Knee Pain Specialist

What causes knee pain?

Given the complexity of the knee joint, there’s plenty that can go wrong. The most common cause of knee pain is typically a sudden injury, though this still covers a wide range of damage. Injuries can result from impact, bending, abnormal twists, overextension, or falling on the knee. The most common types of knee injuries include:

• Meniscus tears: damage to the cushioning disks of the knees
• Ligament tears: the medial collateral ligament is most commonly damaged, though the anterior cruciate ligament can also be damaged
• Sprains or strains: can affect the tendons or ligaments that support and connect the knee
• Patella (kneecap) dislocations and fractures
• Bone or tissue fragments within the knee joint
• Knee joint dislocation: a rare injury that requires extreme force to occur

Overuse can also take a toll on your knees, causing inflammation of the sacs of fluid that lubricate and cushion your knees, called bursitis. Tendons can inflame or experience small tears, resulting in tendinitis. Patellofemoral pain syndrome causes pain in the front of the knee, due to injury, overuse, or carrying extra weight. There are also conditions that may cause knee pain as a secondary symptom.

What conditions can cause knee pain?

Osteoarthritis may be the most common, a wear-and-tear disease that can take its toll on many joints in the body, knees included, as can other types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, and lupus. Baker’s cysts cause swelling behind the knee. A variety of infections can affect the knees as well. These include:

• Infectious arthritis
• Osteomyelitis (bone infection)
• Septic bursitis
• Cellulitis (skin infection)

How is knee pain treated?

Treatment of a knee injury depends on the nature of the injury itself. If there’s no structural damage to the knee’s components, rest, ice, compression, and elevation – the RICE protocol – is a sound strategy, accompanied by over-the-counter pain and inflammation medications.

If you’re experiencing significant swelling and/or pain, redness, tenderness, warmth in the area of pain, or fever, make an appointment with Trinity Pain Medicine Associates as soon as possible. If your knee joint is visibly deformed, unable to bear weight, or swells suddenly, seek immediate medical attention from an urgent care or emergency facility.