What Can Cause Knee Pain Without Injury
Most people assume that their knee pain isnt severe or in need of medical attention because they havent suffered a significant injury. While that may be true sometimes, damage to your knee joint can also occur slowly over time, and affect you just as much as a significant accident or injury can.
First, lets stop with assumptions. Any pain you are experiencing is a sign that something is not right. So, why not have a specialist take a look? With extensive imaging, a trained orthopedic specialist can get to the bottom of your nagging knee pain and try to help relieve some of that distress. If you havent suffered an injury, however, your doctor will want to diagnose the pain and possible causes. There are some more common causes for non-trauma related knee pain:
Arthritis
Either rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis can cause leave you with severe knee pain, even without a fall or injury. Osteoarthritis can be characterized by the pain and swelling you continue to feel as you age. Your joints are not indestructible, and the structure inevitably wears down over time. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, is a chronic disorder that also causes joints to swell. If you suspect RA is behind your knee pain, you might have pain in other joints, as well.
A tear
Bursitis
Tendonitis
Brief Anatomy Of The Knee
The knee is a vulnerable joint that bears a great deal of stress from everyday activities, such as lifting and kneeling, and from high-impact activities, such as jogging and aerobics.
The knee is formed by the following parts:
-
Tibia.;This is the shin bone or larger bone of the lower leg.
-
Femur.;This is the thighbone or upper leg bone.
-
Patella. This is the kneecap.
Each bone end is covered with a layer of cartilage that absorbs shock and protects the knee. Basically, the knee is 2 long leg bones held together by muscles, ligaments, and tendons.
There are 2 groups of muscles involved in the knee, including the quadriceps muscles , which straighten the legs, and the hamstring muscles , which bend the leg at the knee.
Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Ligaments are elastic bands of tissue that connect bone to bone. Some ligaments on the knee provide stability and protection of the joints, while other ligaments limit forward and backward movement of the tibia .
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.
Read Also: Does Meniscus Surgery Lead To Knee Replacement
What Should I Do If I’m Experiencing Pain At The Back Of My Knee
If you are dealing with back-of-knee pain, Dr. James makes the point that it is imperative to “see your healthcare provider to rule out some of these more serious causes.” Dr. Holder agrees, recommending a “clinical assessment of the knee is comprehensive and includes for instability, edema, and clicking or popping along with pain.” Dr. James mentions that if the diagnosis is related to overuse or muscle imbalances like tendonitis or bursitis, an exercise regimen that “focuses on proper form, good posture, and rebalancing the muscles around the knee” would be very helpful. Whether the pain is due to something more serious or not, Dr. Holder asserts that an orthopedic assessment and a physician evaluation are crucial to providing an accurate diagnosis, and that it’s important to get treatment as soon as possible.
Can Knee Injuries Be Prevented
To help prevent knee injuries:
- Be sure you wear the recommended protective equipment for sports .
- Wear supportive athletic shoes that are in good condition.
- During workouts, always warm up and cool down.
- Do regular strength training to support muscles, and stretching or yoga to improve flexibility.
- When jumping, bend the knees while landing. This takes pressure off the ACL and prevents injury.
- If you cut laterally or pivot frequently , crouch and bend at the knees and hips to reduce the chances of an ACL injury.
- If you play just one sport, conditioning and training year-round even if it’s at a lower intensity than during the competitive season can help you stay in shape and make an injury less likely.
Recommended Reading: Arthroscopic Knee Surgery Scars
What Causes Joint Pain And Inability To Bear Weight
A slipped capital femoral epiphysis can cause knee pain, walking with a limp, hip pain, and more. Stress fractures are small breaks that usually occur in the feet or leg bones, causing pain and swelling. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by swollen painful joints, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and more.
When To Contact A Medical Professional
- You cannot bear weight on your knee.
- You have severe pain, even when not bearing weight.
- Your knee buckles, clicks, or locks.
- Your knee is deformed or misshapen.
- You cannot flex your knee or have trouble straightening it all the way out.
- You have a fever, redness or warmth around the knee, or a lot of swelling.
- You have pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, or bluish discoloration in the calf below the sore knee.
- You still have pain after 3 days of home treatment.;
Recommended Reading: How To Whiten Knees And Elbows
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.
Can You Prevent Knee Problems
Not all knee problems are avoidable, but you can lessen your chance of problems by participating in regular strength training. To protect your knees, it’s important to have a very strong core and strong legs, says Dr. Rebecca Breslow, an instructor in orthopedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. Make an effort to perform strength training at least twice a week. In addition, work on increasing joint flexibility, which can also help you head off an injury.
Recommended Reading: How To Pop Your Knee
What Causes Pain Behind The Knee After Sitting
Pain behind the knee after sitting for prolonged periods is often caused by arthritis. When we sit still, the fluid that lubricates the knee joint dries out slightly so when we then stand up, there is less cushioning.
The wear and tear associated with arthritis mean you can end up with the knee bones rubbing together, causing knee pain. Once you are up and moving about, the joint produces more synovial fluid so, after a few minutes of moving around, the back of knee pain eases off.
What Causes A Bump On The Shin Below The Knee
Stress fractures are small breaks that usually occur in the feet or leg bones, causing pain and swelling. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by swollen painful joints, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and more. Osgood-Schlatter disease causes a painful swollen bump on the shin below the knee.
Popliteal aneurysms tend to be asymptomatic and are the most common cause of swelling behind the knee with no pain. The distinguishing feature of a popliteal aneurysm is a palpable pulsating mass behind the knee. It is easiest to detect this swelling behind the knee when the knee is bent.
A slipped capital femoral epiphysis can cause knee pain, walking with a limp, hip pain, and more. Stress fractures are small breaks that usually occur in the feet or leg bones, causing pain and swelling. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by swollen painful joints, a rash, swollen lymph nodes, and more.
You May Like: How Much Does A Total Knee Replacement Cost
Herniated Disk In The Lower Back
The backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between the bones are soft disks filled with a jelly-like substance. These disks cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. Although people talk about a slipped disk, nothing actually slips out of place. The outer shell of the disk ruptures, and the jelly-like substance bulges out. It may be pressing on a nerve, which is what causes the pain.A slipped disk is more likely to happen due to strain on the back, such as during heavy lifting, and older individuals are at higher risk.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: lower back pain, moderate back pain, back pain that shoots down the leg, back pain that gets worse when sitting, leg weakness
Urgency: Primary care doctor
Diabetic neuropathy is nerve damage caused by longstanding or poorly controlled diabetes mellitus . Other risk factors for developing diabetic neuropathy include obesity, smoking, cardiovascular disease, and abnormal lipid levels.
Diabetic neuropathy can present as a number …
When To See A Doctor
If there is pain, have a doctor look at your knee as soon as possible. Doing so may prevent a more serious knee injury including anterior cruciate ligament injuries. They affect between 100,000 and 200,000 Americans each year.
Even if the knee popping does not cause pain, you may still want to have it checked out. In some cases, it may be an early warning sign of a repetitive use injury. This may require weight loss, a change of footwear, or knee-strengthening exercises to better protect the joint.
The best treatments are targeted directly at the specific problem that is causing the abnormal popping or snapping inside the knee joint.;Most mechanical problems are best treated with arthroscopic knee surgery. You can ease crepitus and tendon problems by taking care of the inflammation in the knee joint.
Recommended Reading: How To Take A Shower After Knee Surgery
What Causes Knee Pain
Knee pain can have many different causes. Common causes of knee pain include:;
- Overuse injury;
Urgent Advice: Get Advice From 111 Now If:
- your knee is very painful
- you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape
- you have a very high temperature, feel hot and shivery, and have redness or heat around your knee this can be a sign of infection
111 will tell you what to do. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone.
Go to 111.nhs.uk or .
You can also go to an urgent treatment centre if you need to see someone now.
They’re also called walk-in centres or minor injuries units.
You may be seen quicker than you would at A&E.
Also Check: Scar Tissue After Knee Arthroscopy
Treatment And Prevention Tips For Pain Behind The Knee
When you experience knee pain that doesnt go away within a day or two, you should seriously consider health care. Here are a few tips on protecting your knee in situations where you might have a minor knee injury or experience reoccurring knee problems.
- Avoid activities that cause pain
- Apply ice
- Keep knee raised to bring down any swelling
- Sleep with a pillow underneath or between your knees
- Avoid running up and down stairs walk carefully
- Dont forget to warm up before exercising or engaging in sports
- When you run, do it on smooth, soft surfaces instead of rough pavement
- Swim instead of running
- If you are overweight, consider ways to lose a few pounds
- Make sure you wear well-made running shoes
- Consider shoe inserts for better arch support
Here’s When To Seek Medical Attention For Your Knee Pain
Per Mayo Clinic, pain in the knee can also be brought on by excess body weight, having limited;muscle flexibility or strength, a previous injury, and working in certain occupations particularly those that are sports-related. Some lifestyle changes that could help prevent knee pain include maintaining a healthy weight, keeping your body strong and flexible, and making sure you’re exercising safely.
The;NHS;advises;that you arrange an appointment with a doctor if the pain in your knee fails to improve within a few weeks, or if your knee locks or clicks painfully.;Seek urgent medical attention if you’re experiencing severe pain in your knee, you can’t move or put any kind of weight on your knee, the area has become swollen or changed shape, your knee pain is accompanied by a;very high temperature, you feel warm and shivery, or you have redness and heat around the area, as this could indicate an infection.;
Read Also: How Much Is Total Knee Replacement Surgery
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.
See The Doctor If You Have:
- An inability to walk comfortably on the affected side
- An injury that causes deformity around the joint
- Knee pain that occurs at night or while resting
- Knee pain that persists beyond a few days
- Locking in the knee
- Swelling of the joint or the calf area
- Signs of an infection, including fever, redness, or warmth
- Any other unusual symptoms
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Cellulite Above My Knees
Treating Knee Pain When Bending
Conditions that result in knee pain when bending may be initially treated at home with rest/ice/compression/elevation and self-care. However, more severe injuries or arthritis will require a comprehensive evaluation with one of The Orthopaedic Institutes specialty physicians. Request your appointment online;today or call 309-1437 to begin your comprehensive diagnosis and treatment plan. We are here to help get rid of your knee pain, and get you back to having fun and enjoying your activities again!
Dr. Duke is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in adult reconstructive surgery, total and partial knee resurfacing, anterior lateral approach total hip replacement, knee arthroscopy and sports medicine.
Dr. Duke became an orthopedic surgeon because he was mentored by a wonderful hometown orthopedic surgeon who allowed him to observe surgery. As he went through his medical school rotations, Dr. Duke was drawn to orthopedics and felt that it was the best specialty for him to utilize his talents in caring for patients.
What sets Dr. Duke apart is how he listens and communicates. He treats all of his patients like family. Dr. Duke has practiced medicine in the same location for 28 years and has performed over 10,000 total joint replacements. He and his caring staff want the absolute best for their patients.
Common Causes Of Swelling After A Severe Knee Injury Include:
Over 70% of athletes with a swollen knee who felt a pop while running and pivoting will have an ACL tear or a patella dislocation.; Patella dislocations are more common than you think.; All of you dread an ACL tear.; But most of you are surprised when we see you in the office and tell you that your kneecap dislocated.; Most dislocated kneecaps will reduce spontaneously on the field. That means that the kneecap will go back into place on its own.;;
Patellar dislocations may hurt just as much as an ACL tear. Because patella dislocations are such a common sports injury we wrote this post to go into far more detail about them.;;
With any of the above issues, most of you will find it very difficult to walk without severe knee pain. ;Crutches, icing, and elevation are beneficial in these cases. These knee joint injuries need to be evaluated for an X-ray.; Fractures are rare, but they do occur.; Very few knee injuries will require a brace unless you want to use it for comfort.;;The most important reason for seeing a sports medicine physician after an injury that causes swelling is to look for these most common severe injuries.;;
Many of these severe knee joint injuries should be evaluated sooner rather than later.; The initial treatment will be a reliable examination to arrive at a diagnosis, which will be followed with an MRI to confirm the diagnosis.; Depending on what we think you injured, we may consider rest, physical therapy, or surgery.;;
Also Check: Is Nano Knee Covered By Medicare