He or she may refer you to a physical therapist to build up the muscles in and around your knee and improve your range of motion, which can speed your recovery, says Dr. Physical therapy may also focus on improving your core strength in your stomach, back, and hips, which can help take pressure off your knees.
Your physical therapist can also make sure your body is in proper alignment to prevent the structural problems that often underlie patellofemoral pain syndrome. It's important to note that physical therapy requires time and effort. If you're experiencing pain that makes it difficult for you to start physical therapy to address your knee problem, your doctor might recommend that you get an injection of cortisone to lessen the pain.
The shot injects a corticosteroid drug and a local anesthetic into the joint to temporarily relieve pain and swelling. But it isn't a long-term fix. What they do is provide a window of pain relief so you can make progress with rehabilitation," says Dr. Rebecca Breslow, an instructor in orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. In short, while cortisone shots put you on the path to healing, they should be used judiciously and aren't a permanent solution to the underlying problem that's causing your knee pain.
If you've experienced swelling, joint pain, and a sensation that your knee is sticking or locking, the problem could be a chronic degenerative meniscal tear. A meniscus is a rubbery cartilage cushion in your knee that helps to pad the joint. Each of your knees has two of them. When a meniscus is frayed, ragged edges or loose pieces may get stuck in the joint when it's moving, causing a sensation that your knee is locking up.
If this is happening, be sure to see your doctor. How to treat it: Surgery is no longer the first-line treatment for this condition, says Dr. Clinicians are now more likely to recommend treating the condition with physical therapy. As is the case with patellofemoral pain syndrome, building up the muscles around the joint and in other parts of the body can ease pain, without the risk of complications.
However, you may need surgery if a piece of the meniscus is interfering with the motion of the joint. Anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen Advil, Motrin or naproxen Aleve , can also improve pain in the short term.
Not all knee problems are avoidable, but you can lessen your chance of problems by participating in regular strength training. Cartilage tears can often occur with sprains. Treatment may involve wearing a brace during an activity to protect the knee from further injury. Surgery may be needed to repair the tear. Inflammation of the tendons may result from overuse of a tendon during certain activities such as running, jumping, or cycling.
Tendonitis of the patellar tendon is called jumper's knee. This often occurs with sports, such as basketball, where the force of hitting the ground after a jump strains the tendon.
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects the knee. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process where the cartilage in the joint gradually wears away.
It often affects middle-age and older people. Osteoarthritis may be caused by excess stress on the joint such as repeated injury or being overweight. Rheumatoid arthritis can also affect the knees by causing the joint to become inflamed and by destroying the knee cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis often affects persons at an earlier age than osteoarthritis.
In addition to a complete medical history and physical exam, other tests for knee problems may include:. This test uses invisible electromagnetic energy beams to make images of internal tissues, bones, and organs onto film. Magnetic resonance imaging MRI. But the primary cause of knee pain, according to Dr.
Stearns, is usually a form of arthritis. Osteoarthritis is mechanical in nature, caused by wear-and-tear on the joints as well as the cartilage and tendons associated with the joints. This sets the condition apart from rheumatoid arthritis which is inflammation of the joints, typically caused by an overactive immune system. While osteoarthritis is typically seen in older patients, it can occur in younger patients, too, particularly those who are prone to overuse of certain joints or suffered significant injuries like ligament tears.
Stearns says. Another reason you start noticing the pain? The lack of movement, the lack of lubrication, it all catches up with you. Treating this knee pain is all about pain management and what you can do to reduce the stress on those joints. Losing weight is a helpful start.
Some knee discomfort may have a clear and obvious cause. For example, if you fell on your knee during an athletic exercise, it is safe to assume that is why your knee hurts. Other causes of knee pain, such as arthritis or a degenerative condition, will require a clinical evaluation and expert diagnosis.
Traumatic injuries are causes of knee pain that you will likely notice right away. Directly following the injury, or perhaps up to 24 hours later, the knee will begin to swell as pain and inflammation set in. Traumatic injuries typically occur during sports, falls, work-related accidents or car accidents. Direct impact and twisting are common mechanisms of injury.
Overuse injuries develop slowly over time as the knee goes through consistent use and overexertion.
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