Knee pain is one of the 3 most common reasons people see a physiotherapist, after neck pain and lower back pain.
Sometimes there is discomfort or pain alone. In other cases, it comes with swelling and fluid in the joint.
The first step towards recovery is finding out what is causing your knee pain.
What are the main conditions that cause knee pain?
The most common cause is age-related wear of the anatomical structures around the knee.
This is better described as degeneration of the joint structures than as an injury or condition.
However, knee pain may also develop abnormally because of the following injuries or conditions:
- Strain or stretching of the ligaments or tendons involved in forming and moving the joint: A blow or sudden twisting of the knee can result in a soft tissue injury. Symptoms include pain, swelling and difficulty walking.
- Articular cartilage injury: A knee injury can cause a partial or complete meniscal tear. The meniscus is the protective cartilage between the tibia and femur, primarily responsible for cushioning contact and impact and stabilising the knee. With this injury, you will experience pain, fluid in the joint and possibly sudden joint ‘locking’.
- Tendinitis: Inflammation of the tendons, known as tendinitis, occurs after joint overuse, repeated performance of a particular movement or re-injury of a tendon without adequate rehabilitation. This pain is common in runners (runner’s knee) or people who jump frequently, for example as part of a sport (jumper’s knee). The main symptom is pain during activity in the area above the kneecap, where the quadriceps tendon attaches.
- Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is perhaps the most common cause of knee pain. It involves partial or complete destruction of the articular cartilage between the joint surfaces. The cause is degenerative, but degeneration may result from several factors, such as overuse, increasing age and others. Osteoarthritis is mostly found in people over 40 and people with obesity. Symptoms include fluid build-up, stiffness and pain on movement.
A thorough assessment and appropriate imaging will identify the cause of your knee pain. TherapyLab’s team has the knowledge and experience to support you through rehabilitation and back to pain-free activity.
