Make an appointment with your doctor if your knee pain was caused by a particularly forceful impact or if it's accompanied by: Significant swelling. Redness. Tenderness and warmth around the joint.
Delaying joint care can lead to injury and other problems
For patients who have joint pain or mobility issues, it's important to stay current with your joint health. In some cases, ignoring joint pain for too long may increase pain or mobility problems, or even result in a fall or injury.
Red flags in physical examination
For those who are symptomatic can present with discoloration, pain, warmth, swelling, and tenderness of the affected extremity (11).
Less severe knee injuries may heal on their own, but don't wait any longer than 3-7 days for your knee pain to go away even if you feel your injury isn't very severe. Knee pain is probably one of most common reasons to visit an Orthopaedic doctor.
Often when the cause of bad knee pain is left untreated it can lead to further injury and serious complications. Your knee may swell, become unstable, lock up, and/or develop a deformity. Unbearable knee pain will not go away until you finally seek treatment.
If your knee hurts, you might want to stay off of it. But resting too much makes your muscles weaken and often makes knee pain worse. Find a way to get moving without hurting your knee. Some good exercises for people with knee pain include walking, swimming, and water aerobics.
Often you will have pain at the sides of the knee and swelling over the injury site. If it is an MCL injury, the pain is on the inside of the knee. An LCL injury may cause pain on the outside of the knee. The knee will also feel unstable, like it is going to give way.
Swelling or stiffness. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee. Difficulty straightening your knee fully. Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.
Overall knee pain can be due to bursitis, arthritis, tears in the ligaments, osteoarthritis of the joint, or infection. Instability, or giving way, is also another common knee problem. Instability is usually associated with damage or problems with the meniscuses, collateral ligaments, or patella tracking.
A knee brace is one tool in managing the discomfort of knee osteoarthritis. A brace might help reduce pain by shifting your weight off the most damaged portion of your knee. Wearing a brace can improve your ability to get around and help you walk farther comfortably.
Do walk. Moderate walking is recommended for people with knee pain because it's a low-impact activity. If your joints are painful and stiff, start slowly and work up to 20 minutes of walking per day, recommends Stuchin.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic condition of the joints. It is a degenerative disease, caused by the “wear and tear” of the joints over time. Common symptoms are pain and stiffness after long periods of rest. The knees may also become swollen after extended activity.
Don't jar your joint(s).
High-impact exercises can further injure painful knees. Avoid jarring exercises such as running, jumping, and kickboxing. Also avoid doing exercises such as lunges and deep squats that put a lot of stress on your knees. These can worsen pain and, if not done correctly, cause injury.
When a patellar tendon tears, you often experience a tearing or popping sensation. Pain and swelling typically follow, and you may not be able to straighten your knee. Additional symptoms include: An indentation at the bottom of your kneecap where the patellar tendon tore.
In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates. If someone suspects a damaged ACL or MCL seek immediate medical attention.
In a typical moderate tear, you feel pain at the side or in the center of the knee, depending on where the tear is. Often, you are still able to walk. Swelling usually increases slowly over a few days and may make the knee feel stiff and limit bending. There is often sharp pain when you twist or squat.
The RICE treatment – Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation
Apply an ice bag or a cold compress to the knee for 20 minutes every time you do. To avoid freezing of the joint, wrap the ice pack in a towel. Following this, wrap the knee with a compression bandage taking care not to block the circulation to the knee.
Don't: Sleep in the Wrong Position
This can make your knee pain worse. Try out different positions, and put a pillow between your knees if you sleep on your side. Don't prop up a bent knee on a pillow, though -- that can make it harder to unbend your leg the next day.
Schedule a doctor's visit
Make an appointment with your doctor if your knee pain was caused by a particularly forceful impact or if it's accompanied by: Significant swelling. Redness. Tenderness and warmth around the joint.
Generally, athletes should see a healthcare provider for pain lasting more than 48 hours and other adults should see an expert if there seems to be no change for three weeks. Generally, most healthcare providers recommend that you schedule an appointment as soon as you notice that your symptoms impact the way you live.
If your pain is not settling or is worsening over a period of 2-3 weeks, and is stopping you from doing your normal activities, then you should seek further advice from your GP/physiotherapist.