Knee Pain – Symptoms, Solutions, and Treatments At Home

Almost one in three Americans older than age 45 reports some knee pain, and it’s a common reason that people visit their doctors or the emergency room. Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Or, certain medical conditions, including arthritis, gout, and infection, maybe at the root of your knee pain. Many relatively minor instances of knee pain respond well to self-care measures. More severe injuries, such as a ruptured ligament or tendon, may require surgical repair. Although every knee problem can’t be prevented — especially if you’re active — you can take certain steps to reduce the risk of injury or disease. A knee injury can affect any of the ligaments, tendons or fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that surround your knee joint as well as the bones, cartilage, and ligaments that form the joint itself.  

Common knee injuries and their signs and symptoms & treatments.

Ligaments injuries

Your knee contains four ligaments – You have two collateral ligaments — one on the inside and one on the outside of each knee. The other two ligaments are inside your knee and cross each other as they stretch diagonally from the bottom of your thigh­bone to the top of your shin­bone (tibia). A tear in one of these ligaments, which may be caused by a fall or contact trauma, is likely to cause:

• Immediate pain that worsens when you try to walk or bend your knee.
• A popping sound.
• An inability to bear weight on the injured knee.
• A feeling that the knee might buckle or give way.

Ligament injuries Treatments:

• Rest your knee and avoid putting excess weight on your knee. Elevate your knee on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• Compress – Use an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves on your knee to control swelling.
• Wear a knee brace to stabilize the knee and protect it from further injury.

 Tendon injuries (tendinitis)

Tendinitis is irritation and inflammation of one or more tendons — the thick, fibrous cords that attach muscles to bones. Athletes, especially runners, skiers, and cyclists, are prone to develop inflammation in the patellar tendon, which connects the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh to the larger lower leg bone (tibia). If your knee pain is caused by tennis, some of the signs and symptoms include:

• Pain, in one or both knees.
• Swelling in the front of the knee or just below the kneecap.
• Worsening the pain when you jump, run, squat or climb stairs.
• An inability to completely extends or straighten your knee.

Tendonitis Solutions:

• Rest your knee and avoid putting excess weight on your knee. Elevate your knee on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone.Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• Compress – Use an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves on your knee to control swelling.
• A cast – if there is a partial tear.
• Surgery for complete tears or very severe injuries.

 Meniscus injuries

The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of car­ti­lage that curves within your knee joint. Meniscus injuries involve tears in the cartilage, which can occur in various places and configurations. Signs and symptoms of this type of injury include:

• Pain.
• Mild to moderate swelling that occurs slowly, as long as 24 to 36 hours after the injury.
• An inability to straighten the knee completely; the knee may feel locked in place.

Meniscus injuries Remedies:

• Rest your knee and avoid putting excess weight on your knee. Elevate your knee on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
• Physical Therapy – a range of motions exercises.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• If symptoms persist, surgical intervention.

Bur­si­tis

Some knee injuries cause inflammation in the bursae, the small sacs of fluid that cushion the outside of your knee joint so that tendons and ligaments glide smoothly over the joint. Bursitis can lead to:

• Warmth.
• Swelling.
• Redness.
• Pain, even at rest.
• Aching or stiffness during a walk.
• Considerable pain when you kneel or go up and downstairs.
• Fever, pain and, swelling if the bursa located over your kneecap bone (prepatellar bursa) becomes infected.

Bur­si­tis Treatments:

• Rest your knee and avoid putting excess weight on your knee. Elevate your knee on a pillow when you’re sitting or lying down.
• Physical Therapy – a range of motions exercises.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• If symptoms persist, surgical intervention.

 Loose body

Sometimes an injury or degeneration of bone or cartilage can cause a piece of bone or cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. If the loose body interferes with knee joint movement — the effect is something like a pencil caught in a door hinge — leading to pain and a locked joint.

Loose body Solutions:

Physical therapy and anti-inflammatory medications can be used to help with the symptoms and to keep the joint flexible. The loose body usually leads to mechanical symptoms that are relieved only after removal through surgical intervention.

 Dislocated Kneecap

Dislocated Kneecap occurs when the triangular bone (patella) that covers the front of your knee slips out of place, usually to the outside of your knee. You’ll be able to see the dislocation, and your kneecap is likely to move excessively from side to side. Signs and symptoms of a dislocated kneecap include:

• Intense pain.
• Swelling.
• Difficulty walking or straightening your knee.

Dislocated kneecap Remedies:

• A physician can manually move the kneecap back into position when the leg is straightened.
• Cold Therapy – Ice packs can be used 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a day to reduce swelling and pain. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Preliminary affecting athletic teens and pre-teens, this overuse syndrome causes:

• Pain, usually worse with activity, especially running and jumping.
• Swelling.
• Tenderness at the bony prominence (tibial tuberos­ity) just below the kneecap.
• The discomfort can last a few months and may continue to recur until your teen or pre-teen stops growing.

Osgood-Schlatter disease Treatments:

• Rest – activity limitation.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• Compress – Use an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves on your knee to control swelling.
• Quadric eps/hamstring strengthening.

Iliotibial Band Syndrome

Occurs when the ligament (that extends from the outside of your pelvic bone to the outside of your tibia) becomes so tight that it rubs against the outer portion of your femur. Distance runners are especially susceptible to iliotibial band syndrome, which gen­er­ally causes:

• Sharp, burning pain on the outer side of the knee that usually begins after longer distance runs.
• Pain that initially goes away with a rest from running, but in time may persist when you walk or go up and downstairs.
• With this type of knee injury, there usually isn’t swelling, and you’ll likely have a normal range of motion.

Iliotibial band syndrome Solutions:

Treatment requires activity modification, massage, and stretching and strengthening of the affected limb. The goal is to minimize the friction of the iliotibial band as it slides over the femoral condyle.

• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• Activity modification – Any activity that requires repeated knee flexion and extension is prohibited
• Corticosteroid injection – should be considered in severe swelling and pain conditions.
• Massage
• Physical therapy – refer to a physical therapist who is trained in treating iliotibial band syndrome for stretching and strengthening exercise.

Hyper­extended Knee

In this injury, your knee extends beyond its normally straightened position so that it bends back on itself. Sometimes the damage is relatively minor, with pain and swelling when you try to extend your knee. But a hyper­ex-tended knee may also lead to a partial or complete ligament tear, especially in your ACL.

Hyperextended knee Remedies:

Treatment depends on the cause and seriousness of your posterior knee pain. A mild injury may require:

• Rest your knee and avoid putting excess weight on your knee.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists and physical therapists.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.

A partial tear or moderate tear may also require:

• Physical therapy –strengthening exercise.

A complete tear will require:

• Surgical intervention.
• Physical therapy –strengthening exercise.

Sep­tic Arthritis

Sometimes your knee joint can become infected, leading to swelling, pain, and redness. There’s usually no trauma before the onset of pain. Sep­tic arthritis often occurs with a fever.

Septic arthritis  Treatments:

• Antibiotic medication.
• Drainage of the infected joint (synovial) fluid for rapid clearing of the infection- by a needle and syringe or by surgery.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

The most debilitating of the more than 100 types of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis can affect almost any joint in your body, including your knees. Common signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis include:

• Pain.
• Swelling.
• Aching and stiffness, especially when you get up in the morning or after periods of inactivity.
• Loss of motion in your knees and eventually deformity of the knee joints.
• Sometimes, a low-grade fever and a general sense of not feeling well (malaise).

Although rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic disease, it tends to vary in severity and may even come and go. Periods of increased disease activity — called flare-ups or flares — often alternate with periods of remission.

Rheumatoid Arthritis Solutions:

• Physical therapy
• Medications
• Knee replacement surgery (for a seriously damaged knee).

 Osteoarthritis

Sometimes called degenerative arthritis, this is the most common type of arthritis. It’s a wear-and-tear condition that occurs when the cartilage in your knee deteriorates with use and age. Osteoarthritis­ usually develops grad­u­ally and tends to cause:

• Varying degrees of pain, especially when you stand or walk.
• Swelling.
• Stiffness, especially in the morning and after you’ve been active.
• Creaking or popping sounds.
• A loss of flexibility in your knee joints.

Osteoarthritis Remedies:

• Pain relief medicines.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines.
• Exercises to improve movement and strength
• Weight loss.

Gout

Gout, a type of arthritis, is likely to cause:

• • Redness.
  • Swelling.
  • Intense knee pain that comes on suddenly – often at night – and without warning. The pain typically lasts five to 10 days and then stops. The discomfort subsides grad­u­ally over one to two weeks, leaving your knee joints apparently normal and pain-free.

Gout Treatments:

• Medications that block uric acid production & Medication that improves uric acid removal – prescribed by your doctor.
• Anti-Inflammation medicines – prescribed by your doctor.
• Cold Therapy – Ice your knee to reduce pain and swelling. Do it for 10-20 minutes every 3-4 hours for 2-3 days, or until the pain and swelling are gone. Our joints hot & cold packs are effective for knee pain relief and highly recommended by chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical therapists.
• Stay well-hydrated – including plenty of water.
• Limiting alcoholic beverages and drinks sweetened with fruit sugar (fructose).
• Limit intake of foods high in purines, such as red meat, organ meats, and seafood.
• Exercising regularly and losing weight.

When to see a doctor?

If you have new knee pain that isn’t severe or disabling, a good rule of thumb is to try treating it yourself first. This includes resting, icing, and elevating the affected knee and sometimes using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to reduce pain and inflammation. If you don’t notice any improvement in three to seven days, see your doctor or a specialist in sports medicine or orthopedics. Some types of knee pain require more immediate medical care. Call your doctor if you:

• Can’t bear weight on your knee.
• Have marked knee swelling.
• See an obvious deformity in your leg or knee.
• Have a worrisome pain.
• Have a fever, in addition to redness, pain, and, swelling in your knee, which may indicate an infection.