Knee pain may be just the start of the symptoms

Filed in archive Studies on July 28, 2005

A study suggests that patients with knee pain may just be the tip of the iceberg of their discomfort:

"Their study examined how often knee pain was associated with pain in other parts of the body and the effect of multiple sites of pain on the quality of life for patients aged 50 and older. People in this age group frequently experience joint pain, especially in the knees, according to the report in the August issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.

It turned out that the majority of people with knee pain also had pain in other parts of the body, including the neck, hips, ankles and lower back. And people who suffered from pain at more than one site were more likely to suffer depression and anxiety. In other words, widespread physical pain had a notable impact on the emotional quality of patients' lives.

(Rostler, "Knee Pain Can Point to Other Pain", Forbes, Jul.28)