Knee Pain

What is Knee pain?

Knee pain these days is a very common problem affecting every age group. It has become the second most common reason for the pain which is long-term after back pain. The number of operations for a knee that is being carried out is enhancing at a rapid rate.

Knee pain is usually the outcome of an injury like torn cartilage or a ruptured ligament. There are clinical conditions as well that cause knee pain such as gout, infections, and arthritis. With the rising number of knee pain, it is crucial to identify the symptoms beforehand and the primary cause behind them so that they can be treated on time. There are different treatment options available to treat musculoskeletal pain like knee pain.

Hence, it is important to visit the pain management specialist so that he/she can offer you the medications and treatment you require to treat the problem.

Symptoms

The knee pain symptoms that usually are experienced include:

• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Redness
• Weakness
• Instability
• Popping and crunching noises
• Inefficiency to straighten the knee, and warmth to touch

Knee pain Causes

Knee pain usually occurs due to problems like injuries, medical conditions, mechanical issues, and arthritis type. Here are some of the primary knee pain causes:

1. Injuries:
   • Anterior cruciate ligament or ACL injury is among the knee pain causes that occurs usually due to playing basketball, soccer, etc. It is common among sports individuals.
   • Fractures also fall under the main cause of knee pain. It might occur because of auto accidents or falls. This problem occurs among people who have an osteoporosis condition.
   • Knee bursitis is an injury that causes inflammation in the fluid sacs cushioning the knee joint outside so that there are tendons and ligaments can glide flexibly over the joint.
2. Mechanical issues: The mechanical issues causing knee pain include:
   • A loose body is when injury or cartilage causes break off and floating in the joint space. It doesn’t cause any serious issues unless the loose body is not interfering with the joint movement.
   • Iliotibial band syndrome is a mechanical issue that occurs if the tissue tough band involves extending the hip outside to your knees and becomes so stiff that it begins rubbing against the thigh bone outer portion. Hence, it becomes one of the causes of knee pain.
   • A dislocated kneecap is also among the knee pain causes as it occurs when the triangular bone involves covering the knee front slips out of the place. It becomes displaced and causes dislocation.
3. Types of arthritis: Different types of knee pain are there but certain varieties are most likely to affect the knees and they are:
   • Osteoarthritis is one of the types of knee pain which affects almost all the joints in the human body. It is also called degenerative arthritis and is usually the most common among others. This wear-and-tear condition takes place when there is no cartilage in the knee and begins to deteriorate depending on age and use.
   • Rheumatoid arthritis again is the second most common type of knee pain. This autoimmune condition causes pain in all joints of the body, particularly the knees. However, this is a chronic illness, but it entirely varies on the seriousness and can come and go.
   • Gout is a type of arthritis that happens when there is a building up of crystals in the joints. It usually affects the toe area, but sometimes it can occur in the knees as well.
   • Pseudo-gout is often misguided for gout and occurs due to calcium-containing crystals developed in the joint fluid. It usually affects the knee majorly.
   • Septic arthritis is also the type of knee pain that usually arises with a fever. An individual might not experience any trauma before the pain onset. It causes damage to the knee cartilage rapidly and hence requires treatment immediately if symptoms are observed.

When to see

You need to see your doctor if:

• You are unable to bear weight on your knee and feel unstable.
• If you see marked knee swelling.
• It is difficult for you to extend or flex your knee.
• If you see evident leg deformity.
• When you have a fever including pain, redness, and knee swelling.
• Experience knee pain linked to the injury.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will initiate a knee pain diagnosis by physically examining you at first. He/she is likely to:

• Begin inspection for knee swelling, warmth, tenderness, and bruising.
• Evaluate how far you can move in varied directions.
• Involve pushing and pulling the joint for evaluating the integrity of the structure in the knee.

Imaging tests

There are certain cases in which your doctor recommends imaging tests like X-ray, computerised tomography or CT scan, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging-MRI, and lastly, there are lab tests as well which involve blood tests.

Treatment

The knee pain treatment varies depending on the reasons. Here is the treatment recommended for knee patients:

Medications

The doctor will prescribe medicines to relieve pain and treat the problems that cause knee pain like gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Therapy

Your doctor will recommend therapies that involve strengthening exercises and activities that will help in relieving knee pain. If you are already physically active, then your doctor will try to understand the kind of exercises you do on a daily basis. Based on the information, he/she will recommend the right postures and exercises you should accommodate in your routine. They will also recommend therapies involving exercises that will help in enhancing flexibility and balance.

Injections

In certain cases, the doctor might give patients injecting medicines directly into their joints. Some of them are corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and platelet-rich plasma- PRP.

Surgery

In severe cases, there might be a requirement for surgery for knee pain such as:

• Arthroscopy surgery
• Partial knee replacement surgery
• Total knee replacement surgery
• Osteotomy

Why choose Rukmani Birla Hospital for knee pain?

Calcutta Medical Research Institute-Kolkata is among the well-known multi-special hospitals delivering exceptional care to its patients. We have a separate entity for orthopaedics that integrates a team of highly-skilled and professional doctors. The doctor makes sure that they are efficiently able to prevent complications by motivating the patients to follow the guidelines that are pre and post-operative.

We are dedicated to offering you the comfort and convenience you expect during your journey with us. Here is why you should get in touch with us for knee pain:

• Exceptional patient care
• State-of-the-art technology and advanced lab equipment
• The economical and transparent pricing structure
• Highly qualified orthopaedic clinicians
• 24*7 emergency support

FAQs