Knee Pain

Background/Overview

Knee pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints across all ages — and for good reason. Our knees bear the brunt of almost every move we make, from walking and climbing stairs to running marathons and lifting heavy groceries. They are powerful, complex joints built for strength, stability, and flexibility. But when something goes wrong, even the simplest movements can become painful and challenging.

Knee pain can strike suddenly after an injury or creep in gradually over time. It can affect athletes, seniors, weekend warriors, and even children. Sometimes it feels like a sharp stab; other times it’s a dull ache or persistent stiffness that just won’t go away.

The knee is more than just a hinge — it’s a complex structure made of bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, and fluid-filled sacs called bursae. When one part becomes irritated, damaged, or worn down, it can affect the entire joint.

Living with knee pain can impact every part of life — from your ability to work and exercise to the simple joy of playing with your kids or going on a walk. But the good news is: with the right diagnosis and care, knee pain is often highly treatable, and many people regain full function and comfort.

Treatment Options

Symptoms and Causes

What Does Knee Pain Feel Like?

Knee pain can vary widely depending on the cause. Some common symptoms include:

• Pain localized to a specific area (such as the front, back, inside, or outside of the knee)
• Swelling and stiffness, sometimes within hours of injury
• Popping, grinding, or crunching sounds during movement
• Weakness or instability — the feeling that the knee might “give out”
• Inability to fully straighten or bend the knee
  
• Redness and warmth around the knee (suggestive of inflammation or infection)

The pain can be sharp and intense during movement or persistent even at rest. Swelling often restricts range of motion, making everyday activities — like getting out of a chair or climbing stairs — difficult.

Conditions We Treat

What Causes Knee Pain?

There are many reasons why your knee might hurt. Some of the most common causes include:

Acute Injuries

• Ligament Injuries:
  Tears in the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), MCL (medial collateral ligament), PCL, or LCL are common in sports and accidents.
• Meniscus Tears:
  The meniscus is a tough, rubbery cartilage that cushions your knee. Twisting injuries can tear it, leading to pain, swelling, and locking.
• Fractures:
  The patella (kneecap) or other bones can break during falls or trauma.
• Dislocations:
  The kneecap or knee bones can be knocked out of place.

Meet Our Pain Specialists

Overuse Injuries

• Patellar Tendinitis (“Jumper’s Knee”):
  Inflammation of the tendon connecting the kneecap to the shinbone, common in athletes.
• Iliotibial Band Syndrome:
  Tightness of the connective tissue running down the outer thigh, causing knee pain, especially in runners.
• Bursitis:
  Inflammation of the bursae, the small fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction in the knee.

Degenerative Conditions

• Osteoarthritis:
  “Wear and tear” arthritis is the most common cause of knee pain in older adults. Over time, cartilage wears away, causing pain, stiffness, and swelling.
• Rheumatoid Arthritis:
  An autoimmune disease where the body attacks joint tissues, causing pain, swelling, and potential deformity.

Other Causes

• Infections:
  Septic arthritis, an infection in the knee joint, requires urgent treatment.
• Gout:
  A type of inflammatory arthritis caused by uric acid crystals accumulating in the joint.

Knee pain isn’t always caused by one issue. In many cases, people have a combination — such as an old injury worsened by arthritis over time.

Diagnosis and Tests

Getting an accurate diagnosis is key to effective treatment. Your healthcare provider will usually start with:

• Medical History:
  Questions about when the pain started, activities that worsen or improve it, past injuries, and overall health.
• Physical Examination:
  Checking for tenderness, swelling, range of motion, and stability.
• Imaging Tests:
  • X-rays can reveal fractures, arthritis, and alignment issues.
  • MRI scans show detailed images of soft tissues like ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.
  • Ultrasound can assess soft tissue injuries and fluid buildup.
• Joint Aspiration:
  Removing fluid from the knee with a needle to check for infection, crystals (gout), or inflammation.

Every knee tells a story, and it often takes a combination of tools to understand what’s happening inside.

Management and Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of the pain. Fortunately, many knee problems respond well to conservative treatment without surgery.

Conservative (Non-Surgical) Treatments

• Rest and Activity Modification:
  Taking a break from activities that worsen pain gives your knee a chance to heal.
• Ice and Elevation:
  Applying ice packs reduces swelling and numbs sharp pain. Elevating the knee also decreases swelling.
• Physical Therapy:
  Strengthening muscles around the knee (especially the quadriceps and hamstrings) supports the joint and improves balance.
• Medications:
  • NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
  • For more severe cases, corticosteroid injections into the joint can provide temporary but powerful relief.
• Bracing and Supports:
  Knee braces or sleeves provide stability and reduce pressure on the joint during healing.
• Weight Management:
  Losing excess weight reduces the load on the knees, dramatically improving symptoms in cases like osteoarthritis.

Interventional and Surgical Treatments

When conservative treatments aren’t enough:

• Viscosupplementation:
  Injections of hyaluronic acid can lubricate the knee joint, especially in osteoarthritis.
• Arthroscopic Surgery:
  A minimally invasive procedure where small tools and a camera are inserted into the knee to repair or clean up damage.
• Knee Realignment (Osteotomy):
  In younger patients with arthritis affecting one side of the knee, realignment procedures can shift pressure off the damaged area.
• Total or Partial Knee Replacement:
  For severe arthritis or extensive damage, replacing the damaged joint surfaces with prosthetic parts restores function and reduces pain.

Surgical techniques have advanced significantly, leading to faster recoveries and excellent long-term outcomes for many patients.

Prevention

While not every knee problem can be prevented, there’s a lot you can do to protect your knees:

• Strengthen your muscles, especially around your thighs, hips, and core.
• Practice good technique when playing sports, lifting, or exercising.
• Maintain a healthy weight to decrease stress on your joints.
• Wear proper footwear that provides support and cushioning.
• Warm up before exercising and stretch afterward to keep tissues flexible.
• Listen to your body — pain is a warning sign. Address small aches before they turn into big problems.

Knee health is an investment — the small steps you take now can save you years of discomfort later.

Outlook and Prognosis

The outlook for knee pain is overwhelmingly positive with the right care. Most people recover fully or achieve significant improvement with conservative treatment.

For chronic or severe cases, modern surgical options offer new hope for restoring function and eliminating pain.

Living with knee pain doesn’t mean giving up the activities you love — it simply means finding smarter, safer ways to move forward. With the right treatment, most people are able to get back to walking, running, working, and living life on their own terms.

Healing is always possible, and every small step forward counts.