Knee pain can originate in any of the bony structures compromising the kneecap (patella), knee joint (tibia, femur, fibula), or the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage (meniscus) of the knee. By physical activity as well as obesity knee pain can be aggravated and affected by the surrounding muscles and their movements. They are also triggered by other problems like a foot injury. Unless it becomes severe, home remedies can be helpful and knee pain can affect people of all ages.

What are the symptoms of knee pain?

For different people, knee pain symptoms can be different and may change over time. Constantly you may feel knee pain or it may come and go says the knee specialist. You might feel stiffness instead of pain while experiencing back or knee pain.

It’s important to see a doctor to prevent further injury if you experience any of the following symptoms:

• Swelling and redness in and around the knee
• Inability and stiffness to fully straighten the knee
• Instability of knee
• Crunching, popping, and clicking sounds when you move or bend your knee
• Fever, which can be a sign of infection

What causes knee pain?

Knee pain can have many causes like other forms of joint pain, including:

1. Injury-According to the knee pain specialist,mild to severe knee pain can be caused by accidents and sports injuries. This type of pain may be caused by damage to different areas of the bones or soft tissue. This includes:

• Tendons- To support the movement, tendons are the fibrous connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone. The two conditions affecting the tendons that can cause knee pain are tendonitis and jumper’s knee.

• Ligaments- To provide support and stability, Ligaments are fibrous tissue that connects bones or cartilage. ACL tears are knee ligament injuries that can cause knee pain.

• Cartilage- In the knee joint, cartilage is the rubbery tissue that protects the ends of the leg bones that come together. Mild to severe knee pain is caused by meniscus tears and other knee cartilage injuries.

• Bursae- They are the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joint. Our knee has three bursae that can become inflamed. They indicated the knee joint is irritated and knee bursitis may also cause pain.

2. Infection- Inflammation or infection of the knee can result from several types of bacteria or arthritis. Your knee pain doctormay prescribe antibiotics if you have a joint infection affecting the knee.

When do you visit a doctor for knee pain?

Within a few days, any pain that does not respond to rest or disappears should be evaluated by a doctor. The following are signs and symptoms in the knee that a knee doctor should evaluate in addition: inability to bend, unable to walk or discomfort while walking, fever, swelling, deformity, and significant pain.

What are the treatment options for knee pain?

As the conditions that can cause the pain varies, knee pain treatment also varied:

Medication- To treat an underlying medical condition or for pain relief, medications might be prescribed. You should see your doctor be evaluated if you are taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications regularly for knee pain

Physical therapy- To strengthen the muscles, sometimes physical therapy sessions around the knee will make it more stable. It also guarantees the best mechanical movements. A physical therapist can help avoid injuries or further worsening of an injury.

Injections- In certain situations, injecting medications directly into your knee might help. Corticosteroids and lubricants are the two most common injections used for knee treatment. Arthritis and other inflammations of the knee can be helped with corticosteroids. While lubricants that are similar to fluid already in your knee joint can help with movement and pain.

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