Knee and Back Pain Questions

Dr Kevin Lee answered Lianhe Zaobao readers’ questions on their knee and back pain.

A 44-year-old reader has been experiencing pain and aches in her right knee while walking. She enjoys slow jogging but ocassionally feels the aches in the right leg. She asked Dr Lee what was the problem and is she able to continue on her slow jogs.

Dr Lee believes that her symptoms stem from the knee’s patella. The patella is the outermost part of the knee joint and is covered by a layer of cartilage. The cartilage acts as a lubricant within the knee joint and wears off overtime. This results in the pain that she is experiencing.

Dr Lee recommends her to consult an orthopaedic doctor to ascertain the severity of the wear and obtain appropriate treatment. She should stop jogging to prevent further impact to her knee. However, she can still exercise through less strenous activities like swimming and brisk walking.

Another 27-year-old reader has been experiencing back pain especially when he get up from bed in the morning. He also experiences pain when lying supine, but the pain is alleviated when lying sideways. He has done an X-ray without any indication of spinal problems. He was diagnosed with inflammation of the back by a doctor and he would like to know what are the treatment options for it.

Dr Lee pointed out that his back pain issue should be carefully diagnosed by an orthopaedic doctor before ascertaining any form of treatment. Although usually it may just be a back strain, a slipped disc problem or the inflammatory disease Ankylosing Spondylitis cannot be rule out as the cause.