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 For instance, the hinge joint at the knee allows movement along one plane only, just like how a door hinge works.
This explains why you can only bend and straighten the knee but not move it to the side. Damage to any joint may leave you experiencing pain and difficulty in movement.

Pain in the joint often comes with swelling, stiffness and reduction in the range of movement at the joint. It is a common problem with many possible causes, including injury, infection, illness, inflammation or trauma.
Often, it stems from continuously overloading the joint, which gradually causes wear and tear in the protective cushion between the bones.

Who is more likely to experience joint pain?
As common as joint pain is, it predominantly affects the aged, people who are obese and those involved in activities that involve repeated use of muscles at a joint. As we age, movements at the joints get stiffer and less flexible.
Excess weight also puts stress on weight-bearing joints, causing pain and worsening the damage at the joint.

What can I do to make it better?
Joint pain can progress from mild to chronic, nagging pain with joint stiffness. When you experience joint pain, it may be tempting to stop moving the joint because of the pain. Unfortunately, the situation only gets worse when you stop moving the joint.

Our joints get lubricated and keep the surrounding muscles active and strong when we move them.
As challenging as this sounds, moving the affected joint will eventually reduce the pain and stiffness and help increase the range of movement at the joint.

Talk to a physiotherapist if your joint pain persists and begins to affect your day-to-day activities. Your physiotherapist will ask you some questions, examine your joints and request for an X-ray or MRI if necessary to help identify the cause of your joint pain.
The assessment will aid your therapist in developing a treatment plan tailored to your needs.

Your treatment could involve pain relief techniques, joint manipulation and specific exercises to improve the range of movement at the joint and strengthen the surrounding muscles to help your joint function optimally.