Knee pain

Alternative Names

Knee pain

What is Knee pain

Knee pain is a common illness characterized by acute pain in the knee joint. It is not as such a disease but a symptom of other more serious problems. People of all ages can be affected by this ailment.

Signs and symptoms

Signs that accompany knee pain are:

• Swelling and stiffness
• Redness and warmth to the touch
• Weakness or instability
• Popping or crunching noises
• "Locking" or inability to fully straighten the knee

Possible complications

Knee pain can lead to more severe pain, joint damage and even disability if it is left untreated.

What causes

Many disorders can cause knee pain in the joints:

• Anterior knee pain
• Arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and gout
• Baker's cyst
• Bursitis
• Connective tissue disorders such as lupus
• Dislocation of the kneecap
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Infection in the joint
• Knee injuries
• Osgood-Schlatter disease
• Tendinitis
• Torn ligament
• Strain or sprain

Prevention

To prevent knee pain or reduce risks of its onset you should:

• Maintain a healthy weight to avoid additional strain on your joints
• Get strong, stay limber as weak muscles lead to knee injuries
• Do exercise but limit high-impact activities

Treatment

If you have knee pain you can try the different treatments:

• To relieve knee pain you can use pain killers.
• Physical therapy makes your knee muscles more stable. Exercises for improving balance are also vitally important.
• Orthotics and bracing can help to shift pressure away from the knee.
• Injections of corticosteroid into your knee joint reduce the arthritis symptoms and brings pain relief.
• Hyaluronic acid injected into the damaged knee joints may relieve pain and provide lubrication.

Injured knee may require a surgery but of different types based on severity and nature of injure:

• Arthroscopic surgery is used to remove loose bodies from the knee joint, to repair torn or damaged cartilage and to reconstruct torn ligaments.
• Partial knee replacement surgery is replacement of the most damaged portions of the knee with metal and plastic parts.
• Total knee replacement consists in cutting away damaged bone and cartilage from the thighbone, shinbone and kneecap and replacement with an artificial joint made of metal alloys, high-grade plastics and polymers.