Knee Pain: Causes and Self-Care Advice

• Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain. This condition can be caused by the natural aging process, although it can also develop in younger patients who have sustained an injury from an accident, by playing high-impact sports, or through frequently assuming an inappropriate sitting posture. 
• Wearing high heels is another common cause of knee pain. If they are required for a job or career, the wearer should remove them to rest their feet at least once an hour. 
• Exercising the muscles in the thighs and areas surrounding the knee joint to strengthen the knee and allow effective weight transfer from the joint to the surrounding muscles can help reduce knee pain. 

The knee is made up of the femur, tibia, and patella bones, as well as muscles, cartilage, tendons, nerves, and blood vessels. All of these elements are prone to injury, infection, and other disorders that can cause knee pain. 

Such pain could be acute or develop gradually into a chronic condition, with most patients who suffer with knee pain feeling irritable, uncomfortable, or hesitant when placing their weight through the joint. All of these issues are capable of severely affecting quality of life. 

The reality is that there are numerous potential causes of knee pain, with the patient’s age, weight, and exercise levels all significant, as are other associated risk factors. Nevertheless, the main causes of knee pain are as follows: 

1.  Knee osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain. Despite not being particularly dangerous, this condition does have the potential to become a chronic disorder capable of causing great pain and suffering. The condition can also result in patients being unable to walk as they could before, meaning they may walk with a limp, walk with an arched back, or require assistance while walking. 

Knee osteoarthritis is therefore considered a significant obstacle to a patient’s daily activities. It can ultimately reduce quality of life, while potentially causing other injuries or symptoms to develop, such as back pain. 

During the early and moderate stages of knee osteoarthritis, patients will experience pain when pressure is applied to the cartilage in the joint, such as when standing up, sitting cross-legged, assuming a meditative position, kneeling, or ascending and descending steps. However, other symptoms are also likely to occur at the same time, including a cracking sound emanating from the joint when it is extended or flexed. 

At an advanced stage, pain is likely to occur every time the knee is moved – whether standing or walking. In addition, visible knee joint deformities are also common, as are bow-leggedness, joint stiffness, and being unable to fully extend or flex the joint. 

• Naturally occurring knee osteoarthritis can be caused by overuse, including constant and repetitive activities placing strain on the joint surface. This makes it a common complaint among enthusiasts of certain sports, such as those which involve heavy impacts, or among people with careers that place a continuous strain on the knees, such as jobs which involve the regular lifting of heavy objects. 
• Early onset knee osteoarthritis has the potential to affect younger patients in addition to their older counterparts. Early onset osteoarthritis can occur as a result of an impact injury at an early age, from regularly playing certain high-impact sports, or among people who frequently assume an inappropriate posture when sitting. 
• Certain health conditions can also cause knee osteoarthritis to develop, as can other disorders affecting the knees (secondary knee osteoarthritis) such as osteonecrosis of the knee, quadriceps muscle atrophy, and osteochondritis dissecans (OCD). 

2. Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome or runner’s knee 

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, a condition caused by wear and tear to the joint surface supporting the patella, can be brought on by heavy impacts to the patella. Alternately, it can result from imbalances in the muscles of the thighs and those surrounding the joint which can dislodge the patella and cause pain. In such cases, it is especially painful when walking up steep gradients and descending steps. 

3. Certain joint inflammation conditions 

These include, for instance, rheumatoid arthritis and gout which, in addition to knee pain, can result in severe joint swelling as well as redness, heat and joint stiffness. 

4. Meniscus and ligament injuries 

This can occur internally or around specific sections of the knee joint, such as a torn meniscus, torn anterior ligaments, or posterior ligament damage. 

For people who have begun to suffer with knee pain and are worried that their condition may deteriorate, the following self-care measures can help ease pain at the outset: 

Those who are overweight or obese should modify their diet to ensure they eat balanced, nutritional meals in moderation, because, as they say, you are what you eat. If patients can maintain a healthy diet, their weight will gradually decrease and the strain placed on the knees will be reduced. This will then help alleviate pain and lessen the likelihood of knee osteoarthritis developing. 

Strengthening the muscles in the thighs and those surrounding the knee joint will provide support to the joint and ensure that weight is transferred to the muscles instead of the joint itself. An exercise regime should be designed with minimal knee impact, as well as the patient’s current health situation, in mind. For instance, an elderly patient should only engage in low-impact activities, such as swimming, walking, light aerobics, and stationary cycling. 

Younger patients, on the other hand, may want to partake in some light jogging, brisk walking, aerobic dancing, or body weight training. Click here to check out our knee pain prevention exercises. 

• Sitting position should be changed every 20–30 minutes. Standing up and walking around are also highly recommended because, in addition to reducing the chances of knee pain, getting up and moving periodically can also reduce the likelihood of patients developing shoulder pain or office syndrome. 
• Ensuring the correct sitting posture and using a chair instead of sitting on the floor will make it easier to stand up, as the arms can be used for support, placing less strain on the knees. A walking stick may also be used for additional support while walking. 
• Avoid sitting cross-legged and kneeling for extended periods, such as while meditating. The added pressure applied to the joint surface when assuming those positions is likely to increase the future risk of osteoarthritis. 
• Avoid sitting with one leg placed over the other as this could result in scoliosis and future knee pain. Regularly wearing high heeled shoes is yet another risky behavior that should be avoided because of the potential knee damage this can cause. In cases where the wearing of such footwear is unavoidable, be sure to rest the feet at least once an hour to mitigate said risks. 

Certain medications, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, can help to alleviate knee pain. 

The numerous potential causes of knee pain mean that treatment must be tailored to the individual’s unique needs. However, prevention and self-care are always keys to good health, so adhering to the advice laid out in this article can help to prevent knee pain from developing in the first place or help alleviate the pain in those already suffering from this issue. Nevertheless, if knee pain persists for extended periods or comes and goes periodically, the sufferer should seek medical attention from a qualified specialist in order to receive proper diagnosis and a suitable treatment plan.