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Is knee pain preventable?

The best way to prevent injury to your knees is by warming up before exercising, wearing appropriate footwear and protection while exercising, maintaining a healthy weight and keeping physically fit. Seek professional medical advice early if you injure your knee so you can be guided, with appropriate treatment, towards making a recovery and minimizing long-term complications.

FAQ Frequently asked questions

What is knee pain?

Knee pain is a common complaint that can affect people of all ages as a result of a wide range of injuries, degenerative diseases or other underlying causes. It can occur suddenly (acute) or be ongoing (chronic).

What causes knee pain?

Knee pain can be caused by an injury to your ligaments, muscles or tendons surrounding the knee. It can also be a result of worn-out cartilage in the leg joints. Degenerative conditions such as arthritis, infections or gout can also cause knee pain.

Who develops knee pain?

Risk factors for developing knee pain include lack of muscle strength and flexibility, overweight, structural issues with legs or feet, taking part in sports that place extra strain on the knees, or a previous knee injury.

How is knee pain diagnosed?

Your doctor will take your full medical history, and conduct a physical examination. If the cause of your knee pain is still unclear, you may require one or several scans, such as computerized tomography, X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging.

How is knee pain treated?

Treatments for knee pain depend on the extent and cause of the pain. Self-care measures can easily be remembered as R.I.C.E - rest, ice, compression and elevation. A range of medications is also available for knee pain, including pain-relief medications, steroids …

What can be done at home to treat knee pain?

Rest, ice, compression and elevation (R.I.C.E) can help to ease knee pain.

Will knee pain keep coming back?

Most knee injuries, if given appropriate treatment, will recover fully. However, degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis will require ongoing treatment to prevent knee pain from returning.

Are there different types of knee pain?

There is long-term (chronic) knee pain, which is often associated with degenerative conditions, such as osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis. Sudden, short-term (acute) knee pain tends to occur if you have a torn ligament, or a dislocated or …

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About this article

Author: Karen McCloskey BHSc
First answered: 13 Oct 2014
Last reviewed: 17 Oct 2018
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Votes: 722 (Click smiley face below to rate)
Category: Shoulder pain

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