Knee Pain

What causes knee pain?

Knee pain often develops due to an acute sports injury, overuse injury, or age-related degenerative changes. Conditions that commonly result in knee pain include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Meniscus tears
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Runner’s knee
• Ligament sprains and ruptures

Injuries in your back, hip, and feet may also cause knee pain by increasing the stress on your knee.

Will I have symptoms in addition to knee pain?

The injuries and health conditions that cause knee pain often result in other symptoms. You may experience:

• Swelling
• Stiffness and limited movement
• Popping or clicking
• A locked knee joint
• Inability to straighten your knee
• Inability to put weight on your knee

Depending on the severity of your underlying problem, it’s also common to develop joint instability. When that happens, the instability gets progressively worse if you don’t get treatment.

How is knee pain diagnosed?

In addition to evaluating your symptoms and performing a complete physical exam, you may need diagnostic imaging. Digital X-rays and musculoskeletal ultrasound are offered in the office, so you don’t need to go to another clinic.

At Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center, all your care is available on-site. As a result, you can immediately learn the results of your diagnostic imaging and start treatment to relieve your pain.

How is knee pain treated?

If diagnostic imaging reveals a condition that needs surgical care, your provider at Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center refers you to a specialist. 

Otherwise, your treatment begins with conservative care such as activity modification, temporary immobilization, anti-inflammatory medications, and physical therapy.

Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center has an advanced physical therapy clinic on-site, giving the team the ability to quickly develop a customized program to treat your knee pain.

Physical therapy is especially important if you have osteoarthritis. Exercising and maintaining movement helps to reduce your pain and sustain an optimal range of motion as long as possible.

Many patients also benefit from ultrasound-guided injections that allow your provider to precisely deliver medication into the knee joint. Your provider may recommend an injection of steroids to reduce inflammation.

If you have osteoarthritis, your provider may inject a medication called Euflexxa®, which contains hyaluronic acid. As a lubricant and shock absorber naturally found in your joint, hyaluronic acid reduces pain and improves joint mobility.

If you need help for knee pain, call Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center to schedule an appointment.