Knee Pain Treatment In Boynton Beach Fl
If you are experiencing knee pain, the orthopedic specialists at Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches can examine your knee and quickly diagnose the condition or injury responsible for it. Part of the customized treatment plans we offer our patients is top-notch physical therapy to restore knee strength, flexibility, range of motion, and function.
To diagnose and treat your knee pain, make an appointment with one of our orthopedic doctors today. Call 733-5888 or use our online request form. We look forward to serving you in our state-of-the-art facility.
How To Know If Your Knee Pain Comes From Your Spine
Many people assume knee pain is always caused by a problem in the knee joints. However, that is not necessarily the case. If youre suffering knee pain or discomfort, there is a possibility that a problem with your spine is the cause.
So how do you know if your knee pain comes from your spine? The muscles around your knees are connected to the nerves in your lower spine so if these nerves are irritated or compressed, your knees may be affected by symptoms such as intermittent back pain, hamstring tightness, weakness in the hips or quads, and the development of bunions on your feet.
When To See Your Doctor
Don’t wait if your knee pain is sudden and intense. Pick up the phone if it won’t go away or gets worse.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor might take X-rays or other images of your knee. Blood or knee fluid samples can help confirm or rule out certain conditions. Treatment may include medication, special exercises, braces, or in some cases surgery. Losing weight could help lessen pressure and strain on your knees.
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What You Can Do
Take over-the-counter NSAID drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen to ease pain and swelling. RICE — rest, ice, compression, and elevation — can often help, too: Get off your feet. Raise your leg so it’s higher than your heart. Put a cold pack in a thin cloth or towel on your knee for 10-20 minutes at a time, several times a day. Wrap an elastic bandage around your knee when you’re up and about, snug but not tight.
Why Am I Getting Pain At The Back Of My Knee
Published on: 4th February 2020
When it comes to knee pain, we often tend to think first of the front and sides. But pain that comes from the back of the knee is probably every bit as common.
It would be helpful if there was a single likely reason for this! But in fact the causes of back-of-knee pain can be very diverse. You could experience it as a sudden pain or a gradual ache. There may be swelling and inflammation or none at all. You might find it difficult to fully extend your leg.
In other words we need to do some narrowing down to find out whats going on. One useful starting point is to think in terms of problems inside or outside the knee joint: in medical-speak, intra- or extra-articular causes. Lets have a look at the most common ones.
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What Are The Most Common Knee Injuries
Although knee injuries can happen to anyone, some activities and demographics are higher risk than others, such as:
- Athletes, especially in high-impact sports
- Runners, especially if wearing improper footwear
- People who are overweight
- People who sit too long in uncomfortable positions
Knee injuries left untreated can potentially lead to a number of complications, like:
- Ligament instability
- Osteoarthritis
Understanding the signs of a serious knee injury can help you know when itâs time to seek treatment from a health professional.
When To See A Doctor
If you are experiencing chronic pain or pain more associated with serious injury, see your doctor promptly. Not addressing your pain properly can lead to increased pain, joint damage, and disability. Depending on the cause of your knee pain, your doctor may suggest the following treatments:
- Medications: Your doctor may prescribe medications to help relieve pain in the back of the knee and swelling and treat underlying conditions like arthritis.
- Physical therapy: Your doctor may prescribe stretching exercises or a physical therapy/rehabilitation program to help you restore range of motion, strength and stability to your knee.
- Injections: In some situations, your doctor may suggest injecting medications and other substances directly into the knee joint in order to reduce inflammation, lubricate the knee and promote healing.
- Surgery: If conservative measures do not provide relief, your doctor may recommend surgical options.
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Knee Pain Caused By Larger Muscle Groups
As we travel further down the kinetic chain, we now have to address some of the larger anatomical systems in place. That is, the muscle groups that are directly linked to the knee itself in this case, the calves and hamstrings.
Your calf muscles make up the back portion of your lower leg, while the hamstrings are the large muscles in the back of your thighs. Because both of these muscle groups sort of sandwich your knee joint, theres a high likelihood that injury or deficiencies within these tissues can lead to subsequent pain behind your knee.
Lets dig into some of the most common diagnoses!
What Does A Pulled Muscle In The Back Of The Knee Feel Like
A knee strain or sprained usually results in swelling, pain, and tenderness around the knee, as well as some sensation. The knee has been broken. This leg issue is causing me difficulty bending it.
The Front-knee Stretch
The back-knee stretch is one of the most common stretches you will come across. It is a gentle and efficient method of stretching the front of the knee, the thigh, and the thigh joint. Lie on your back with your front knee against a wall and slowly lean toward it as you stretch your back knee. If you bend your back knee, the stretch should be focused on the soleus muscles. Hold the stretch for a few seconds on one leg before repeating it on the other.
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Contour Knee And Leg Foam Support Pillow
This ventilated memory foam pillow also features an ergonomic hourglass design and helps keeps your knees aligned to reduce discomfort, back and hip pain and other sleep disturbances. It comes with a removable washable pillow cover.
Promising review: “I was a little skeptical when I first bought this pillow, but was having the worst back pain and was willing to try anything and to my surprise, this pillow was amazing. I’m a side sleeper and ALWAYS need a pillow between my legs but sometimes the pillow can be too big or not big enough and it always causes hip and back pain. I’ve had this pillow for 4 months now and I’m obsessed. It’s so comfortable and compact but really makes a big difference for side sleepers!” Jennifer Lee
What Causes Pain Behind The Knee
There are many different causes of posterior knee pain, including injury, inflammation or infection of the knee joint, overuse, wear and tear with age, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cysts or in very rare cases, cancer.
Leg cramps
Leg cramps occur when your leg muscles tighten up. Symptoms include a sudden muscle spasm, with pain lasting from several seconds up to 10 minutes. After the spasm, your muscles may feel sore for several hours.
Leg cramps are most common during exercise and pregnancy. However, they can also be caused by:
- Problems with the nerves in your legs
- Toxins in your blood eg lead or mercury
Jumper’s knee
This is also known as patellar tendonitis and occurs when a tendon in your knee is injured, often while playing sport. The tendon develops tiny tears that cause swelling stiffness, weakness and difficulty bending and straightening your knee.
Biceps femoris tendonitis
Your hamstrings are three muscles that run along the back of your thigh and help you bend your knee. Hamstring injuries most often occur when playing sports, usually when the hamstring is overstretched . However, the hamstrings can also be torn, which can take several months to heal.
Baker’s cyst
A Bakers cyst is a fluid-filled sac that sits behind your knee that can develop if you have arthritis or sustain a knee injury, which causes your knee joint to become swollen and inflamed.
Symptoms include sudden pain and swelling, bruising and weakness in your leg.
Gastrocnemius tendonitis
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What To Expect At Your Office Visit
Your provider will perform a physical exam, and look at your knees, hips, legs, and other joints.
Your provider may do the following tests:
- MRI of the knee if a ligament or meniscus tear could be the cause
- CT scan of the knee
- Joint fluid culture
Your provider may inject a steroid into your knee to reduce pain and inflammation.
You may need to learn stretching and strengthening exercises. You also may need to see a podiatrist to be fitted for orthotics.
In some cases, you may need surgery.
Treatment Of Pain Behind The Knee
Rest, applying ice packs, taking painkillers and physiotherapy can all be used to treat posterior knee pain. Depending on the severity and underlying cause of your knee pain, your doctor may also prescribe medication and/or recommend surgery.
Treatment for Bakers cysts
Bakers cysts can go away on their own or with treatment of the underlying condition causing your cyst . However, if you have a large or painful cyst, your doctor may recommend steroid injections, physiotherapy or drainage of the cyst.
Treatment for gastrocnemius tendonitis
Your knee pain should subside with rest, elevation of your leg and applying ice packs. How long this takes will depend on the size of the tear.
Treatment for meniscus tear
Rest, elevation of your leg and applying ice packs may be enough to treat your tear. However, if your tear doesnt improve on its own, your doctor may recommend surgery.
Treatment for ACL injury
Rest and physiotherapy can treat an ACL injury. However, if your ACL is torn, you may need surgery.
Treatment for PCL injury
Your knee pain should subside with rest, elevation of your leg and applying ice packs. However, your doctor may recommend surgery if you have injured more than one ligament, are unsteady on your feet or have also damaged cartilage in your knee.
Treatment for chondromalacia
Applying ice packs, taking over-the-counter painkillers and physiotherapy can treat chondromalacia. However, if the cartilage in your knee is damaged, you will need surgery.
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Pain On Outer Side Of Knee
Pain on outer side of knee is also known as lateral knee pain. This knee area contains many structures that cross the joint such as tendons, ligaments, and capsule. So, getting to the bottom of pain in this area can be frustrating. So, what are the causes of pain on outside of knee, and how do you make a diagnosis?
Torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament
You hear a pop and can’t move after you suddenly change direction — often while playing soccer, football, or basketball. You may have torn your ACL, which connects the femur and the tibia and prevents the tibia from moving too far forward. Your knee will hurt and swell and feel unstable.
You can tear or strain any of the tissues that hold your knee together: Ligaments connect bones to each other tendons connect muscle to bone. Irritated tendons from using them too much? That’s tendinitis.
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What Are The Causes Of Knee Pain In Teenagers
Common knee pain problems in your teenager can be generally divided into three types:
- Anterior knee pain, also called patellofemoral pain.
- Injures to ligaments and tendons of the knee or to the kneecap itself.
- Medical conditions that affect the knee.
Anterior knee pain happens when your teens kneecap is pulled out of its groove from increased pressure. Increased pressure on the knee joint is caused by:
- Abnormal hip rotation due to imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility around the hips.
- Improper training methods or equipment.
- Poor flexibility of the thigh muscles, which support the knee joint. Thigh muscle weakness or tightness.
- Overuse of the knee from repetitive bending of the knee during running, jumping, and other activities.
- Problems with alignment, for example, the kneecap not being properly aligned within the knee or having flat feet, which changes the normal gait.
Knee pain resulting from sprains, strains and tears to ligaments and tendons or injuries to other soft tissues. These conditions include:
Medical conditions that can affect your teens knee include:
Diagnosis Of Pain Behind The Knee
Your doctor will examine your knee and ask about your medical history and symptoms, including:
- the type of pain you have, when it started and whether it comes and goes
- how active you are
- any activity, accident or injury that could have caused it
If they suspect a posterior cruciate ligament injury, they may refer you to have an X-ray or a magnetic resonance imaging scan. If you have signs of a popliteal cyst, your doctor may suggest you have an ultrasound scan.
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Circa Air Inflatable Knee Pillow
If you have a trip coming up, you’ll find this travel-friendly knee pillow particularly useful. The inflatable pillow has a one-way button valve and folds down to just 4 inches by 2 inches so you can easily store it in your luggage without using up a ton of space. Despite its small size, it has an ergonomic design when inflated and a breathable exterior.
Promising review: “I need to sleep with a knee pillow and have been trying to fit my memory foam one in suitcases. Got tired of it taking up so much room and have been looking for a travel knee pillow. This one is perfect! Folds up into a very small pouch and weighs hardly anything. Easy to inflate and comfortable to sleep with. So happy I found it.” Robyn Bernitt
Pain In Back Of Knee When Bending
There are a few possible explanations for pain in the back of the knee when bending. It could be a sign of a meniscus tear, arthritis, or bursitis. If the pain is severe, it is best to consult a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
While bending your leg, you could be suffering from a variety of knee pain symptoms. Pain behind your knee as you bend is most likely caused by very sharp pain in your knee. Mild knee pain may be alleviated with home remedies. As a result, depending on the cause of the knee pain, a different treatment may be required. It is possible to improve your knees strength, mobility, and flexibility through the use of physical therapy. Orthotics are shoe inserts that stabilize the ankle and foot. If you have pain, your doctor may advise you to wear a brace or cast.
When a person bends over, there is usually no reason to be concerned about a mild knee pain. You can consult a doctor if you have any symptoms that you believe are related to a problem with your heart. Depending on your condition, you may require surgery to recover from it in eight weeks to a year. It is possible to reduce or eliminate your risk of knee pain.
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Complementary And Alternative Therapies
A number of mind-body therapies may be used to treat knee pain. These include:
These are especially common for knee osteoarthritis.
The once-popular supplements glucosamine and chondroitin have fallen out of favor for knee osteoarthritis due to a lack of scientific proof. Always talk to your healthcare provider before taking any supplements or medications.
Common Causes Of Pain Behind The Knee
Where do we start with making an accurate diagnosis?
Generally, most doctors use a methodological process to confirm or rule out causes. Firstly, we perform a thorough assessment to test the joints, ligaments, and tendons that pass across the back of the knee. Then, we consider imaging to confirm our thinking. X-rays often pick up major arthritis in the knee. MRI can detect soft tissue problems such as tendonitis or muscle tear. Occasionally, we perform other tests such as blood, ultrasound, or nerve studies depending on the presentation.
Generally, the more common causes of pain behind the knee include:
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Fast Facts On Pain In The Back Of The Knee
- There are many possible causes of this kind of pain.
- Receiving early treatment for knee pain often prevents the injury from getting worse.
- In some cases, the pain may be due to fatigue or not stretching before exercise.
It is important to work closely with a doctor to diagnose pain in the back of the knee, as some causes require long-term treatment to heal completely.
Some possible causes of pain in the back of the knee include the following.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries
The anterior cruciate ligament is a band of tissue that runs through the front of the knee joint, connecting the bones and helping keep the knee joint stable.
ACL strains often happen due to sudden stops or changes in direction. Similarly to meniscus tears, a strain in the ACL may cause a popping sound, followed by pain and swelling.
A torn ACL is a well-known, serious injury, often side-lining an athlete for a long time. Torn ACLs usually require reconstructive surgery.
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What Causes Knee Pain
Pain behind the knee can be due to a fairly mild condition, such as a torn hamstring that responds well to rest and self-care measures. However, it can also result from a Bakers cyst. With this condition, you may have pain, swelling, and bruising behind the knee and calf.
Chronic degenerative conditions that cause knee pain include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis is also an autoimmune condition.