Top Reasons Why You May Be Experiencing Knee Pain

Knee pain is a common and certainly unpleasant condition that may at first seem like nothing to worry about. However, discomfort or pain in the knee zone is an alarm that should not be ignored. After all – the sooner you react, the better chance you have of successfully eliminating the pain without any surgical treatments.

Regardless of your age, career, or hobby, it is worth mentioning that you are not a hundred percent safe when it comes to knee pain. It is a popular complaint that affects people of all ages. Pain in the knees may only slightly affect your life but if the condition progresses and develops, it can even prevent you from being able to go through your days as usual. It may influence your jobs, your daily activities, even your sleeping pattern.

With that said, we can conclude that knee pain is not something to turn a shoulder to. Instead, the discomfort should be faced and dealt with as soon as possible. Today, we will examine some of the reasons for knee pain and see where the causes originate from. By understanding knee pain in depth you will be better prepared to act and solve the puzzle to return to a normal and satisfactory lifestyle.

We already mentioned injuries, which certainly are at the top of the list. But they are not the only reason for knee pain. There are other causes and risk factors, which may cause the condition. We’ll start with a more detailed look at the different injuries which may lead to pain and we will then move on to other, more mechanical issues and complications that may influence the knee.
Injuries that lead to knee pain

For starters, let’s note that injuries are not only related to extremely physically active individuals. A knee injury or trauma can take place even if you are not a bodybuilder, professional football player, or mountain climber. It can occur anytime, anywhere.

Injuries related to the knees can severely influence the ligaments, tendons, bones, cartilage, and even the ligaments responsible for the formation of the joint. In other words, they are a pretty serious reason to visit a doctor and receive professional guidance and treatment. Some of the most popular injuries include:

* Torn Meniscus

Among the most popular knee injuries, a torn meniscus can happen as a result of twisting or rotating the knee by putting too much weight on it. Due to the large amount of pressure, the meniscus can tear, leading to severe pain.

Both knees comprise of two C-shaped cartilage pieces. They play the role of a cushion that stands between the shinbone and the thighbone. Tearing the meniscus often results in swelling, stiffness, a blocked knee and overall discomfort and pain in the area. Symptoms such as popping, swelling, pain when rotating the knee, inability to straighten the knee, or feeling that it is simply not as strong as usual are all related to a torn meniscus.

* Knee Bursitis

The injury related to inflammation of the bursa or the small fluid-filled sac located near the knee joint. Although any bursa in the knee be injured or become inflamed, knee bursitis in particular takes place on the kneecap or in the inner side of the knee, just under the joint.

This condition can seriously decrease and even limit your mobility and its treatment is rarely successful without the intervention of a medical professional. Depending on the purpose behind the inflammation, symptoms can be different. Overall, patients notice warmth or swelling in the area, along with pain during movement. People whose jobs involve kneeling on hard surfaces are more exposed to this injury. At first, the symptoms are not that serious but take caution if you notice any discomfort.

*Patellar Tendinitis

If you are a skier, cyclist, runner, or are involved in other sports, which require a lot of jumping, then patellar tendinitis is something worth familiarizing yourself with. There is a reason why this injury is also called the jumper’s knee.

Patellar tendinitis is related to injuring the tendon connecting the patella or your kneecap to your shinbone. Together, the patellar tendon and the muscles work to make it possible for you to extend your knee and perform kicks, jumps, or running. We mentioned that the injury is more common for those actively participating in sports such as volleyball or basketball but that certainly doesn’t mean that the it is only limited to this group of people.

Symptoms of patellar tendinitis are usually pain between the kneecap and the tibia. In the beginning, pain is only registered after a workout or during physical activity. However, as the condition develops, the pain becomes more difficult to handle and the discomfort is felt more often.

* ACL

An ACL injury is the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament or the ACL – a ligament that connects the shinbone to the thighbone. Similar to the previous cause for knee pain, ACL injuries also occur more often among athletes involved in sports such as basketball or soccer. The main difference here is that ACL injury is most likely to occur during activities, which involve sudden stops or changes in direction.

You will most likely be aware if you’ve suffered an ACL injury as you’ll feel and maybe even hear a “pop” in the knee. Other symptoms include swelling, instability, or unbearable pain.

* Knee Fractures

Fractures of the bones of the knee are another serious injury, which may have a long-term impact on the knees, leading to knee pain. The injury can take place during a wide range of physical activities or motor vehicle collisions. Fractures can even be a result of a fall.

Depending on the strength of the knee, fractures will have a different impact and influence. For instance, individuals who suffer from osteoporosis can have a fracture from simply stepping the wrong way. This is due to the fact that the bones are weakened as a result of the condition