Though many people in the U.S. suffer from common ailments such as Carpal tunnel syndrome and Arthritis, as many as 6,000,000 people in the country see doctors annually complaining of knee pain, and thousands of others never visit the doctor. While there are many types of problems that can occur in the knee joint, all are very painful. Among some of these problems are: patella instability (dislocations and subluxations), cartilage and ligament tearing, and many common syndromes that are often left untreated.
             A very common injury in women and girls is called "Patellofemoral Syndrome". This pain and discomfort is located in the front of the knee, and it is caused by inflammation of the extensor mechanism. The extensor mechanism is made up of the quadricep and the quadricep tendon. The mechanism becomes inflamed because of overuse: too much, too soon, as orthopedics describe it. Not only does this syndrome cause pain, it causes stiffness in the joint. The pain and stiffness gets better with rest, and is intensified with activity.
             To treat Patellofemoral Syndrome, it is best to stay out of activity for 6 weeks or more. Icing the joint and taking Advil or Aleve will help the pain and the swelling. Stretching the muscle groups as much as possible helps a lot. Strengthening the quadricep and the quadricep tendon is essential for recovery. Though Patellofemoral Syndrome is very painful, it is considered the easiest ailment to treat and the least serious in the knee joint.
             Another common injury is tearing ligaments. This is one of the most serious of knee injuries, because most ligaments do not heal without surgical procedure. There are 4 ligaments in the knee: lateral collateral ligament (LCL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The LCL is the ligament that connects the femur to the tibia bone on the outside of the leg. The MCL does the same on the inside of...