Causes of Knee Pain and Treatment Options
Knee pain is quite common and can be crippling. A lot of things can cause pain in your knee(s), including medical conditions, trauma, and injuries from putting too much pressure on the joint.
The key to proper treatment is finding out what causes your knee pain.
In this article, you’ll learn about many causes of knee pain, how they’re diagnosed, and what treatment options are available.
Why Do My Knees Hurt? Common Causes
Your knee is a complex structure. It includes three bones:
- The bottom of the thighbone
- The top of the shinbone
- The kneecap
Strong ligaments and tendons hold these bones together. Cartilage under the kneecap cushions and stabilizes the bones.
Any damage or disease in these structures can lead to knee pain. Common causes of knee pain include:
- Arthritis
- Ligament injuries
- Torn meniscus
- Patellar tendonitis and tear
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
- Baker’s cyst
- Prepatellar bursitis
- Iliotibial band syndrome
Knee Arthritis
Several types of arthritis can affect the knee joint, causing various levels of pain, inflammation, and disability. Some common ones are:
- Osteoarthritis (OA): Develops due to “wear and tear” on the cartilage; more common in people over 50; may start as a sharp pain when you move
- Rheumatoid arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks your joints; causes pain, swelling, redness, and warmth; pain tends to improve with activity
- Gout: High uric acid levels form sharp crystals inside the joint; affects the knee, hip, fingers, and especially the big toe; pain can be severe
- Post-traumatic arthritis: Develops after knee injury due to left-over damage, instability, or excessive wear and tear
Knee Ligament Injuries
You have four primary ligaments in your knee:
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL): Runs up the inside of your knee. Medial means toward the middle.
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL): Runs up the outside of your knee. Lateral means away from the center of the body.
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL): Runs diagonally through the inside of your knee joint, in front of the PCL. Anterior means front.
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL): Runs diagonally through the inside of the knee joint, behind the ACL. Posterior means behind.
Torn Knee Cartilage (Meniscus)
The menisci are tough, “C” shaped pieces of cartilage. Two in each knee cushion the joint. A torn meniscus is a common cause of knee pain.
When a meniscus tears, you may hear a “pop.” That’s followed by gradually developing symptoms such as:
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Clicking
- Locking
- Catching
When you’re young, it’s most likely a sports injury. When you’re older, weakness from age makes them more prone to tears.
Patellar Tendonitis and Tear
Patellar tendonitis is inflammation of the patellar tendon. That’s a large tendon connecting your kneecap to the top of your tibia.
Patellar tendonitis is most common in athletes who do a lot of running and jumping.
It’s often described as a constant dull pain that becomes sharp when you’re active.
In some cases, a weak patellar tendon can tear. A patellar tendon tear causes:
- Severe pain
- Swelling over the knee
- A tearing or popping sensation
If it’s a bad tear, you might notice an indentation at the bottom of your kneecap. The knee may give out when you walk.
Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
Patellofemoral pain syndrome is most common in adolescents and young adults. It’s usually caused by vigorous activities that stress the knee, such as:8
- Running
- Squatting
- Climbing stairs
Abnormal knee alignment can cause it, as well. So can softened cartilage that’s wearing away. This is a condition called chondromalacia patella.
Patellofemoral pain syndrome causes a dull, aching pain under the kneecap. Pain gets worse with frequent knee bending or after sitting for a long time. It may pop when you climb stairs or stand up.
Knee swelling and locking are rare in this syndrome.
When to See a Chiropractor?
Not all knee pain needs medical treatment, but delaying care when it’s needed can lead to more pain and disability. Symptoms to watch for are:
- Pain lasting more than 48 hours
- Inflammation lasting more than 48 hours
- Reduced range of motion
- Instability
- Signs of infection (fever, redness and warmth around the joint)
Your knee injury may need immediate care if:
- The joint looks deformed.
- The injury caused a popping or grinding noise.
- You can’t put weight on it.
- Pain is intense.
- You have sudden inflammation or swelling.
Treatments
Treatment depends on what’s causing your pain. It may include a combination of options to help relieve pain and, if possible, cure the underlying problem.
Self-Care Strategies
Many initial therapies for knee pain are simple, straightforward, and can be done at home.
- Rest: The first treatment for most common causes of knee pain is temporary rest. This allows inflammation to subside. Sometimes, this is all that’s needed to relieve knee pain.
- Ice: Using a cold gel pack or bag of ice can help lessen knee pain. Don’t put ice or a gel pack directly against your skin. Ice for only 15 to 20 minutes at a time, several times a day.
- Support: Supports such as taping, braces, splints, wraps, straps, or casts may help, depending on your diagnosis.
References:
- Lespasio MJ, Piuzzi NS, Husni ME, Muschler GF, Guarino A, Mont MA. Knee osteoarthritis: a primer. Perm J. 2017;21:16-183. doi:10.7812/TPP/16-183
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Arthritis of the knee.
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Common knee injuries.
- Kiapour AM, Murray MM. Basic science of anterior cruciate ligament injury and repair. Bone Joint Res. 2014;3(2):20-31. doi:10.1302/2046-3758.32.2000241
- Doral MN, Bilge O, Huri G, Turhan E, Verdonk R. Modern treatment of meniscal tears. EFORT Open Rev. 2018;3(5):260-268. doi:10.1302/2058-5241.3.17006