Five Common Causes of Knee Pain

As a joint, your knee is prone to problems and pain. Knee pain can result from injuries such as torn ligaments, fractures, and sprains. These injuries usually happen due to car accidents and falls. Although knee pain is not fun to deal with, you know what’s to blame if it follows an injury. This makes it a bit easier to get proper treatment. 

But sometimes, knee pain takes place without a preceding injury. When this occurs, you may choose to ignore the pain initially until it subsides without treatment. But the pain may be a result of something serious. And not seeking prompt treatment can only prolong your symptoms and make them worse. Thus, if you have knee pain, schedule a consultation with an orthopedic specialist like dr. timothy kavanaugh. The majority of knee pain does not result directly from an injury. They may involve the cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. The following are common causes of knee pain:

Knee Tendonitis

Tendons are connective tissues that connect your leg and knee muscles to the bones that form your joint. Tendonitis develops due to an irritated and inflamed tendon. Often, it can occur when you strain your muscles and joints through repetitive use, overloading, or overuse. Also, you can have tendonitis if you do lots of bending or strenuous hiking. 

Bursitis

The bursae in your knee help your ligaments and tendons glide over the joint bone smoothly. You can develop bursitis if the bursae are irritated or inflamed. Typically, this can occur due to repetitive use or overuse of the knee. 

Arthritis

Arthritis impacts the cartilage in your joints. Cartilage offers protection that allows the joint bones to glide smoothly without painful friction. A breakdown of the cartilage can increase the friction inside the joint, causing pain, inflammation, and stiffness. Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis that results from age-related changes and wear and tear. Other kinds include gout, rheumatoid arthritis, pseudogout, and septic arthritis. 

Infection

Aside from septic arthritis, other knee infections can cause pain. The majority of infections also lead to joint tenderness and warmth as well as fever. 

Previous Injury

Some old injuries may seem like they have healed. However, sometimes an injury can weaken your knee or make it vulnerable to pain. Any injury that dislodges a piece of cartilage or bone might affect the movement of your joints over time. If you experience new pain in your knee, you might have an unstable kneecap. Similarly, your current symptoms may be due to other previous injuries that weaken your ligaments or tendons.