Why My Knee Hurts When I Bend It And Straighten It
Sometimes I wonder why my knee hurts when I bend it and straighten it. Many people say that this condition usually occurs in people who are sedentary, or who spends most of their time seated. However, I live an active lifestyle so the reason as to why my knee hurts when I bend it and straighten it, still remains a mystery to me. This condition bothered me so much, but not enough to convince me to go and see a doctor. So, I decided to research online and found out a variety of reasons that could possibly explain why my knee hurts when I bend it and straighten it.
Among the various reasons I found online, what intrigued me was the so-called Runners knee. Its a condition that commonly affects runners or athletes, as its name suggests. However, this condition can also affect ordinary people. Whenever you have a runners knee, it makes you have difficulty in walking, sitting, standing, and even bending your knee. This condition will surely make you feel frustrated, especially if you are fond of doing the said activities.
If You Feel A Popping Or Cracking Sensation Behind Your Kneecap:
If this sensation occurs during a knee injury – you most likely tore your meniscus. The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in your knee that cushions and stabilizes the joint. This type of tear is very common in contact sports like football and non-contact sports that require jumping and cutting like volleyball. Other symptoms include pain in the knee, swelling, difficulty bending your knee, pain behind your knee when straightening your leg, or a tendency for your knee to lock or get stuck.
Potential Reasons Your Knee Hurts When Straight But Not When Bent
When you have knee pain when your leg is straight, it is usually related to one of the following:
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome More commonly known as runners knee, this condition develops when the kneecap shifts out of its natural position. This can occur as the result of misalignment of the patellar groove, which is the track of tendons that keep the kneecap in its right place. Tension or weakness in the tendons can cause the misalignment, or it may be the result of a traumatic injury.When you have runners knee, it can be difficult to straighten the knee without pain.
- Patellar tendinitis More commonly known as jumpers knee, this condition is the result of irritation and inflammation along the patellar tendon. The patellar tendon connects the bottom of your kneecap to the top of your shinbone. Frequent physical activities, especially those that involve jumping, can exert great amounts of force on the knee, which causes pain when trying to straighten the knee.
If you suspect you have knee pain from one of these conditions, please dont hesitate to reach out to a health care professional for assistance.;
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Instant Knee Pain Relief
Luckily, there are knee pain remedies that you can apply to lessen the pain, or totally get rid of it. Here are some of the things that I do every time my knee hurts when I bend it and straighten it:
Epsom salt is surprisingly effective when it comes to treating knee pain. Epsom salt contains magnesium sulphate that acts as a pain reliever. To relieve your knee pain, soak it in a mixture of ½ cup Epsom Salt and warm water. If a large bowl isnt enough, fill your tub with water and pour in some Epsom salt in it.
If you dont have Epsom salt at home, then you can also use an alternative home remedy in the form of apple cider vinegar. Soak your knees in a mixture of warm water and apple cider vinegar. If you think soaking your knee in the mixture is too much, then you can just apply the mixture on your knee directly.
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Possible Reasons Your Knee Hurts Whenever You Straighten Your Leg
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If youre feeling pain while straightening the knee, its probably due to cartilage or joint surface damage between your larger leg bones , says Nightingale. When you extend your knee, contact between these bones increases, which can cause painful pressure. This damage is usually the result of an injury.
Answered on Mar 29, 2013.You feel no pain in your knee when you walk, jog, sprint, or jump. Your injured knee feels as strong as the other knee.
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You Notice An Obvious Deformity
If you notice your knee jutting outward in a way it never has before, take note. A dislocated or fractured patella can cause injuries like this, explains Brian Schwabe, C.S.C.S., board-certified sports physical therapist based in Los Angeles.
While some deformities occur over time, when the deformity is a result of an injury, it could be the result of a fracture or chronic wear on the knee joint. If you are already experiencing any kind of misalignment in your lower extremities, then you could be more prone to this type of injury.
If you notice a bone deformity after an injury, he recommends seeking the assistance of an orthopedic doctor immediately.;The doctor will likely take x-rays as well as perform a visual diagnosis to determine if you need surgery.
Five Common Reasons For Inside Knee Pain
Pain on the inside of the knee can happen to anyone, whether youre a runner, footballer or casual gym-goer. Today, physiotherapist Matt looks in detail at five of the most common causes of medial knee pain. He also shares tips on how to avoid a knee injury and what to do if you it happens to you.
Medial Collateral Ligament Strain
The MCL is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. The others are the ACL , PCL and LCL . The role of these ligaments is to maintain the stability of the knee joint and prevent forces from moving the thigh and shin bones apart. The MCL runs vertically along the inside of the knee; from the thigh bone , across the knee joint to the shin bone . Ligament injuries often occur due to an obvious mechanism of injury, such as a twist or a force hitting the outside of the knee . Dependent on the severity of the injury, there may be swelling, bruising and pain on the inside of the knee. You may also experience difficulty walking and a feeling of instability in the knee.
Medial Meniscus Injury
Wear and Tear
Pes Anserine Bursitis
Plica Syndrome
What can you do?
What can we do?
Need some support?
If you are in pain, and would like to consult a physiotherapist simply book in for an initial assessment online.
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Malpositioning Of The Implants
Surgeons make an effort to balance the knee at the time of surgery. This means finding the proper size and alignment of the knee replacement so that the knee joint is not too tight, and not too loose, and so this balancing is the same with the knee straight and bent.
This is precisely why a knee replacement is a difficult procedure, and the art of perfecting this takes many years. Errors in the positioning of an implant may not be apparent on the operating table and only become evident when the recovery is stalled.
Newer patient-specific knee replacements are tailor-made and may reduce the risk of malpositioning.
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.
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.
Degenerative Joint Disease is the number one cause of long term disability relating to knee pain. Pain often comes on slowly and over time those affected by arthritis will experience constant pain while performing weight-bearing activities.
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Knee Injury: 6 Things To 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:
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.
How The Pain In The Knee Appears When Bending Or Straightening
Knee pain can vary significantly depending upon many factors including the actual source of the pain,; the severity of the injury, general health and level of activity. Lets take a deeper look at the various types of knee pain.
Knee Pain in General
Knee pain can be intermittent or constant.; It can be stable, improving, or escalating.; It can be localized in a specific area or radiate down or up the leg.;;It; can be dull, sharp, throbbing,; aching or burning.; It can be associated with swelling and restriction in range of motion.;
Pain with Joint Locking
Often times the knee will simply lock creating pain and immobility.; You are walking one minute and the next the knee is stuck.; The pain is abrupt and occurs when attempting to bend or straighten the knee.; An injury to the meniscus or a loose body can cause this type of pain .;
Pain Sensation Behind the Knee Cap
Pain can be localized behind the knee.; Most often it is made worse with climbing and descending stairs.; The pain can be dull or sharp and persists while descending from a hike.; Knee pain behind the knee cap is typically due to misalignment of the knee, or cartilage loss.;
Jolting Pain Behind The Knee;
Pain on the Outside of the Knee
Pain on the Inside of the Knee
Popping Sound
Loss of Strength
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Your Knee Keeps Buckling
When you got hurt, did it feel like your knee gave way underneath you? Were not talking about a temporary sensation of weakness or some wobbliness, but more like your shin and thigh bone werent connecting or staying in place. A buckling knee could signal an ACL tear or a cruciate ligament injury.
It could start with a small pop or crack, or you could feel it after a strenuous exercise session or a soccer game.
Either way, your knee feels unstable or weak. Your knee may give out momentarily, which is scary because you might not trust yourself to walk safely when this happens. According to Dr. Howard Luks, an orthopedic surgeon, this could indicate a tear in the patella or the quadriceps tendon.
These tendons are on the front of your knees and offer a lot of support to keep you upright. If theyre not in top form, youre bound to feel weak in the knees , and you might not be able to walk at all. If this is the case, you could need surgery.
On the other hand, the weakness could be temporary, caused by wear and tear, improper footwear, or a strain. If youre a weekend warrior or youre over the age of 30 , you might experience this symptom on a regular basis.
However, if the weakness is recurring and happens every time you exercise, its possible you have a time bomb thats waiting to happen. When in doubt, seek advice from a physician.
If your knee buckles under you when you are walking, then it usually indicates instability, she says.
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:
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Chondromalacia: What Makes Knee Pain Worse
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MDMedical Editor:Barbara K. Hecht, PhD
Chondromalacia, technically termed chondromalacia patellae, is the most common cause of chronic knee pain. The condition develops due to softening of the cartilage beneath the knee cap , resulting in small areas of breakdown and pain around the knee. Instead of gliding smoothly over the knee, the knee cap rubs against the thigh bone when the knee moves. The changes can range from mild to complete erosion of the cartilage. This process is sometimes referred to as the patellofemoral syndrome.
Chondromalacia commonly occurs in females. Girls in their teens are at elevated risk because the cartilage of the knee is subjected to excessive and uneven pressure due to the structural changes that accompany rapid growth. Chondromalacia may also occur in adults over age 40 as part of the wear-and-tear process that eventually leads to osteoarthritis of the knee joint. Other factors that may precipitate chondromalacia include trauma, overuse, or abnormal forces on the knee joint. It can develop in skiers, runners, cyclists, and soccer players, especially if someone is knock-kneed or flat-footed.
The pain of chondromalacia occurs in the front or inside of the knee. The pain is generally worse with activities such as running, jumping, using stairs, or kneeling. The pain is also typically worse after prolonged sitting with the knees bent. This pain is called the “theater sign” of chondromalacia.
What Does It Mean When Your Knee Wont Straighten
Your knee is capable of moving in a number of directions.; The most common are flexion and extension.; Flexion is when you bend your knee and the shin bone moves towards the buttock.; Knee extension is when you straighten out your knee.; The extension is the opposite of flexion.; PT, trainers, and physicians alike measure the degree of knee flexion and extension.; When lying flat on an examination table or hard surface your knee should be able to extend so that there is no angle between the thigh and shin bone.; The inability to straighten the knee is also known as an extension lag and is a reason for concern.
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What Are The Major Causes Of Why I Cant Straighten The Knee
Being unable to straighten your knee can be frightening.; There are multiple factors involved in the movement of the knee.; The major causes of inability to straighten the knee include.
Meniscus Tear
The meniscus is a C-shaped cushion situated between the thigh bone and shin bone.; Each of us has two menisci per knee.; One on the inside ; and one on the outside of the knee. The meniscus functions as a shock absorber and joint stabilizer and is susceptible to injury.;;Meniscus tears are among the most common knee injuries.; There are many different types of meniscus tears that are classified .; Examples include horizontal, vertical, complex, and flap tears.;;Risk factors for meniscus tears include advanced age, male gender, work-related kneeling, and climbing stairs .; Injury to the meniscus can cause a number of symptoms which include:
- ;Pain
- Inability to straighten the knee
Quadriceps Tendon Injury
Patella Tendon Injury
The patella tendon is a thick piece of connective tissue that connects the kneecap to the shin bone.; It is important in stabilizing the knee cap and knee extension.; Injuries occur in athletes who participate in jumping and running sports.; Injury to the patellar tendon can cause patients to complain that they can not straighten their knees.
ACL Injury
- Pain
- inability to straighten the knee
Acute Injury with Swelling
Osteoarthritis/Bone Spur
Patella or Kneecap Dislocations
Muscle Imbalance
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