Knee Pain

The majority of knee pain can be broken down into either chronic degenerative injury vs acute injury.  Chronic degenerative changes are a result of aging and continual wear and stress on the knee joint leading to problems such as arthritis. Other knee problems are a result of an injury or a sudden movement that strains the knee. Common knee problems include the following:

• Knee Ligamentous Sprain or Muscle Strain: A sprained or strained knee ligament or muscle is usually caused by a blow to the knee or a sudden twist of the knee. Symptoms often include pain, swelling, and difficulty in walking.
• Knee Cartilage Injury: Trauma to the knee can tear the menisci (pads of connective tissue that act as shock absorbers and also enhance stability). Cartilage tears can often occur with sprains. Certain cartilage injuries will lead to long term arthritis as a result.
• Tendonitis: Tendon inflammation may result from overuse of a tendon during certain activities such as running, jumping, or cycling. Tendonitis of the patellar tendon is called jumper’s knee. This often occurs with sports, such as basketball, where the force of hitting the ground after a jump strains the tendon.
• Arthritis: Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects the knee. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative process where the cartilage in the joint gradually wears away. It often affects middle-age and older people. Osteoarthritis may be caused by excess stress on the joint such as repeated injury or being overweight. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis that can also affect the knees by causing the joint to become inflamed and by destroying the knee cartilage. Rheumatoid arthritis often affects persons at an earlier age than osteoarthritis.