Common Causes of Severe Knee Pain

There is a misconception that only elderly people suffer from knee-related problems, which is not true at all. This is a condition that can affect people belonging to different age-groups. There can be various causes for your knee pain from an injury due to arthritis. It is important to find out what is causing discomfort in your knees. When your knee pain is severe, it can result in mobility problems or inflammation. If you are suffering from knee pain, you should find out the exact cause of your knee pain so that you can avail a proper treatment. It is also crucial to know how the knee functions before learning the common causes of knee pain.

Your knee joins the upper leg's bones to the bones of your lower legs. Bending your legs is possible due to your knees and it also offers stability for supporting your body's weight. Your knee also helps in motions like turning, jumping, crouching, running and walking.

Your knee can do its jobs with the help of several other body parts. This includes your tendons, ligaments, muscles, cartilage and bones. These parts can be vulnerable to injuries and diseases that can result in severe knee pain.

Our List of Five Most Common Knee Pain Causes

There are various common causes due to which you can suffer from a knee pain. Some of them include conditions like disorders in connective tissue, degenerative disorders, metabolic problems, infection, and trauma. Some of them will be discussed in detail here.

Trauma

Many experts claim that your knee is one of those body parts that are most vulnerable to get injured. The structure and the components of your knee put it at peril for specific injury types that can cause pain as well as prevent it to function properly.

There are two major ligaments located in your knee. Your knee may experience injuries due to one of these main ligaments or tissues that support the knee together. The ACL of your knee can succumb to injuries due to a sudden change in direction or twisting motion. On the other hand, your knee's PCL usually gets injured because of direct impacts like being tackled when you are playing soccer or due to a car accident. When you knee receives a direct blow, its MCL can get damaged. All such injuries are typically cured through surgeries.

Knee Bursitis

This condition takes place as a result of an injury creating an inflammation in its bursae. They are small sacs filled with fluids that act as a cushion for the outer knee joint making it possible for ligaments and tendons to glide over your joints quite easily. When your knee receives a sudden hard blow, these bursae can get injured. It can also happen if a person spends plenty of time on his knee without any kind of protection. When the bursae get injured, a person can experience stiffness, pain, warmth or swelling in his knee area.

Oral medications and therapies like NSAIDs are usually prescribed to take care of the problem. Splinting, elevation, ice pack or rest is some of the therapies that are used. If the doctor detects that the case is serious, he may suggest going for steroid injections.

Fractures

A collision or fall may cause trauma leading to bone fractures in the knee. There are many bones in the knee that can be broken like patella or the kneecap.

The providers at Phoenix Family Medical Clinic are board-certified and trained to help you manage your knee pain. We also assist patients with back pain relief and other types of joint pain management. Please note that we do not prescribe narcotics or opiates as part of treatment. Our clinics operate with integrative medicine techniques to bring long-lasting pain relief for our patients' overall well-being. Book an appointment with our providers today!

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