Knee pain is more common as you get older, due to years of wear and tear, if you are overweight, or if you play sports. Because your knees are vital to movement, knee pain can stop you from playing sports and make it difficult to carry out simple activities, such as walking and climbing stairs.
There are 2 groups of muscles involved in the knee, including the quadriceps muscles, which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles, which bend the leg at the knee.
Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints, while other ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia.
Your knee joint is made of bone, cartilage, ligaments and fluid. Muscles and tendons help the knee joint move. When any of these structures is damaged, you have knee problems. These are some of the more common causes of knee pain:
Osteoarthritis. The cartilage in the knee gradually wears away.
Rheumatoid arthritis. The knee may become swollen and cartilage may be destroyed.
Ligament injuries. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries usually result from a sudden twisting motion. Injuries to the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) are usually caused by a direct impact, like impact from a car accident or sports activities.
Tendon injuries. These can range from inflammation to a tear, most likely from overuse in sports or from a fall.
Cartilage injuries and disorders. Injury, overuse, muscle weakness or misalignment of the knee can soften the cartilage of the kneecap, or a blow to the knee may tear off a piece of cartilage.
Broken kneecap. The small, round bone (patella) that sits over the front of your knee joint breaks, usually as the result of a fall or a direct blow to the knee.
How is knee pain treated?
Your healthcare provider might suggest several different treatment strategies to help ease your symptoms. These might include:
Not doing activities that make your pain worse for a while, returning to activity only gradually.
Icing the outside of your knee when it causes you pain.
Taking over-the-counter pain medicines.
Wearing a knee brace or taping your knee to support it.
Wearing special shoe inserts to help keep your feet in the correct alignment.
Practicing special exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles around your hip and your knee. Your provider or physical therapist can show you how.
These steps help most people manage knee pain. Your healthcare provider might advise surgery if you still have significant symptoms after 6 months of trying these other therapies. Depending on the underlying cause of your knee pain, your provider might suggest one of several surgical options, such as surgically realigning your kneecap. You can discuss all of your surgical options with your orthopedic surgeon.
How can I prevent knee pain?
In some cases, you can prevent knee pain. To help prevent a flare-up of knee pain, do the following:
Regularly so all the exercises your healthcare provider or physical therapist advises
Support your knee as advised by your provider or physical therapist
Ease up on your training when needed and increase your training slowly
Have an expert check your running stance or your stance for your sporting activity
Learn how to correctly stretch before and after exercise
Replace your running shoes regularly
If your symptoms don't start to get better after several weeks of treatment, see your healthcare provider. You may have a different kind of problem with your knee.
