Treatment For Knee Pain
The first step in treating knee pain is finding the underlying cause. A thorough examination at one of our ProBack Clinics will help identify exactly whats causing the problem. After a diagnosis is made, treatmentcan be undergone to relieve the pain, correct the problem or prevent it from recurring in the future.
No Worries: Painless Clicks & Pops
Sometimes the noise is due to tiny air bubbles inside the joint fluid, which build up with changes in joint pressure. The bubbles make a noise when they burst. This is called cavitation. Another cause for painless popping in the knee is when the ligaments and tendons catch as they go over a bony lump within the knee or over scar tissueand pop when they snap back into place. Most of the time these noises are natural and do not mean that you will develop arthritis or be prone to injury. Knee clicking and popping are extremely common during the first year after any knee surgery. These are usually due to soft tissue swelling or early scar formation. Soft tissue massage is the trick to resolving the naturally healing tissues excess thickness.
Can Knee Pain In Teens Be Prevented
Most knee pain that is caused by injury or overuse can be prevented with some attention and work by your teen, including:
- Make sure your teen wears proper shoes for the activity/sport and wears knee pads and leg guards . Replace worn out footwear and gear.
- Engage in muscle strength training exercises. Check with a trainer to make sure proper form and body alignment are being followed. Always do warm up and cool down exercises before and after workouts.
- Keep your muscles flexible by proper stretching exercises or yoga.
- Dont engage in activities that cause or worsen knee pain.
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Why Do My Knees Click
Creaking joints may be loud, but they are usually not something to worry about.
Its normal for joints to click and as long as its not painful its usually OK says knee specialist Mr Gareth Stables FRCS. However, if the clicking is painful, then it might be a sign of some damage, and you might need some treatment Mr Stables says.
Types Of Knee Pain You Shouldnt Ignore
As you become older, you may start to experience small aches and pains. Some are minor you slept in the wrong position, you sat too long in one spot, you worked out a little too hard and others can be more serious. While most minor aches and pains can be ignored, some may be indications of more serious matters. But, how do you know which pains are too serious to ignore? And, how can you identify their symptoms?
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How To Keep Your Knees Strong And Healthy
Regular exercise
Whether with weights or resistance bands can help strengthen your legs and knees protecting them from injury. To protect the cartilage in your joints its best to choose low impact activities like cycling, swimming, and body weight activities.
Keep your joints flexible
After you exercise, stretch your muscles. This is a great way to prevent injury and allow your joints to move more freely.
Wear shoes that fit right. Old shoes can put more stress on your knees and cause injury.
Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight puts extra stress on your knees contributing to arthritis.
Physiotherapy can help build up your knees and slow down the aging of your joints.
It does this by strengthening your upper and lower leg muscles. If you have muscle imbalances in your hamstrings, glutes , hip flexors, psoas, and quadriceps it can contribute to knee injuries or problems.
Knee Brace can provide extra support when you move around.
Here are some of the benefits of Custom Bracing of courtesy of ADM Ottawa Physiotherapy:
Causes Of Knee Clicking
Patients often ask, Why is my knee clicking? Associated symptoms can indicate whether your knee clicking is serious. For example, knee clicking when straightening the leg is particularly common and is often totally normal. Knee clicking and pain, however, may be a sign that something is wrong.
Depending on the symptoms, the cause of knee clicking may be due to one of the following common causes:
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What’s The Outlook For Teenagers With Pain In Their Knees
Most knee pain in teenagers can be managed with simple treatments. However, many soft-tissue tears and bone breaks require surgery. Most teenagers recover without long-term problems if they follow the recover plan provided by their healthcare providers. Because there are many causes of knee pain, be sure to ask your healthcare provider for specific information on long-term prognosis for your teen’s knee condition.
When Should I Be Concerned Enough To See A Physician
If you experience the clicking and catching and its accompanied by swelling and/or severe and persistent pain its time to see your physician for an examination and clear diagnosis. Also, if theres a pop at the time of an injury and your knee begins to swell, it could very well be a sign that there has been damage. It could mean that you injured your anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament or medial collateral ligament or the meniscus or articular cartilage.
A good rule of thumb is that if you experience clicking and catching of the knee, but feel no pain or swelling whatsoever, its likely normal. However, if you have pain, instability and/or swelling, be sure to see your physician in order to avoid further damage to the joint. Of course, if youre worried even without pain or swelling, you should still consider seeing a knee specialist for your own peace-of-mind.
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What Are The Causes Of Knee Pain In Teenagers
Common knee pain problems in your teenager can be generally divided into three types:
- Anterior knee pain, also called patellofemoral pain.
- Injures to ligaments and tendons of the knee or to the kneecap itself.
- Medical conditions that affect the knee.
Anterior knee pain happens when your teens kneecap is pulled out of its groove from increased pressure. Increased pressure on the knee joint is caused by:
- Abnormal hip rotation due to imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility around the hips.
- Improper training methods or equipment.
- Poor flexibility of the thigh muscles, which support the knee joint. Thigh muscle weakness or tightness.
- Overuse of the knee from repetitive bending of the knee during running, jumping, and other activities.
- Problems with alignment, for example, the kneecap not being properly aligned within the knee or having flat feet, which changes the normal gait.
Knee pain resulting from sprains, strains and tears to ligaments and tendons or injuries to other soft tissues. These conditions include:
Medical conditions that can affect your teens knee include:
What Are The Symptoms Of Knee Pain In Teens
Symptoms depend on whats causing your teens knee pain.
Anterior knee pain:
- Pain begins gradually worsens with activity.
- Dull, aching pain behind the kneecap, below the knee or on sides of the kneecap.
- Pain flares and grinding sensation with repeat knee bending .
- Thigh muscle weakness .
- Knee buckles .
Trauma to knee:
- Popping, clicking, crackling in the knee when bending .
- Knee that locks or buckles.
Osgood-Schlatter disease:
- Pain on the bony prominence.
- Pain that varies and gets worse during or just after the activity.
- Reduced range of movement.
- Pain, tenderness and swelling at the bottom of the kneecap.
- Balance problems.
- Trouble putting weight on the affected leg limps first thing in the morning.
- Redness, swelling, warmth, stiffness and soreness in joints, including the knee.
- Symptoms come and go.
- Dull ache, stiffness and swelling at the knee.
- Joint clicking.
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When To Seek Formal Care For Knee Clicking
There are a few primary symptoms to watch out for that would warrant a visit to your sports medicine doctor for further investigation.
- If you are experiencing locking or catching sensations, this is an indicator that you may have torn your meniscus. A meniscus tear is best managed with medical guidance.
- If you hear a loud pop or have sudden knee instability, especially after a high impact knee injury, the integrity of your ligaments such as the ACL, may need to be assessed.
- If your knee clicking is associated with joint pain and stiffness that is gradually getting worse, you may need to start formal treatment for osteoarthritis.
- Depending on the severity of your injury, you may then be referred to an orthopedic surgeon.
Damage To The Knee Joint
Sometimes, however, there is an underlying problem, for example, tissue damage or lesions. In this case, treatment may be necessary.
If there is pain as the knee snaps or catches, it can be because scar tissue, a meniscus tear, or a tendon is moving over a protruding bone within the knee joint.
Pain or swelling can be a sign of a more serious problem, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome , a tear in the cartilage or other soft tissue, or osteoarthritis .
These issues may need medical attention. Lets look at them now in more detail.
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How To Stop Knee Clicking & Cracking
Managing knee clicking and cracking all begins with understanding what is causing it in the first place. Once you understand this, you can decide which of the following options is best for your knee recovery. If you have no idea where to start or youre not sure what might be causing your knee to pop, you should strongly consider getting physical therapy treatment. A physical therapist can help diagnose any imbalances within the knee that need to be addressed with one or more of the following remedies below.
What Causes My Knee To Click And Do I Need To Worry
If youve experienced clicking and catching of your knee, youre not alone. This is a common problem that may be minor and mean nothing at all or it could indicate more serious damage that will require the attention of a skilled knee specialist. At Plano Orthopedic, were always here when needed to help make an accurate diagnosis and provide you with the most effective treatment possible!
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If You Keep Dislocating Your Kneecap
Most people who dislocate their kneecap will not dislocate it again. But in some people it can keep happening.
This often happens if the tissues that support the kneecap are weak or loose, such as in people with hypermobile joints, or because the groove in the bone beneath the kneecap is too shallow or uneven.
Regularly doing the exercises your physiotherapist recommends can help strengthen the tissues that hold the kneecap in place and reduce the risk of dislocating it again.
Surgery may occasionally be needed if the kneecap keeps dislocating. A common procedure is a medial patellofemoral ligament repair.
This is where the connective tissue that helps hold the kneecap in place is repaired and strengthened.
Page last reviewed: 20 May 2019 Next review due: 20 May 2022
Heres A Summary Of Dr Bennetts Video On Knee Pain Causes
My name is Dr. J. Michael Bennett. I am a Board Certified orthopedic sports medicine specialist welcome to my Whiteboard Series of patient education videos.
Today were going to discuss the causes of knee pain, which is a question we get quite a bit. When many patients come to our clinics, their primary complaint is, My knee just popped, and now its swollen and hurts. What do I do? Were going to go over some things today regarding knee pain and a popping sensation in the knee and what exactly that means. If youd like to learn about whats involved in an orthopedic knee exam, please watch our video.
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Why Would A Teenager Have Knee Pain
Knee pain isnt a condition that only happens to older people. Despite being young, your teenager can develop knee pain too.
Knee pain in teens is a common result of overuse, but also results from specific knee injuries and medical conditions that affect the knee. Knee pain can also be temporary and not related to an injury, but rather a change in your teens level of activity or sport.
Because of the many different reasons for knee pain, if your teen complains of pain, its wise to get it checked. Never think that knee pain in your teen is simply growing pains. This is not a typical cause of knee pain in a teenager.
How To Treat Bursitis Yourself
To help bring down swelling and pain you can:
- rest try not to move the joint too much and avoid activities that put pressure on it
- use ice gently hold an ice pack wrapped in a tea towel on the area for around 10 minutes at a time and repeat every few hours during the day
- take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, to ease any pain
It may also help to put extra cushions around the affected joint while you sleep, to help protect and support it.
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What Are The Possible Causes Of Clicking And Catching Of The Knee
Cavitation. Sometimes the noise you hear is due to tiny air bubbles inside the joint fluid, which build up with changes in the joint pressure. When the bubbles burst, this is called cavitation. Cavitation is typically something that is not worrisome as long as it is unaccompanied by other symptoms .
Ligaments and tendons. Another possible cause of clicking and catching of the knee is when the ligaments and tendons catch as they go over a bony lump and pop as they snap back into place. Like cavitation, this is also not considered to be a serious problem if unaccompanied by other symptoms.
Soft tissue. Clicking may also be caused by the catching on soft tissue or scar tissue within the knee. Most of the time, these noises are natural and do not necessarily mean that youll develop other issues .
Meniscus tear. If you feel some pain as the clicking/popping occurs, it could be a sign of a meniscus tear, which means there is a small piece of loose cartilage caught in the knee. Treatment for a torn meniscus commonly includes rest, pain relievers and physical therapy. Less commonly, surgery may be required.
Osteoarthritis. If youre experiencing painful and persistent clicking/popping, it could indicate osteoarthritis, in which the smooth cartilage has worn down and the bones cause friction when they rub against one another.
What Happens At Your Gp Appointment
They may take a sample of fluid from the affected joint using a needle . This will be sent off to test for an infection and conditions, such as gout.
The aspiration may also help your symptoms. It might be done in your GP surgery or you may be referred to the hospital.
If your symptoms do not get better, you may also be referred for other tests.
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How Can I Avoid Creaking Joints
One way to avoid creaking joints id to get up and move lots during the day. Movement is key, the more you move the better your joints can lubricate themselves says Mr Stables. Try and build in some gentle stretching exercises into your daily routine too this can help with tight muscles and tendons.
If you are suffering with painful clicking, then its always good to get things checked out. Remember early diagnosis can mean more options when it comes to treating joint pain without the need for major surgery.
Final Thoughts On Knee Clicking Sounds
The sound of your knee clicking, cracking, or popping can be a noisy yet benign inconvenience. But it can also signal severe damage in the form of tears, osteoarthritis, or displacement of the kneecap.
Knee clicking with pain is abnormal and warrants a visit to the doctors office. Swelling and buckling of the knee are also causes for concern.
You can protect your knee against chronic pain and temporary injuries by strengthening the joint, as well as the surrounding muscles. Squats, myofascial release, and IT band stretches can be particularly effective.
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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 .