Knee Pain

What is knee pain?

A common condition, knee pain affects all ages. Knee pain can hit you suddenly — after a pickup game of basketball, for example. Or knee pain can develop over time, beginning with soreness and feelings of discomfort, and gradually getting worse.

Knee pain can result from a medical condition, such as arthritis, gout, bone infection, or a cyst. Overuse and injuries also cause knee pain. Certain sports, including skiing, basketball, and jogging, place a severe strain on your knees, increasing your likelihood of injury and pain. In these cases, knee pain might be a sign of a strain, sprain, torn cartilage, or torn ligament.

What are the symptoms of knee pain?

Your symptoms vary depending on the cause of your knee pain. You might not be able to straighten your knee, or might experience one or more of these symptoms:

• Instability or weakness
• Redness
• Popping or crunching sounds
• Warmth to the touch
• Swelling and stiffness

Often, staying off your feet and icing or applying heat to your knee provides some measure of relief. But you should see the team at Pain Medicine Consultants if:

• You can’t bear weight on your knee
• You have significant swelling in your knee
• You can’t flex or fully extend your knee
• Your knee feels like it “gives out”
• Your knee or leg look deformed

If you have a fever, along with pain, swelling, and redness, that’s another sign it’s time to see a doctor.

How is knee pain diagnosed?

Your doctor at Pain Medicine Consultants begins with a physical exam, which includes a visual inspection and an assessment of your range of motion. You may need lab tests or diagnostic scans. For example, your doctor might want to draw a small amount of fluid from your knee for testing, or recommend a:

• Blood test
• X-ray
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasound

These tests help to assess the damage in your knee and also rule out or confirm certain medical conditions that could be to blame for your knee pain.

How is knee pain treated?

Your treatment depends on what’s causing your knee pain. The team at Pain Medicine Consultants may suggest physical therapy to strengthen the muscles surrounding your knee, or prescribe pain relievers or specialized medications to treat an underlying condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Injections may help relieve chronic knee pain from conditions like arthritis.

If you’ve tried at-home care for your knee, but you still don’t feel 100%, call today or use the online booking tool to schedule a consultation with the highly trained specialists at Pain Medicine Consultants.