knee that is a cushion between the shinbone (tibia) and thighbone (femur). A meniscus tear can occur suddenly, for example, when an athlete abruptly stops running and changes directions. A tear may develop over time with joint wear that occurs naturally, or it can be related to degenerative arthritis. Symptoms of a meniscus tear may include:

• Popping sensation when moving the knee
• Swelling or stiffness
• Difficulty straightening the knee
• Pain, especially when twisting or rotating the knee. (Tears due to regular joint wear may not cause pain.)

Knee pain or other symptoms should prompt a visit to the doctor. A history and physical exam may be enough to diagnose a tear. When osteoarthritis is suspected, X-rays or other imaging may be recommended. Patients and their doctors should be cautious about magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. These images are so sensitive that they detect abnormalities in the knees that don't cause pain and don't need treatment. Nonoperative treatments — rest, ice and nonprescription pain relievers — are usually considered first. After the pain diminishes, physical therapy and exercise at home can help strengthen the muscles supporting the knee.

Recommended Exercises for Knee Pain Depend on the Cause of the Pain February 5, 2010 Dear Mayo Clinic: What are the best exercises [...]