Severe Knee Pain When Bent

How To Prevent Knee Pain When Squatting And Bending

It is not always possible to prevent a knee injury and/or subsequent knee pain. However, you can decrease the risk by making sure you always stretch your legs before and after exercising and stop exercising if you feel any knee pain. You should also avoid suddenly raising the intensity of the exercise regime and instead gradually work your way up. Practicing regular strengthening exercises and stretching exercises that target the muscles that support the knees can also decrease the risk of a knee injury. If you are overweight, losing excess weight will decrease the strain on the knees, making a knee injury less likely. If the work involves kneeling a lot, use knee pads to decrease the chances of developing knee bursitis. eventually, make sure you wear well-fitting, supportive shoes.

Preventing knee pain: Itâs possible to prevent or reduce the risk of knee pain. Consider the following tips:

Knee problems are more common in individuals who are overweight or obese. Keeping an active lifestyle and following a healthy diet can help manage weight and stop some knee pain. Exercises such as swimming and yoga can keep the knees flexible without much of the joint strain of high-intensity sports. Moderate strength-building exercises can also assist you to avoid knee injuries by strengthening the thighs and the legs. Strong leg muscles can decrease the stress on the knees.

Takeaway

What Should You Do If Your Knee Hurts When You Bend It

You may want to try some easy remedies first. One option is to use a knee brace. A knee brace can help to stabilize the joint and reduce the amount of stress on the knee. Even a compression knee sleeve can help provide proprioceptive input to the brain that helps it stabilize the knee on its own.

Additionally, you may want to consider taking over-the-counter pain relief medication or using ice or heat to help reduce inflammation and pain. The RICE principles are always good to follow: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

If your pain persists or becomes severe, you should consult with a doctor or orthopedic specialist. They will be able to diagnose the cause of your pain and recommend treatment options that are best for you.

What Else Could It Be

If you are still not sure what is causing your severe knee pain, visit the knee pain diagnosis section where we help you work out what is going on by thinking about the location of the pain e.g. front, back or side of the knee.

Alternatively, in the knee symptoms guide we look at other symptoms typically linked with knee pain such as pain when running or bending, knee locking, sharp pain or pain on the stairs. And remember, if you are suffering from severe knee pain, get checked out by your doctor as soon as possible.

Page Last Updated: 06/29/22

Don’t Miss: Why Does My Knee Pop When I Straighten It

When To See A Doctor

Mild knee pain while bending isnât commonly a cause for concern. Although, you should see a doctor if you have the following:

• severe knee pain
• inability to bend or straighten your knee
• swelling or redness in your knee
• popping or crunching noises associated with pain

You should also seek medical help if you recently had a knee injury accompanied by a popping noise, swelling, or/and an inability to bear weight on a leg.

Stretching Exercises To Help Alleviate Some Of The Pain And Discomfort That Comes With Bending Your Knee

Some stretching exercises that you can do are the quadriceps stretch, hamstring stretch, and calf stretch.

In addition to this, you can also do a simple thigh-stretch just by standing with one leg up on a chair or bench and putting the heel of your other foot on the ground. You then lean into the raised leg until you feel a gentle stretch around the back of your knee.

When done regularly stretching exercises will improve muscle tone around your knees which in turn will make it easier for you to bend down without pain.

Also Check: How Much Does Knee Surgery Cost

How Is Knee Pain On The Outside Of The Knee Diagnosed

When you see a doctor about lateral knee pain, theyll first ask you to describe the location and type of pain, for example is the pain sharp or aching? Theyll also ask you when the pain started and what activity you were doing when your symptoms began.

Theyll then perform a physical examination that will typically involve extending and flexing your knee, as well as moving it gently from side to side. This may reveal whether theres any swelling, areas of tenderness, or looseness in any of the ligaments.

Imaging tests may also be appropriate, including one or more of the following:

• X-ray to see bones
• Magnetic resonance imaging to get detailed images of ligaments, tendons, muscles, and cartilage
• Computed tomography scan provides a more detailed image of the bone than is possible with a standard X-ray

Based on your symptoms, the physical exam and imaging, a doctor should be able to diagnose the cause and severity of your knee injury and propose a treatment plan.

For minor lateral knee injuries, rest and conservative measures are all that are needed to allow them to heal. However, ligament tears, meniscus tears, and advanced arthritis may require surgery.

Treatment Tips For Knee Pain When Bending

Treatment for an injury or damage to the knee is based on the underlying cause. Before surgery becomes an option, there are remedies for knee pain treatment.

• Apply heat or cold packs to the affected knee
• Use a knee brace or supporting device
• Rest the knee for a limited time
• Perform strengthening exercises for hamstrings and quadriceps
• Use specialized shoe inserts
• Maintain alignment by taping knee
• Avoid applying body weight on affected knee
• Use proper footwear for activities

Also Check: How Can I Get Rid Of Knee Pain At Home

How Did You Hurt Your Knee

Traumatic injuriesare noticeable right away and worsen dramatically the next day as pain and inflammation set in. traumatic injuries typically occur playing sports, during slips, falls, and other work-related accidents. The trauma is caused by the injury exceeding the tolerance of knee structures leading to breaks, ruptures or tears.

Knee ligaments, bones, and menisci are the most commonly damaged structures in the knee joint. Injuries to bone and connective tissue result in long term pain and will impede normal knee function for some time after the initial injury. Less serious traumatic injuries may result in only painful, superficial contusions which heal relatively quickly. If you believe you have incurred serious knee trauma you should visit a doctor as soon as possible. If bone or connective tissue within your joint is damaged a surgical assessment could be required.

A torn ligament in the knee, such as the lateral collateral ligament can be behind a sudden onset of knee pain.

Overuse injuriestypically cause knee pain that comes and goes and varies in intensity. Sometimes our favorite activities subject our knees to stressful movement patterns repetitively. Think jumping, squatting, kneeling, running, lunging type movements. Moving in this way over and over again can irritate knee structures such as bursae, tendons, and articular cartilage.

What You Need To Know

• The most common causes of knee pain are related to aging, injury or repeated stress on the knee.
• Common knee problems include sprained or strained ligaments, cartilage tears, tendonitis and arthritis.
• Diagnosing a knee injury or problem includes a medical examination and usually the use of a diagnostic procedure such as an x-ray, MRI, CT scan or arthroscopy.
• Both non-operative and surgical treatment options are available to treat knee pain and problems depending on the type and severity of the condition.

Read Also: Is Omega 3 Good For Knee Pain

Understanding The Anatomy Of The Knee

To understand why the knee hurts when bent, we first must understand its anatomy and how it works. The bones of the lower and upper legs are connected by the knee joint. This joint consists of muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, and bones that work together to allow us to move, give us flexibility, and support our body weight. Proper functioning of this joint also enables us to stand, walk, squat, jump, and turn. Letâs examine the knee joint in detail.

Common Conditions That Cause Pain When Bending Or Straightening Knee

Pain when bending or straightening the knee can sideline you for the weekend or for months at a time. There are many different causes of knee pain. It is important that you identify the specific cause of your pain so that a specific treatment plan can be created. There are 5 major conditions that can affect how the functions like difficulties in bending or straightening the knee:

Read Also: Why Ice Behind Knee After Foot Surgery

Why Does Bending Cause Knee Pain

Knee pain when bending can be split into two types:

Weight-Bearing:when there is weight going through the knee as you bend it such as when you squat down, go up and down stairs and as you sit down in a chair

Non Weight-Bearing:when there is no weight going through the knee when you bend it e.g. when sitting in a chair and moving the knee or standing but with the leg lifted off the floor as you bend it

Knee pain when bending tends to be worse when there is weight going through the knee as you bend it due to the compression and pressure on the different structures in the knee.

This should come as no surprise when we realise how large the forces going through different parts of the knee.

For example, when bending the knee to climb stairs, a force approximately three times body weight goes through the knee.

When squatting down the force is even greater at seven times body weight and when jumping, a huge force ten times body weight goes through part of the knee.

What Causes Severe Knee Pain

The most common causes of severe knee pain are:

• Bone Injuries: fractures and joint dislocations
• Ligament Injuries: ACL, PCL, MCL or LCL tears
• Meniscus Tears: damage to the knee carilage
• Gout Knee: an inflammatory condition

Other possible causes of severe knee pain include knee arthritis, septic arthritis and cellulitis.

Recommended Reading: How Do You Get Fluid Off The Knee

What Is The Long

Some knee pain, especially pain caused by osteoarthritis, will likely be permanent. Thats because the structure of the knee is damaged. Without surgery or another type of extensive treatment, youll continue to feel pain, inflammation, and swelling in your knee.

The long-term outlook for chronic knee pain involves managing pain, preventing flare-ups, and working to reduce irritation to the knee.

Lateral Collateral Ligament Injury

The lateral collateral ligament is one of the four main ligaments of the knee. It connects the outer side of the femur and tibia and is primarily responsible for stabilizing the outer aspect of the knee.

An LCL injury is often the result of a blow to the inside part of the knee this causes the LCL to stretch beyond normal and can result in partial or complete tearing of the ligament.

Symptoms may include soreness on the outside of the knee, swelling, and stiffness. You may experience instability a feeling that the knee is unstable and going to buckle or give out.

32 million adults in the United States.

With aging, the cartilage that helps cushion the ends of bones in the knee joint can wear thin and eventually allow the bones to rub together. Pain, stiffness, and loss of joint movement can follow.

Some people have more significant wearing of the cartilage in the outer compartment of the knee joint and this can lead to lateral sided knee pain.

Don’t Miss: How To Protect Your Knees

How Is Genu Valgum Treated

Treatment for genu valgum depends on the cause and severity of your symptoms.

For example, if rickets are causing your knock-knees, your doctor will likely prescribe vitamin D and calcium supplements to help restore your levels.

Your doctor may also prescribe prescription-strength nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs if over-the-counter options, like naproxen , arent providing relief.

A typical treatment plan will include one or more of the following:

Medial Knee Ligament Sprain

An MCL sprain is a tear to the ligament on the inside of the knee joint. MCL stands for the medial collateral ligament. It is caused either by a direct impact to the outside of the knee or from twisting. Symptoms include:

• Sudden onset pain is located on the inside of the knee.
• Rapid swelling.
• A positive result for a valgus stress test.
• Often they occur in conjunction with an anterior cruciate ligament tear. Or with a meniscus tear.

Our step-by-step rehabilitation programs take you from initial injury to full fitness.

Start now for free:

Learn more

Don’t Miss: How To Protect Knees While Running

Most Common Causes Of Knee Pain

Other common causes of knee pain include:

• A dislocated kneecap
• Iliotibial band syndrome burning pain on the outer side of your knee that can spread to your hip or thigh and is caused by inflammation it commonly occurs in runners
• Knee bursitis inflammation of the fluid-filled cushions in your knee joint, which causes swelling, warmth and pain
• Osgood-Schlatter disease a condition that causes pain and swelling at the point where the patellar tendon meets the top of your shinbone
• Osteoarthritis a type of arthritis caused by wear and tear of your joints over time, which causes pain, swelling and stiffness that is worse in the morning
• Patellar tendonitis inflammation of the patellar tendon, which connects your kneecap to your shinbone this causes burning pain just below your kneecap

Iliotibial band syndrome, knee bursitis, runners knee, osteoarthritis and patellar tendonitis can also cause knee pain when bending. Other causes of knee pain when bending include:

Pain behind knee when bending

If your knee pain when bending occurs behind your knee, the most likely causes are a Bakers cyst, hamstring tendonitis or a knee injury.

Sharp pain in knee when bending

If your knee pain when bending is sharp, the most likely causes are a torn ligament or meniscus, fracture of one of the bones of your knee joint, osteoarthritis or patellar tendonitis.

Pain at the top of kneecap when bending

Knee Pain And Problems

Knee pain is a common complaint among adults and most often associated with general wear and tear from daily activities like walking, bending, standing and lifting. Athletes who run or play sports that involve jumping or quick pivoting are also more likely to experience knee pain and problems. But whether an individuals knee pain is caused by aging or injury, it can be a nuisance and even debilitating in some circumstances.

Don’t Miss: Why My Knees Always Hurt

How Can Manual Therapy Help You Recover From Knee Pain

At The Pain & Wellness Centre, we see patients with both new and chronic knee pain. Following a comprehensive assessment of your pain, our Chiropractors will work with you to develop a plan of management that is personalized. They will often use a combination of both passive and active therapeutic approaches to help you with your pain. Your treatment will not only be directed at the knee only, but also the neighbouring areas of your body that play a role in supporting the knee, such as the ankle, hip and lower back. Many knee pain conditions are complicated or driven by non-painful muscular imbalances or problems at other areas in the body, and if you are not looking at the whole person and how their knee is a component towards the movement of the whole body, you may struggle to resolve the knee pain.

For passive therapeutic interventions, our therapists are trained in applying various active soft tissue therapies, medical acupuncture, as well as offering specific modalities such as shockwave therapy or interferential current as needed. They will use some of these tools and techniques to help reduce your pain and/or improve the way your knee, hip or ankle moves.

Types Of Knee Pain When Bending

Pain in the Knee, with Locking in the Joint

Inside the knee joint, there are two C shaped pieces of cartilage called menisci, which keep the surfaces of the upper leg bone and lower leg bones from grinding against each other. Injuries to this cartilage usually result from a trauma, like landing a jump or twisting your knee. You may also notice problems with range of motion, walking, or even a locking sensation in the joint. Resting the knee and managing inflammation will help heal minor tears, while physical therapy can help strengthen and stabilize it.

Pain Behind the Kneecap

Patella-Femoral Syndrome is a term that describes joint pain between the kneecap and upper leg bone. Under the kneecap is a smooth cartilage lining that creates a gliding surface between the bones, and if it softens or wears away it can result in pain and inflammation. According to Neuromuscular Specialist and co-founder of the Performance Institute in New York City, major contributing factors to this knee pain are poor alignment when landing, as well as imbalanced quadricep muscles, which can pull the kneecap side to side. Strengthening the quads and stretches to lengthen hamstrings and calfs will help reduce the risk of injury.

Pain and Tenderness on the outside of the Knee

Pain with a Pop

Don’t Miss: How To Stretch Back Of Knee

How Is Knee Pain In Teens Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will ask about your teens knee pain:

• Is there a known cause for the knee pain does it happen with certain movements or is there no specific known event?
• How long has the pain been present?
• Where on or around your knee do you feel pain?
• Does the pain wake you up at night?

Your provider will perform a physical exam, checking:

• Kneecap and knee stability.
• Alignment of lower leg, kneecap and thigh.
• Range of motion of hips and knees.
• Thigh muscle strength, flexibility, firmness.

Your provider may order imaging tests including X-rays or a CT scan or MRI .