What causes knee pain?
Knee pain can stem from an injury, a chronic health condition, or overuse. Some of the most common painful knee problems include sprained ligaments, strained tendons, and meniscus tears.
Additional conditions that cause knee pain include:
- Bursitis: the inflammation of a fluid-filled sac under the joint that prevents friction with movement, caused by overuse, falls, or repeated kneeling or bending
- Iliotibial band syndrome: inflammation of the tough tissue that runs from your hip to your outer knee, often due to overactivity
- Kneecap dislocation: the sliding of a kneecap out of its normal position, triggering pain as well as swelling
- Loose cartilage: broken bits of cartilage that get trapped in the knee joint, which may cause the feeling of “catching” during activity
- Osteoarthritis: the wear and tear of joints, causing aching and swelling, most commonly after age 50
- Patellar tendinitis: inflammation in the tendon connecting your kneecap to your shinbone, often due to over-exercise, especially jumping
How is knee pain treated?
While surgery is sometimes needed to minimize knee pain and heal an injury, less invasive options suffice in many cases. Home care such as resting your knee from intense exercise, icing it for 15-20 minutes every few hours, wearing a compression bandage, elevating your knee, and taking pain-relieving medications can go a long way. Stretching exercises at home and physical therapy can also help.
Your doctor may also recommend cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, or prolotherapy, a nonsurgical ligament and tendon reconstruction procedure that stimulates the body’s natural healing mechanisms to create new tissue in the weak area. Viscosupplementation injections, which lubricate the joint, may also be suggested.
How long does healing take?
Recovery time from knee pain depends on the condition, as well as the severity of your symptoms. If you wish to stay active while enhancing healing, consider participating in doctor-approved low-impact activities, such as swimming, as alternatives to running or hiking.You can generally resume full activities once you experience no pain when you walk or bend or straighten your knee. If only one of your knees was injured, it should feel as strong as your healthy knee before resuming usual activity.
