Knee Pain

Why does my knee hurt?

Knee pain is very common and can have significant effects on quality of life. Both chronic and acute knee pain can hinder your ability to walk and perform everyday functions. Sitting, standing, climbing stairs, exercising, getting in and out of cars, and many other everyday activities can be affected due to knee pain. Injury, strain, or repetitive motion can be the cause of knee pain and many symptoms can result from excess swelling forming in the knee joint.

Where you actually “feel” the knee pain can vary depending on the structure that sustained damage or strain. Locating the exact spot of your knee pain will help in diagnosing the root cause and subsequent knee rehab treatment. For instance, if you’re experiencing pain in your kneecap, commonly referred to as patellofemoral stress syndrome (PFS), it could be due to either poor “tracking” movement of the kneecap in the groove at the end of the thigh bone, or an inflamed tendon located at the front or side of your knee.  Furthermore, pain on the inside of your knee (the side closest to your other leg) could be a result of an injury to the medial meniscus or medial collateral ligament. If you’re experiencing pain on the outside of your knee, the root cause could be iliotibial band (ITB) stress, among injuries to various other structures in the knee area. Lastly, pain in the back of the knee could be a result of an injury to (or strain of) the hamstring tendons. If you are able to accurately explain your pain to your doctor or physical therapist, it can help tremendously with diagnosing your knee condition. This will also give them more insight to ensure they provide the proper knee exercises.

Symptoms of knee pain:

• Redness around the knee joint
• Knee swelling
• Weak knees
• Tender knees
• Stiff knees
• Excess fluid in knees
• Soft kneecaps
• Warm knees

Possible reasons for knee pain:

• Patellofemoral stress syndrome
• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Dislocated knee
• Baker’s cyst
• Chondromalacia patella
• Meniscus tear
• Gout
• Total knee replacement
• ACL tear
• Torn ligaments
• Bone tumors

Contact us to learn more about scheduling physical therapy for knee pain today!