Having pain in the knee is something that a huge number of Americans experience at any given time. Knee pain can be at least a mild inconvenience and at worst the sign of something seriously wrong. If you’re having persistent or severe knee pain, it’s a good idea to have it checked out to try to get to the root cause.
There are a number of different common causes of knee pain that could be the culprit for your own particular discomfort. This article will take you through some of them, as well as what, if anything, can be done to remedy them. Read on to learn about different knee pain causes.
1. Arthritis or Other Chronic Pain Conditions
If you have stiffness and pain in your knee, this could be a sign of arthritis or another chronic pain condition. Arthritis is a disease that affects the joints and causes inflammation. In the US, over 54 million people suffer from this condition.
Arthritis tends to be more common in older people, and it affects women disproportionally. The risk of developing arthritis increases if you have a family history of certain types. If you fall into any of these categories and are suffering knee pain, you should speak to your doctor about whether you might have arthritis and what the different treatment types are.
2. Ligament Tears
One of the leading causes of knee pain is a tear in one of the ligaments located there. You may have heard of an ACL tear before. The PCL, LCL, and MCL are the other three main ligaments in the knee.
If you play sport or have an active job, your chances of suffering a ligament tear in your knee will be higher. It can also occur as a result of an accident such as a fall or a car crash. Ligament tears are often accompanied by a loud popping sound, severe pain, and swelling.
If you do tear a ligament in your knee, you’ll need to rest it. The severity of the tear will determine how long you’ll need to rest your leg. Once it’s ready, you can do stretches to get it back to normal—have a look here.
3. Overexertion
Sometimes, knee pain can occur without the presence of any disease or serious injury, especially in those who are older or overweight. If you carry a lot of weight, and you’re on your feet a lot, there will be a lot of pressure on your knees. This can eventually lead to knee pain.
There are some things you can do to remedy this issue. You should try to lose some weight. Try to stay off your feet as much as possible until you are at a more sustainable weight.
The Most Common Causes of Knee Pain
The above explanations refer to the most common causes of knee pain. There are other kinds of knee pain, and you should see your doctor if you’re having persistent problems with your knee, or any joint. If you’re looking for more health tips, check out our other medical content.