Knee pain

What is it

The knee joints take a great deal of punishment. They carry our body weight and are subjected to added stresses when we run or jump, twist and bend. So it’s not too surprising that they can suffer from short term (acute) injuries. Some of these can clear up quickly after:

Rest and the avoidance of activities that cause more pain
Simple treatment with an ice pack (to reduce any swelling)
Taking prescribed or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen

However, knees are also susceptible to many other conditions. Some of these are persistent (chronic) and degenerative (eg, osteoarthritis) and may affect your quality of life, particularly if you do not have treatment for them. Pains in the knee, or around the knee by a number of conditions including problems with:

Connective tissues (eg, rheumatoid arthritis)
Ligaments (such as the ACL)
Nerves and veins in the leg
Bones (eg, bone tumours)

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

Pain (including that which comes on suddenly as in the case of gout) and soreness
Heat in the joint
Pain in other joints (as well as the knee)
Swelling/inflammation
Discolouration
General fever (a higher than normal temperature) which can be a sign of an infection
The knee giving way (or feeling as though it might)
Difficulty in putting weight onto the leg
The leg appearing misshapen
Limited movement or stiffness
Fatigue
If resting the knee, using an icepack and over-the-counter painkillers have not reduced the pain after two or three days, or if your leg feels as if it may give way, you should ask your doctor for advice.

Diagnosis

A doctor will usually ask you about any previous problems and examine your knee carefully to find the exact source of the pain. You may need to have an x-ray and/or an MRI scan of your knee. In some cases you may have an arthroscopy where a tiny camera is inserted under a general anaesthetic to examine the knee joint.

Possible causes

Knee pain can be caused by injuries (from playing sport, as well as everyday activities) as well as other medical conditions. These include:

Strains and sprains
Ligament tears (such as to the ACL) or
Tears to the menisci in the knee joint
Bone fracture (break)
Dislocation of the knee cap
Cartilage damage and erosion (osteoarthritis)
Infection
Bone cancer

Prevention

Although it not possible to prevent the onset of some conditions and injuries that affect the knee, there are a number things you can do to help protect the joints, including:

Keeping your leg muscles strong and your limbs flexible; tight muscles can lead to injuries
Balancing and stretching exercises can be helpful
Avoiding excessive weight gain that puts added strain on your joints
Taking part in physical activity that doesn’t put added strain on the knees (eg, swimming)
Minimising those activities that do put strain on the knees (eg, running and jumping)

Living with the condition

Your doctor or physiotherapist will be able to offer you guidance about the extent of your injury and the impact this injury or condition is likely to have on your enjoyment and participation in everyday activities. There are also a number of excellent sources of additional support such as Arthritis Research UK and Arthritis Care for those patients suffering from one of the many types of arthritis.

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