There could be any number of reasons for the pain in your grandmother's knee but there are two conditions of this load-bearing joint that you should take special note of, and they are osteoporosis and arthritis. In both of these cases, you are looking at a case of degenerative disease that is a part of growing old for some people; therefore, there may be no cure but with proper management of the disease, a certain amount of pain reduction can be achieved.
Arthritis is a condition where the soft material between the joints disintegrates and degenerates causing friction and grinding between the bones, which further causes inflammation and eventual destruction of the joints. The disease begins with a destruction of a tissue called cartilage that coats the end of the joints between two bones. The cartilage can be destroyed due to a number of reasons and the most prominent of them is the genetic predisposition to arthritis. A family history of the condition will possibly be causative factor. Once the cartilage starts to deteriorate, the joints start to come in direct, grinding contact with each other and the joints start to degrade and inflame. This is what causes the characteristic pain associated with arthritis. The body's natural bone healing process compounds this problem and eventually, the joint may have to be completely replaced as well. Arthritis can only be managed with the use of corticosteroids that reduce the inflammation and degradation of tissue. Exercise and reducing the load to the affected joints is the only other remedy.
Osteoporosis is slightly different when compared to arthritis as it is not a degradation of the joints caused by inflammation. Osteoporosis is a condition that is heavily biased to post menopausal women and causes a reduction in the density of bones, further causing brittleness. While this means that patients that suffer from osteoporosis are more prone to damage that they would suffer if their bone densities were normal, in the joints of the body like the knees, which are subject to minute damage on a daily basis. Osteoporosis could be debilitating. The best way to treat osteoporosis within the home is to increase the intake of calcium, vitamin D, and estrogens. The first two can be supplemented by an increase in the use of dairy products. A little time spent in the sun would help with providing the body with vitamin D, as the skin has the ability to create its own vitamin D. Estrogen is only produced in the living body so, you have to increase the intake of plant estrogen or phytoestrogen. This can be done by increasing the intake of almonds, cashews, peanuts and vegetables in ones daily diet.
answered by G M