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Knee pain is a symptom that can arise due to joint wear, overweight or sports injuries, such as those that can happen at a football game or during a run, for example.
However, when knee pain prevents walking or worsens over time, it can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as ligament rupture, osteoarthritis or Baker's cyst, which can be confirmed through tests such as x-rays or computed tomography.
However, knee pain, in most cases, is not severe and can be treated at home with the application of ice twice a day, for the first 3 days from the beginning of the pain. In addition, the use of an elastic band on the knee throughout the day helps to immobilize it, reducing pain while waiting for the appointment.
The main causes of knee pain are:
1. Trauma injury
Injury due to trauma to the knee can occur due to a fall, bruise, blow, twisted knee or fracture, for example. In these cases, the pain may appear on the entire knee or in specific regions according to the injury site.
What to do: in the case of minor injuries, without fracture, you can rest and use an ice pack 2-3 times a day for 15 minutes. However, in more severe cases, such as a fracture, medical help should be sought immediately to initiate the most appropriate treatment. Physiotherapy can also be recommended to aid recovery and relieve pain, even in mild cases
2. Ligament rupture
The knee ligament rupture can occur due to a sprain caused by a strong blow or twisting of the knee during a sudden change of direction, for example. The type of pain usually indicates which ligament has been torn:
- Lateral knee pain: may indicate injury to the anterior, posterior or coronary cruciate ligaments;
- Knee pain when stretching the leg: may indicate rupture of the patellar ligament;
- Knee pain on the inside: may indicate injury to the medial collateral ligament;
- Deep pain, right in the middle of the knee: it can be rupture of the anterior or posterior cruciate ligaments.
Generally, when the ligament rupture is mild, no specific treatment is needed, but it should always be evaluated by an orthopedist or physiotherapist.
What to do: you can make ice packs 3 to 4 times a day for 20 minutes for 3 to 4 days, rest, use of crutches to avoid overloading the knees, raise the leg to avoid swelling and use an elastic band on the affected knee. In more severe cases, it is important to seek medical attention that should immobilize the knee with a splint for 4 to 6 weeks and, if necessary, undergo surgery. See other treatment options for knee ligament rupture.
3. Tendonitis
Tendonitis is an inflammation in a knee tendon and the type of pain varies with the location of the tendon:
- Pain in front of the knee: indicates inflammation in the patellar tendon;
- Pain in the side of the knee: indicates inflammation in the iliotibial tendon;
- Pain in the inner part of the knee: indicates inflammation in the tendons of the goose leg.
Generally, one of the characteristic symptoms of tendonitis is knee pain when stretching the leg and is more common in athletes, due to the impact of physical activities such as running, cycling, football, basketball or tennis. In addition, it can occur due to natural wear of the joint, and is also frequent in the elderly.
What to do: rest and use an elastic band on the affected knee. Putting ice packs on for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day, can help relieve pain and fight inflammation. It is important to consult an orthopedist for better evaluation and treatment with anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or naproxen, for example. In addition, physical therapy can be used to strengthen the knee muscles and avoid developing tendonitis again. See other ways to treat knee tendonitis.
4. Bursitis
Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa, which is a small bag that contains liquid and acts as a shock absorber, in addition to reducing friction between bones, tendons and joint muscles.
The knee has 11 bursae and usually activities such as bending the knee or kneeling repeatedly, sports like jiu-jitsu, football and volleyball, falls or strokes can cause irritation and inflammation of the bursa causing pre-patellar bursitis that causes pain in the upper knee and swelling.
In addition, obesity or osteoarthritis can cause anserine bursitis, also called goose leg bursitis, which causes knee pain on the inside just below the joint.
What to do: rest and ice pack for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day. In addition, bursitis because it is an inflammation must be treated with oral anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen or diclofenac, for example, or the doctor may inject the steroid directly into the bursa. Other treatments include physical therapy and surgery. Check out exercises that can be done to prevent knee bursitis.
5. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, or arthrosis, in the knee is a rheumatic disease that causes degeneration of the knee cartilage, decreasing the quality, quantity and thickness of this cartilage, causing chronic pain.
This disease can impact daily activities because it causes knee pain when walking, at the end of the day, for standing for a long time or knee pain when climbing stairs, for example.
What to do: It is important to consult an orthopedist as the treatment must be done with analgesics such as paracetamol or anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or diclofenac. In addition, physiotherapy sessions are also recommended and, in some cases, the doctor may do injections of corticoid or hyaluronic acid in the affected knee. See how physical therapy for osteoarthritis can be done.
6. Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune, inflammatory and chronic disease that causes stiffness, pain and swelling in the joints. Knee pain upon waking can be caused by rheumatoid arthritis, the pain being more intense during the first minutes of the morning and improves with movement.
In addition, pain in the knee that appears with swelling but has not been caused by trauma can indicate rheumatoid arthritis.
What to do: analgesics and anti-inflammatory drugs can be used to relieve pain, but follow-up with a rheumatologist should be done to assess the evolution of the disease and with a physiotherapist to improve knee movement. Learn more about treating rheumatoid arthritis.
7. Iliotibial band syndrome
Iliotibial band syndrome causes pain in the side of the knee and is very common in joggers, cyclists or other sports that need to bend the knee repeatedly. Generally, this syndrome is related to muscle weakness and poor flexibility or training errors with inadequate intensities and volumes, in addition to the conditions in which the sport is practiced, such as terrain, type of tennis or improper posture, for example. This type of pain should not be ignored as it can get worse over time.
What to do: you can use anti-inflammatory ointment 2 to 3 times a day or put a cold compress for 15 minutes. It is important, before practicing any physical activity, to invest in muscle strengthening activities such as weight training or stretching, always under the guidance of a physical educator. However, if the pain in the side of the knee happens when physical activity is already practiced, the ideal is to consult an orthopedist for correct diagnosis and treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs such as diclofenac or ibuprofen, for example, in addition to physical therapy to strengthen the muscles. Learn how to cure iliotibial band syndrome.
8. Meniscus injury
Knee pain when bending the leg, pain in the inner part of the knee, pain when climbing stairs, pain when squatting or pain inside the knee, for example, can be indicative of injury to the meniscus which is a disc that works as a cushion or damper inside the knee. Generally, meniscus injuries are caused by physical activities such as judo, jiu-jitsu or by natural degeneration, which is the aging of the meniscus and which can begin around the age of 40.
What to do: rest and avoid activities that move the knee a lot, in addition to physical therapy to strengthen the knee muscles.In some cases, your doctor may also give you injections of steroids or hyaluronic acid in your knee. In the most severe cases, surgery may be indicated.
9. Patella problems
Other common causes of knee pain are problems in the patella, such as patellar chondropathy, which is the wear and tear of the joint around the patella or patellar chondromalacia, which is the softening of the patellar cartilage. Generally, the causes of problems in the patella are aging, obesity, flat feet or sports such as running, for example.
Patellar injuries can cause knee pain when crouching or knee pain when walking down stairs, as well as a feeling that the knee is moving out of place.
What to do: for runners, it is advisable to temporarily switch from sport to swimming or water aerobics until the knee muscles are strengthened. Physiotherapy can help strengthen the knee and after pain relief, you can do weight training guided by a physical educator. In addition, the doctor may inject hyaluronic acid into the knee and, in the most severe cases, surgery may be recommended.
10. Baker's cyst
Baker's cyst, also known as a popliteal cyst, is a lump that forms behind the knee in the joint due to fluid accumulation and causes pain in the back of the knee, swelling, stiffness and pain when bending the knee, which worsen with physical activity. The causes of Baker's cyst are osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, for example.
What to do: rest and consult an orthopedist to aspirate fluid from the cyst or inject the steroid directly into the cyst. In case the cyst ruptures, treatment is surgical. Learn more about treating Baker's cyst.
11. Osgood-Schlatter disease
Osgood-Schlatter's disease is an inflammation in the patellar tendon and is related to rapid growth, which can occur in children aged 10 to 15 years. Generally, pain occurs after physical activities such as football, basketball, volleyball or Olympic gymnastics, for example, and can cause pain in the lower knee that improves with rest.
What to do: rest, limiting the physical activities that cause the pain. You can do an ice pack for 15 minutes, 2 to 3 times a day or apply anti-inflammatory ointments to the pain site. In addition, it is important to follow up with the orthopedist.
Food for knee pain
Enrich the daily diet with foods with anti-inflammatory properties, such as salmon, ginger, turmeric, turmeric, macerated garlic or chia seeds, help to complement the treatment of knee pain and prevent pain in other joints. Find out more examples of anti-inflammatory foods that you should consume more in days of pain.
In addition, very sugary foods should be avoided, as they aggravate inflammation in any part of the body.
Alternative treatment for knee pain
Usually, knee pain can be treated with anti-inflammatories prescribed by the orthopedist, such as Diclofenac or Ibuprofen, or surgery to replace damaged portions of the knee. However, an alternative treatment for knee pain can be adopted, especially for those with stomach sensitive to anti-inflammatories and includes:
- Homeopathy: use of homeopathic remedies, such as Reumamed or Homeoflan, prescribed by the orthopedist, to treat knee inflammation caused by arthritis or tendonitis, for example;
- Acupuncture: this technique can help in relieving knee pain related to arthritis, osteoarthritis or trauma, for example;
- Compresses: place hot compresses with 3 drops of essential oil of sage or rosemary 2 times a day, from the 3rd day of onset of symptoms;
- Knee rest: consists of bandaging the knee, especially when it is necessary to remain standing for a long time.
In addition, running or walking should be avoided whenever knee pain is present, do not gain weight and sit in high chairs, so as not to strain your knees when standing up.
Alternative treatment for knee pain should not replace the treatment indicated by the doctor, as it can worsen the problem that caused the knee pain.
When to go to the doctor
It is important to consult the orthopedist or a physical therapist when:
- The pain lasts more than 3 days, even after resting and applying cold compresses;
- The pain is very intense when doing daily activities such as ironing clothes standing up, carrying the child on your lap, walking or climbing stairs;
- The knee does not bend or make noise when moving;
- The knee is deformed;
- Other symptoms appear, such as fever or tingling;
In these cases, the orthopedist may order an x-ray or an MRI to diagnose the problem and recommend appropriate treatment.