| Knee pain can be related to overuse where small | | | | common causes are an injury to the anterior cruciate |
| stresses are placed a large number of times on knee | | | | ligament or a fracture of the top of the shin bone. |
| without allowing adequate recovery, for example | | | | When swelling develops gradually over hours to days, |
| running too much too soon, or excessive jumping. Or | | | | the injury is more likely a tear of the meniscus or a |
| knee pain can be acute where the injury is caused by | | | | ligament sprain. |
| an impact or twisting of the knee such as an anterior | | | | Treatment for Knee Pain |
| cruciate ligament injury. An overuse injury can also be | | | | Rest: The first treatment for most common |
| considered to be acute if it is painful or inflammed. | | | | conditions that cause knee pain is to rest the joint, |
| Knee pain is a common reason that people visit their | | | | and allow the acute inflammation to subside. Often |
| doctors' offices or the emergency room. Often, knee | | | | this is the only step needed to relieve knee pain. If |
| pain is the result of an injury, such as a ruptured | | | | the symptoms are severe, crutches may be helpful |
| ligament or torn cartilage. But some medical conditions | | | | as well. |
| can also bring you to your knees, including arthritis, | | | | Protection: The best way to protect your knee from |
| gout and infections. | | | | further damage depends on the type and severity of |
| The knee joint is surrounded by a joint capsule with | | | | your injury. For most minor injuries, a compression |
| ligaments strapping the inside and outside of the joint | | | | wrap is usually sufficient. More serious injuries, such |
| (collateral ligaments) as well as crossing within the | | | | as a torn ACL or high-grade collateral ligament sprain |
| joint (circulate ligaments). These ligaments provide | | | | usually require crutches and sometimes also a brace |
| stability and strength to the knee joint. | | | | to help stabilize the joint with weight bearing. |
| Symptoms of Knee Pain | | | | Exercises considered better for the knees include |
| Loose body: Sometimes injury or degeneration of | | | | small (not deep) knee bends and straightening |
| bone or cartilage can cause a piece of bone or | | | | motions - done while in supination with most weight |
| cartilage to break off and float in the joint space. | | | | on the outside of the foot. |
| This may not create any problems unless the loose | | | | Most knee conditions respond to a combination of |
| body interferes with knee joint movement — the | | | | non-invasive treatments such as applying heat or |
| effect is something like a pencil caught in a door | | | | cold, temporarily restraining from activities that |
| hinge — leading to pain and a locked joint. | | | | aggravate pain, and medications that target pain and |
| Septic arthritis: Sometimes your knee joint can | | | | inflammation. Exercises to strengthen the muscles |
| become infected, leading to swelling, pain and | | | | that support the knee help reduce stress on the |
| redness. Septic arthritis often occurs with a fever. | | | | knee joint and prevent re-injury. |
| Bursitis: The most common bursa affected around | | | | Knee joint replacement: The knee is a complex joint, |
| the joint is just above the kneecap. This is most | | | | which is made up of the distal end of the femur (the |
| common in people who kneel for work, such as | | | | femoral condyles), and the proximal end of the tibia |
| gardeners or carpetlayers. | | | | (the tibial plateau). The femoral condyles usually glide |
| Swelling of the knee is common with several | | | | smoothly on the tibial plateau, allowing for smooth, |
| different knee problems. When there is swelling | | | | painless motion of the lower leg. (Illustrated). |
| immediately after an injury (within an hour), the most | | | | |