You Cant Put Weight On It
If its immensely painful to stand or put any weight on your injured knee, theres definitely something serious going on.
Inability to bear weight after a knee injury could be caused by a fracture, bone contusion, cartilage injury or ligament tear, explains Dr. Brown. Initial treatment includes using crutches or a steerable scooter to take pressure off the injured limb and minimize additional damage to the knee.
If this sounds like you, listen to what your body is trying to tell you. Dr. Brown warns that the old adage of no pain, no gain doesnt apply in this situation.
He advises seeking orthopedic evaluation as soon as possibleeven that same day if you can.
After a minor injury like a twist or fall, you might not be able to put weight on your leg immediately. Thats not necessarily a cause for alarm, but if you dont feel like youve recovered within a few minutes, this could indicate something more serious.
Its similar to when you injure a wrist or ankle. If you fall on your wrist or twist your ankle, you may experience searing pain for a moment or two. When the injury isnt severe, youre able to shake it off and resume your life after a few minutes at the most. However, if youve experienced a sprain, the pain doesnt subside. Instead, it gets worse.
What Causes Sharp Burning Pain In The Knee
Before you identify the cause of sharp burning pain, you need to identify the pain and the location. What does burning pain in the knee mean?
It means that your pain does not just generally ache. You have a sharp, burning sensation in the front, on the side, or on the back of your knee. You can have it while you’re kneeling, while you’re just standing still, and even when you’re sleeping.
Pain At The Back Of The Knee
- A sharp stabbing pain at the back of the knee can commonly be due to hamstring tendonitis, caused by inflammation of the tendons connecting the hamstring to the knee. A common cause is overuse, and the pain becomes more apparent with continued use.
- A swelling and tightness behind the knee might be due to inflammation of the popliteal bursa . This is often due to there being another mechanical abnormality within the knee producing excess fluid.
- Pain at the back of the knee may also be due to a tear in the posterior part of the meniscus.
You May Like: How Soon Can I Shower After Knee Replacement Surgery
Burning Knee Pain In A Runner
Runners commonly complain of burning knee pain. This pain is usually in the front of the knee. The pain can be worsened by running up or down hills. Burning pain in a runner can be a sign of under-training or over-training. If you live in a hilly environment, then you should be performing strengthening exercises tand a core program to prepare your knees for the hills. Those exercises should concentrate on the hip, gluteal muscles, core and hamstrings. Those exercises may include bridges, squats, planks, lunges and plyometric exercises like jump squats. It is a good idea to see a sports medicine doc who treats runners to be sure that an exercise program is the proper course of management or treatment. Runners who have a burning pain on the outer side of their knee could be suffering from Iliotibial band friction syndrome. This is a relatively common cause of pain on the outer side of the knee in a runner. It is often treated with physical therapy, foam rolling and on occasion with injections.
How Do You Describe Your Pain
I know, its a tough question sometimes, Dr. Burg says. But you probably can tell the difference between a dull, throbbing pain and a sharp, burning sensation.
Thats important. A sharp, burning sensation moreoften indicates an irritated nerve rather than a joint or ligament problem. Onthe other hand, you might describe pain from arthritis as more constant andachy.
You May Like: Why Do My Knees Crack When I Squat
What Is Knee Pain
The knee is a joint that permits the leg to bend and straighten. Knee pain is common due to injury, age-related degeneration, inflammation, and infection.
What Are Symptoms of Knee Pain?
Symptoms of knee pain include:
- Sudden, intense pain at the knee
- Swelling
- Inability to bend or fully straighten the knee
- Clicking, crunching, or catching sound in the knee joint when walking
Signs knee pain may be serious include:
- Extreme pain
- Feeling or hearing a popping when injury occurs
- Joint instability
- Inability to bear weight on affected leg
- Inability to straighten leg
- Knee buckles under when you try to walk
What Causes Burning Knee Pain
There are a variety of conditions that may cause burning knee pain. If the burning sensation is in a specific area, it is important to mention it to your doctor.
If the burning sensation is behind the knee, and the patient is elderly, it is likely to be caused by osteoarthritis or a cartilage tear. If the patient has recently been involved in sports it may be a ligament tear or an overuse injury.
Also Check: Tommie Copper Knee Sleeves For Arthritis
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.
What Does A Knee Injury Feel Like
Obviously, it hurts! But the type of pain and where you feel it can vary, depending on what the problem is. You may have:
- Pain, usually when you bend or straighten the knee
- Swelling
- Trouble putting weight on the knee
- Problems moving your knee
- Knee buckling or âlockingâ
If you have these symptoms, see your doctor. They will check your knee. You may also need X-rays or an MRI to see more detail of the joint.
Don’t Miss: How To Remove Scar Tissue From Knee Surgery
Can Housemaid’s Knee Be Prevented
You should take care if you have a job or hobby that involves kneeling for a long time or frequently. In such cases, you should use thick foam cushions or knee pads. Knee pads should especially be used by people who have already had an episode of housemaid’s knee, in order to prevent it from coming back.
Treatments For Burning Feet
The most important treatment for burning feet due to neuropathy is to stop any ongoing nerve damage. In some cases treatment of the underlying disease will improve the neuropathy and symptoms. In other situations, like a small fiber neuropathy, where no cause can be identified, the physician will focus on treating the personââ¬â¢s symptoms.
For people with diabetic neuropathy, treatment means keeping blood sugar levels in the normal range. This usually requires dietary changes, oral medications, and often insulin injections.
For people with other forms of neuropathy that cause burning feet, preventing further nerve damage is equally important. Specific conditions and their treatments include:
- Vitamin deficiency. Taking additional vitamin B12 orally or by injection can replace low levels of this nutrient.
- Alcoholism. Stopping excessive drinking prevents ongoing nerve damage and allows nerves to heal.
- Chronic kidney disease. Dialysis may be necessary to eliminate toxins causing neuropathy and burning feet symptoms.
- Hypothyroidism. Taking oral thyroid hormone raises low thyroid levels, often reversing neuropathy as well as burning feet symptoms.
-
GBS and CIDP. Treatments are very specialized and include plasma exchange or immune globulin therapy .
Burning feet treatments include treating the pain and abnormal sensations created by neuropathy. Some commonly prescribed medications for burning feet include:
Also Check: Do Compression Sleeves Help With Knee Pain
How Is Iliotibial Band Syndrome Treated
Your healthcare provider might suggest several different treatment strategies to help ease your symptoms. These might include:
- Limiting activities that make your knee pain worse for a while , and returning to these activities slowly
- Icing the outside of your knee
- Taking over-the-counter pain medicines
- Getting corticosteroid shots to decrease inflammation
- Making changes to your activity, like lowering your bicycle seat for cycling or improving your running form
- Practicing special exercises to stretch and strengthen the muscles around your hip and your knee
You may find it helpful to work with a physical therapist as well.
These changes help most people with iliotibial band syndrome. Your healthcare provider might advise surgery if you still have significant symptoms after 6 months of trying these other therapies. Several different surgical choices exist, including one that removes the part of the iliotibial band that moves over the femur. You can discuss all your surgical choices with your healthcare provider.
How Do I Stop My Knee From Burning And Hurting
Its usually treated with: rest, especially avoiding running and jumping. ice to reduce swelling. pain management via OTC pain relievers. exercise focused on the leg and thigh muscles. stretching to lengthen the knee muscle-tendon unit. patellar tendon strap to distribute force from the tendon to the strap.
Read Also: How To Whiten Knees And Elbows
What Does Burning Pain Mean
A burning sensation is a type of pain thats distinct from dull, stabbing, or aching pain. A burning pain is often related to nerve problems. However, there are many other possible causes. Injuries, infections, and autoimmune disorders have the potential to trigger nerve pain, and in some cases cause nerve damage.
Allergic Contact Dermatitis Of The Lower Leg
Allergic contact dermatitis is a condition in which the skin becomes irritated and inflamed following physical contact with an allergen. Common products known to cause allergic dermatitis include plants, metals, soap, fragrance, and cosmetics.
Rarity: Common
Top Symptoms: lower leg redness, lower leg itch, scabbed area of the lower leg
Symptoms that always occur with allergic contact dermatitis of the lower leg: lower leg redness
Urgency: Self-treatment
You May Like: How To Remove Scar Tissue From Knee Surgery
Burning Sensation In Knee: Why And What To Do
The knee forms a very important joint in the body. The knee joint is compromised of various components like ligaments, tendons, bones, cartilage, etc. A knee injury can be debilitating and affect your day to day activities. Knee injuries can occur in anyone, such as athletes, teenagers and geriatrics. There are various causes of knee injuries with the resulting burning sensation in the knee. Recovery will usually depend on the type and extent of the damage and the steps you take to rehabilitate the injured knee joint.
When To Seek Medical Care For A Burning Sensation In The Leg
Sudden leg burning sensation accompanied by numbness or weakness on one side of the body can be a sign of stroke. Seek immediate medical care if you, or someone you are with, have leg burning sensation along with other serious symptoms including: Change in level of consciousness or alertness, such as passing out or unresponsiveness
Don’t Miss: Can You Rebuild Cartilage In Your Knee
Common Causes Of Pain Behind The Knee
Sometimes pain behind the knee is simply due to muscle strains. These injuries usually heal in a matter of days. However, this is only one possibility. There can also be pain behind the knee as a result of systemic diseases or some life-threatening conditions. Below we take a look at just what the different potential causes are.
Pain Behind The Knee: Symptoms
Each case of pain behind the knee is different. However, there are some typical signs and symptoms doctors have identified, including the ones listed below.
- Inability to put weight on knee
- Reduced range of motion in knee joint
- Stiffness
- Swelling
- Pain when trying to stretch the leg
There are some symptoms that can be an indication of a life-threatening health problem. For example, bruising on the back of the knee or calf, difficulty breathing, redness behind the knee of one leg, warmth behind the knee of one leg, and painful swelling can be signs of something serious.
Don’t Miss: Knee Needs To Pop
Compression Sleeves For Burning Knee Pain
Compression knee sleeves are very useful in treating burning knee pain. These sleeves will not help everyone who suffers from knee pain, but the evidence is pretty clear, they help a significant number of you feel a lot better. The sleeves help provide temporary relief. That can help you feel better until the exercises, or physical therapy has had a chance to be effective.
Disclaimer: this information is for your education and should not be considered medical advice regarding diagnosis or treatment recommendations. Some links on this page may be affiliate links. Read the full disclaimer.
Burning Knee Pain Due To The Patella
The most common cause of a burning sensation or feeling in the knee is probably due to the patella or kneecap. Anterior knee pain syndrome is a feeling of pain in the front of the knee. We are not entirely sure why it occurs. It is most common in young women. We often find that the hip muscles in these patients are weak, and therefore many people with anterior knee pain or burning will respond to exercises or physical therapy.
Chondromalacia or softening of the cartilage under the kneecap is also a very common cause of pain in the knee. Chondromalacia of the kneecap or patella is most common in young and middle aged women, but there are many men who suffer from this as well. Degeneration or softening of the cartilage can cause a burning feeling in the knee. Chondromalacia itself can be due to prior patella dislocations, or injuries. It can also be caused by poor patella tracking or mechanics. That is better explained in this article on patella subluxation.
Pain due to chondromalacia is often successfully managed with compression sleeves, and physical therapy. In a small percentage of patients, surgery might be needed if you have patella tracking issues, a history of patella dislocations, or pain that does not respond to traditional non-surgical treatments.
Read Also: Why Do My Knees Crack When I Squat
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.
Burning Pain When Sitting Still
Some people feel more pain at night than during the day.
You might feel more pain when you’re sitting still. Some of us are just too busy to monitor pain. We need debilitating pain to tell us to slow down and be still.
So when you sit down and take a break, do not be surprised if the little niggles of pain begin to visit you.
Your nightly knee pain can also come from reduced hormone signals. When you rest, your hormone signals are reduced. These reduced hormone signals give way for pain signals to reach the brain.
So you’ll feel pain as you try to nod off.
Your blood vessels may also be the culprit for pain at night. When you sleep, your blood vessels increase in diameter. This is a natural process that allows more blood to come to muscles, allowing them to heal.
However, those expanding blood vessels can put pressure on your nerves. This will cause pain such as pain in your knee even as you try to sleep.
Read Also: Stiff Knee After Sitting
Burning Knee Pain In An Athlete
In an athlete it is not unusual to train a bit harder some days as opposed to others. A burning sensation in an athlete will usually occur in the front of the knee. This burning may be felt in the region of the kneecap or the tendons which attach to the kneecap. If an athlete overtrains, they can strain the quadriceps or patella tendon. Overtraining refers to a situation where your body was used to a certain level of activity, then you changed that level of activity significantly. So, instead of doing 10 squats twice a week, you now tried to do 20 or more weighted squats. To minimize the burning pain, a compression sleeve may be a good idea early on. Then focus on reengineering your training program. Most painful tendons do not want absolute rest. Most tendons will heal and recover if they are exercised with a lower intensity and less strain. A jumpers knee, or patella tendonitis is a very common cause of pain in the front of the knee in basketballs players and sprinters. A jumpers knee and others causes of burning tendon pain can be treated with help of a physical therapist or an athletic trainer.
When Will My Knee Feel Better
The recovery time depends on your injury. Also, some people naturally heal faster than others.
While you get better, ask your doctor if you can do an activity that won’t aggravate your knee pain. For instance, runners could try swimming or other types of lower-impact cardio.
Whatever you do, don’t rush things. Donât try to return to your regular level of physical activity until you notice these signs:
- You feel no pain in your knee when you bend or straighten it.
- You feel no pain in your knee when you walk, jog, sprint, or jump.
- Your injured knee feels as strong as the other knee.
Recommended Reading: Knees Crack When I Squat