It’s logical that knee pain is quite common among older people, given that the knee is the largest, most complex joint in the body- there are lots of moving parts and lots of opportunities for something to go wrong. In fact, it’s often hard to determine exactly what the source of knee pain is. A recent study published in Nature details the challenge of having patients identify the locale of their knee pain and how figuring that out can help determine the precise cause of the pain.

For those of you among the 30 million Americans who suffer from knee osteoarthritis, you know that the breakdown of knee cartilage can lead to debilitating and even excruciating pain. While the symptoms and pain of osteoarthritis can be treated, its progression will likely continue, though new research has just come out suggesting a treatment may be on the horizon to halt the progression of osteoarthritis.

Eventually, many conclude that a knee replacement may be necessary. To read more about this surgery, its risks and benefits, and whether it’s really the right procedure for you, read here and here. One thing you should take into account if you’re thinking about knee replacement surgery is that it’s a frequent and expensive procedure and thus, the target of cost-cutting measures by Medicare and hospitals. In fact, the pressure is on to make total knee replacement an out-patient surgery in most cases. So before you think about going under the knife, be sure that you’ve educated yourself accordingly.