Knee Pain

Affecting people of all ages, knee pain is a common problem. It can occur as a result of an injury to a ligament or cartilage, or can be because of arthritis, an infection or another medical condition. Fortunately, a lot of knee pain can be treated at home, or through physical therapy and knee braces. However, some more severe cases may require surgery. Below we’ll delve into the symptoms, causes, prevention and treatment of knee pain. 

Symptoms

Where your knee is hurting you and how bad it hurts will depend on the cause of your pain. Some symptoms of knee problems include:

• Redness or Warmth
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Weakness or Instability
• Crunching or Popping Noises
• Difficulty Strengthening Your Knee

It may be difficult to know when you should contact your physician for your knee pain. You should call your doctor if you cannot put weight on your knee, your swelling continues to worsen, you have a fever, or you have severe pain associated with an injury. 

Causes

Like we mentioned above, there are several possible causes for knee pain. The most common include injury or a chronic medical condition. Some of these include:

• ACL Injury
• Torn Meniscus
• Fracture
• Tendenitis
• Knee Bursitis
• Arthritis
• Dislocated Kneecap
• Hip or Foot Pain that changes how you walk 
• Degeneration of Cartilage (Loose Body)

Additionally, you’re more at-risk for knee problems if you are overweight, you lack muscle strength or flexibility, you often participate in activities such as skiing, running or jumping, or you work in a job that puts stress on your knees, such as construction or farming. Another risk factor is a previous knee injury. 

Prevention & Treatment

Sometimes it isn’t possible to prevent knee pain. However, here are some things that you can do to prevent your likelihood of injury or deterioration:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Extra pounds put additional stress on your joints.b 
• Get in shape before playing sports. Take time before your season starts to condition your muscles. 
• Build up your muscles, especially your hamstrings and quadriceps, as they support your knees.
• Exercise smartly. If you have a knee injury, turn to a low-impact activity like aerobics or swimming to keep extra stress off of your joints. 
• Practice correctly. Be sure you’re practicing your sport with the right technique to avoid injury.

When it comes to treating your knee pain, depending on the severity, your doctor may prescribe medication to alleviate your symptoms. He or she may also recommend physical therapy to strengthen and stabilize your knee and surrounding muscles. In some cases, your physician might recommend steroid injections to reduce pain flare ups. Lastly, in the most severe circumstances, improving or fixing your knee pain may require surgery or knee replacement. 

Get Help With Your Knee Pain at Minivasive Pain

At Minivasive Pain, our mission is to treat the causes of your pain with the highest standards of care and quality. Our experienced team of orthopedic physicians will work diligently to determine the underlying cause(s) of your knee pain, and work to get you back to the joys of life in no time. Plus, we have several locations throughout the Greater Houston Area for your convenience. To schedule an appointment, please call (346) 800-6001 now.