Types Of Outer Knee Pain
There are several health conditions that may cause outer knee pain.
Iliotibial band syndrome develops if a band of connective tissue rubs on the outside of your knee. The iliotibial band is a thick band of fibrous tissue that runs from your hip to below your knee on the outside of your leg. If you bend and straighten your leg a lot, it can cause this tissue to become sore and inflamed where it passes over the bottom of your thigh bone and meets your knee. This type of problem is most common in runners and cyclists.
Lateral collateral ligament injury is caused by a blow to the inside of your knee, which stretches the outside of your knee and injures the ligament. A ligament is a band of tissue that connects one bone to another. The lateral collateral ligament runs down the outer side of your knee.
Meniscal injury is damage to the meniscal cartilages inside your knee. These cartilages act like shock absorbers and may tear when you twist your knee with your foot still on the ground. This type of injury is common in sports where you have to change direction suddenly for example, football and skiing. It can also happen in jobs that involve lifting and twisting for example, construction or manual labour. The meniscus can tear without any particular injury as you get older because of wear and tear.
For Tendinitis Runners Knee Gout And Bursitis
The treatment for conditions that cause swelling, redness, and dull, burning pain usually starts with resting the joint. Ice your knee to control swelling. Elevate and stay off your joint to promote healing.
Your doctor may recommend or prescribe NSAIDs like ibuprofen. Lifestyle changes, such as wearing protective kneepads and going to physical therapy, can help you manage pain and experience fewer symptoms.
You may need to make changes to your diet, especially if youre treating gout.
Lack Of Sleep Makes Pain Worse
It can be easy to get stuck in a cycle where you cant sleep because of knee pain. That lack of sleep can actually make your pain worse. Sleep is vital for healing and rejuvenation. Without sleep, you have less energy to expend on healing as you need to focus your bodily processes on staying alert and awake.If nighttime knee pain causes you to toss and turn, you may end up accidentally further straining your knee by sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
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Why Do I Have Pain In The Front Of The Knee
The most common cause of anterior knee pain is often felt to come from a muscular imbalance or a particular pattern of weakness. This will be the case for the majority of you reading this. At least thats what we think is the most common cause. We have come a long way in evaluating runners and other people who present with pain in the front of their knees. They often show the same findings when we use high-speed cameras to videotape them while running or walking. Now, this might be a chicken vs. the egg thing. Right? Which came first, the weakness pattern or the pain? We like to think it was the weakness that came first. We are still working on proving that.
If you are a runner or cyclist, etc then your training may influence your anterior knee pain. If you train too hard, too fast, and too often then you are at a higher risk of developing anterior knee pain. Most amateur runners run too fast on their easy days and too slow on their hard days. Proper base building, for strength, endurance and conditioning our joints to adapt to distance is of paramount importance. Zone 2 running programs are extremely important even for elite runners. Try to keep your training at a continuously progressive pace. You should be slowly increasing the load, distance, or speed over time. Try not to increase your load, eg. distance, speed, etc more than 10% per week. Most runners overuse injuries are training errors.
Where Is Your Pain
The hunt for the cause of knee pain is like the search for a home:Location matters.
For example, pain below your kneecap might be a sign of patellar tendinitis, or inflammation in the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone, says rheumatologist Scott Burg, DO. Pain above the kneecap often means quadriceps tendinitis.
Pain on the inside or outside of your knee could be a sign of a torn ligament , Dr. Burg says. But it also could indicate a torn or degenerative meniscus, which is the cartilage that lines and cushions your knee joint.
Those are just a couple of causes, not including various types of arthritis. Location is important, but we also ask other questions, Dr. Burg explains.
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Other Inner Knee Pain Treatments
If your inner knee pain worsens after several days, or if basic at-home remedies dont alleviate symptoms, you should go see your doctor.
Some treatment methods for more serious knee injuries include:
- Steroid injection. This injection is used to treat pes anserine bursitis.
- Physical therapy. Therapy often involves stretching, exercises, and ultrasound therapy.
What Can You Do For The Pain
Your plan will depend on your specific injury. Mild to moderate issues will often get better on their own. To speed the healing, you can:
- Rest your knee. Take a few days off from intense activity.
- Ice it to curb pain and swelling. Do it for 15 to 20 minutes every 3 to 4 hours. Keep doing it for 2 to 3 days or until the pain is gone.
- Compress your knee. Use an elastic bandage, straps, or sleeves to wrap the joint. It will keep down swelling or add support.
- Elevate your knee with a pillow under your heel when youre sitting or lying down to cut down on swelling.
- Take anti-inflammatorymedications. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or naproxen will help with pain and swelling. Follow the instructions on the label. These drugs can have side effects, so you should only use them now and then unless your doctor says otherwise.
- Practice stretching and strengthening exercises if your doctor recommends them. You may want to do physical therapy, too.
Make an appointment with a doctor if you still have pain after 2 weeks of home treatment, if the knee becomes warm, or if you have fever along with a painful, swollen knee.
Some people with knee pain need more help. For instance, if you have bursitis, your doctor may need to draw out extra fluid from the bursa in your knee. If you have arthritis, you may need an occasional corticosteroid shot to settle down inflammation. And if you have a torn ligament or certain knee injuries, you may need surgery.
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Exercise Program For Pain In The Front Of Your Knee :
Many of you are afraid to exercise. Yes, some of you may have pain with a few of these exercises. You can start with quadriceps isometric exercises, or simply dont go too low with the squat, lunge or wall sit until your strength improves. Most of you will find that after doing these exercises 3 days/week for two weeks that your pain will start to improve. As I mentioned previously, this is a program that can take 6-12 months to fully correct the weakness pattern that led to pain in the front of your knee. So stick with it.
Squat: I like the variations that this group throws in. You do not and should not start with 100 if you are just starting out.
Chair Squats are the place to start if you dont have the strength or confidence.
Wall Sits: A great quadriceps exercise. This video is a little mechanical, but it contains the dos and donts of how to perform a wall sit.
Reverse Lunges: Easier than forward lunges. Dont lunge back further than you can handle. That distance will get further over time. Focus on your front knee so it doesnt wobble back and forth.
Planks: This video includes a good description of the proper technique, and it gives you 10 different variations to try.
Hamstring bridge exercise. If this is too easy you can rest a barbell across your pelvis, or a kettlebell on your lower abdomen.
Osteonecrosis Of The Knee
Osteonecrosis is a condition in which bone tissue dies due to a lack of adequate blood supply. People typically notice severe pain on the inside of the knee with tenderness and joint swelling as well as pain when bending or straightening the knee. These symptoms may cause a person to limp when walking.
Osteonecrosis in the knee is not common. It is most likely to occur after an injury, but it can also develop gradually in absence of a trauma. Older women who have osteoporosis are at the greatest risk for osteonecrosis.
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Lateral Tibial Plateau Fracture
The tibial plateau is located at the top of the shin at the knee. A break on the outer or lateral part of the tibial plateau can cause considerable knee pain. A lateral tibial plateau fracture is often the result of a vehicle accident or a bad fall that impacts the outer knee directly.
If the bones are still aligned, surgery may not be required to treat the injury. If not, you may need surgery to place the affected bones in their proper position and secure them with screws or plates.
Injuries To Your Joints
There may be a problem with the knee joint if sharp pain is felt. If the cartilage is damaged, either via wear and tear or an injury, it can produce osteophytes, tiny lumps of bone that protrude from the bone.
The bones are exposed because there is no cartilage to cushion and protect these osteophytes. Typically, this results in arthritis.
The osteophytes become painfully irritated and irritated when the knee is moved. Sharp, stabbing pain occurs when one bends or twists their knee, placing pressure on the osteophytes, common during sports or other activities involving heavy lifting or twisting the knee.
If you move the knee into a new position and take the pressure off the osteophytes, the intense pain may disappear, but a dull ache may remain. It’s not uncommon for people with knee discomfort to be able to walk normally until they put additional strain on the joint, such as when crouching or twisting or running, or going up and downstairs.
If there is an increase in sharp knee pain as you ascend, there’s more likely a problem with tibiofemoral joints, whereas if there is more pain while descending, then there is a problem with kneecaps.
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Pain On The Outside Of The Knee
- A burning pain at the outside of the knee may be due to iliotibial band syndrome. The iliotibial band is a ligament running down the outside of the thigh to the outside of the knee which can become inflamed and irritated.
- A tear in one of the two menisci can cause pain, swelling, and a feeling that the knee is giving way or locking.
- A burning sensation at the side of the knee can indicate pressure on the menisci and sometimes can be due to a fluid filled cyst.
Conditions Associated With Inner Knee Pain
There are several types of knee injury and other conditions that can cause inner knee pain.
Medial collateral ligament injury is a tear of the ligament that runs down the inner side of your knee. A ligament is a band of tissue that connects one bone to another. Your medial collateral ligament connects your thigh bone to your shin bone, helping to stabilise your knee. A tear can happen if you have a direct blow to your knee, if you twist your knee or if you overuse your knee.
Anterior cruciate ligament injury is a tear to one of the ligaments that runs across the inside your knee, connecting your thigh and shin bones. You might completely or partially tear your anterior cruciate ligament. Its a sudden injury caused by twisting or overextending your knee. It can happen if you suddenly slow down, stop or change direction and is nearly always associated with sports.
Meniscal injury is a tear to one of the cartilage shock-absorbers in your knee. These are known as the menisci . You could tear a meniscus if you twist your knee. This type of injury is common in sports where you have to change direction suddenly for example, football or basketball. It can also happen if you work in a job that involves heavy lifting and twisting, such as construction or manual labour. Youre also more likely to tear your meniscus without any particular injury as you get older, through wear and tear.
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What Causes Inside Knee Pain
Published on: 5th August 2022
Pain on the inner side of the knee is probably the most common kind of knee pain there is. Youll often hear it called medial knee pain medial simply meaning middle, since this part of your knee is situated towards the middle of your body.
Most knee pains are mild and clear up naturally. But persistent or recurring knee pain needs to be investigated. And the location of the pain gives us an early clue about what might be causing it.
So what are the biggest causes of persistent inside knee pain? Here are some possibilities.
Painful Knee: Where Does It Hurt
The exact location of your knee pain is an indicator of the cause. Your doctor will ask you to describe in detail the exact location and type of pain you experience in the knee. This can help the doctor determine the type of condition or injury responsible for your symptoms. Below are some possible causes of knee pain.
Patellar Tendonitis Usually, pain in the front of the knee is caused by a problem with the patellar tendon. Patellar tendonitis is a type of overuse injury. Running, jumping, a sudden increase in the intensity of an activity, muscular tightness, and imbalance can contribute to this injury. With this condition, it can hurt to bend the knee, kneel, and squat.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome Pain on the outside or lateral side of the knee usually indicates a problem with the iliotibial band or the lateral meniscus . Iliotibial band syndrome is common in long-distance runners, as well as cyclists and rock climbers. The repetitive bending of the knee can lead to this condition. Meniscus tears, on the other hand, are caused by sudden twisting movements of the knee, which is common in basketball, football, soccer, and tennis players.
Other Causes Pain in the back of the knee could mean different things: a cartilage injury, a ligament injury, a hamstring injury, Bakerâs cyst , and arthritis. There are many possible causes of pain in the back of the knee, which is why it should be evaluated by an experienced medical professional.
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When To Suspect Leg Pain When Walking That Is Not Vascular
Leg pain from artery blockages usually happens in people who are older than 50. These patients could have blockages elsewhere. For instance in the neck arteries, heart arteries or kidney arteries .
Also, patients who have leg pain from walking because of blocked arteries, usually have risk factors. For instance, they will have hypertension, or hypercholesterolemia. Many will be smokers or ex-smokers.
If a person does not fit this bill, then think about causes that are different than blocked arteries.
What Are The Symptoms Of Iliotibial Band Syndrome
Iliotibial band syndrome causes pain on the outside of the knee. It might affect one or both of your knees. The pain is an aching, burning feeling that sometimes spreads up the thigh to the hip. You might notice this pain only when you exercise, especially while running. The pain tends to be worst right after you strike your foot, and it might only start up near the end of your workout. As the condition gets worse, your pain might start earlier and continue even after you’ve stopped exercising. Activities that might worsen your pain include going up and down the stairs.
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What Can I Do To Prevent Iliotibial Band Syndrome
In some cases, iliotibial band syndrome is preventable. To help prevent a flare-up, take care to:
- Run on even surfaces.
- Replace your running shoes regularly.
- Ease up on your training.
- If you run on a track, make sure you run in both directions.
- Have an expert check your stance for running and other sporting activities.
- Stretch your outer thigh and hamstrings regularly.
If you’re new to exercise, start slowly and gradually increase your activity.
Ask your healthcare provider or trainer if they have additional advice.
Treatment Options And Pain Relief
Usually, your treatment will vary depending on the severity of your injury. The inner meniscus do not have a huge blood supply and sometimes, surgery may be required. However, it isnt always necessary. Rest and ice can go a long way in helping you recover from a meniscus injury. When the pain has begun to subside, proper stretching and strengthening exercises targeting muscles around the knee can help the area heal further, as well as prevent future injury.
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