Sprain Or Strain Injuries

Ligaments around the body provide stiffness and support to the joints of our body, allowing them to move freely, but limiting movement that would potentially threaten the safety and health of the joint. Our ligaments form a passive support system and help keep our joints in place. If there is enough damage to an important ligament of a joint, the stability and overall joint can become compromised. Likewise, the knee is supported by several important muscles and their tendons. While some muscles are acting to move the joint, others are acting to support the knee and keep it in place. Injuries to ligaments are referred to as sprain injuries, and injuries to muscles or their tendons are referred to as strain injuries. Both of these types of injuries can cause knee pain.

Runners knee or jumpers knee are examples of common strain injuries to the knee. These are vague terms often used to describe injury or irritation to several different types of tissues around the front of the knee, including the patellar tendon, quadriceps tendon and iliotibial band. The tendons around the knee will help with the absorption of forces through the knee during activities like running or jumping. With overuse, repetitive loading, or overload, injury can occur to these soft tissues and result in pain around the front of the knee.

Diagnosis Of Quadriceps Tendonitis

Your provider will diagnose quadriceps tendonitis during a full physical examination.

In the physical exam, you will be assessed for range of motion, joint stability and flexibility. Your physician will also look for torn or ruptured tendons in the quadriceps and discuss training that led to the injury.

In some cases, your doctor will order an x-ray or MRI to determine if there are more severe tears or fractures that are causing the pain.

What Causes Knee Pain When Bending

The knee is one of the largest and more complex joints of the human body. There are four bones that account for this articulation. We have the femur , patella , and both the tibia and fibula . Movement at the knee joint primarily occurs in a forward to backwards manner , and this can be appreciated when we run, kick a soccer ball, or go up and down the stairs. There are smaller accessory movements that also occur at the knee as well, but how much is usually controlled by many strong ligaments surrounding the knee joint.

The knee is one of the most important weight-bearing joints, and it is fundamentally involved in most of the activities we carry out during our day. Our weight-bearing joints are built to withstand large physical forces that are transferred between our body and the ground during activities such as jumping or running, and the knee is no exception here. The bodys demands on the knee make it susceptible to a variety of painful conditions ranging from direct trauma, repetitive strain injuries, to arthritis from long-term wear and tear. Pain or injury to this joint can therefore be highly disruptive to our quality of life. Understanding where your pain is coming from or why you may have pain in your knee is important, and this article will aim to guide and educate you as to what may be going on with your knee, the causes of knee pain, and whether you should be seeking treatment.

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What Does It Mean When The Back Of Your Leg Hurts Behind The Knee

Pain at the back of your knee when bending depends on several factors. These include how the pain started, your age, medical history, and so on.

If you are an athlete and/or play contact sports often, you could have:A hamstring or gastrocnemius tendinitisPes anserine bursitis

• If you think you might have DVT

How Is Knee Pain In Teens Treated

Treatments depend on the cause of your teens pain.

Pain from overuse and general knee pain management tips include:

• Apply ice to the knee. Ice, wrapped in a towel, relieves inflammation and swelling. Apply up to 20 minutes at a time.
• Take anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen , naproxen or aspirin, to reduce pain and swelling.
• Rest. Rest allows tissue to heal. Your teen should take some time off from the activity that caused the pain.
• Use compression around your knee if prescribed by your healthcare provider or physical therapist.
• Elevate the knee to reduce swelling. Keep the injured knee elevated above the level of the heart anytime your teen is sitting or icing their knee.
• Follow through with the physical therapy plan. Physical therapy can help relieve pain, reduce swelling, increase strength and flexibility, improve range of motion, increase speed and endurance and improve coordination and balance. Physical therapists teach strengthening and stretching exercises and can suggest braces, insoles or other orthotics as appropriate.
• Lose weight if overweight. Extra weight puts strain on the knee joint.

Osgood-Schlatter disease:

• Take anti-inflammatories to reduce pain.
• Apply ice to reduce pain and swelling.
• Commit to an exercise program.
• Relieve pain and discomfort through electrotherapy and/or hydrotherapy .

Sindling-Larsen Johansson syndrome:

• Soft tissue treatments, including myofascial release, trigger points, massage.

Ligament treatment:

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How Is Knee Pain On The Outside Of The Knee Diagnosed

When you see a doctor about lateral knee pain, theyll first ask you to describe the location and type of pain, for example is the pain sharp or aching? Theyll also ask you when the pain started and what activity you were doing when your symptoms began.

Theyll then perform a physical examination that will typically involve extending and flexing your knee, as well as moving it gently from side to side. This may reveal whether theres any swelling, areas of tenderness, or looseness in any of the ligaments.

Imaging tests may also be appropriate, including one or more of the following:

• X-ray to see bones
• Magnetic resonance imaging to get detailed images of ligaments, tendons, muscles, and cartilage
• Computed tomography scan provides a more detailed image of the bone than is possible with a standard X-ray

Based on your symptoms, the physical exam and imaging, a doctor should be able to diagnose the cause and severity of your knee injury and propose a treatment plan.

For minor lateral knee injuries, rest and conservative measures are all that are needed to allow them to heal. However, ligament tears, meniscus tears, and advanced arthritis may require surgery.

Knee Pain When Bending

Reviewed by: KPE Medical Review Board

Knee pain when bending is a common problem. Forces up to seven times body weight can go through the knee as it bends, so it comes as no surprise that it is such a widespread problem.

Bending knee pain may start suddenly after an injury, or gradually come on over time depending on the cause.

There are a number of different causes of knee pain when bending, but they generally all result from a problem with one of the structures in or around the knee, affecting how it moves.

This changes how the forces travel through the different parts of the knee and can result in too much pressure going through certain parts, which leads to knee pain bending.

Here we will look at the different types of bending knee pain, the most common causes of knee pain when bending, treatment options and what is actually going on in the knee as it bends.

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Causes Of Pain Behind Knee When Bending Leg

Written By Mich Torres on May 21, 2021 Medically Reviewed By Kristopher Ceniza

Having pain behind the knee while bending the leg can be fairly common and harmless most of the time.

It usually resolves on its own, but in some circumstances, it could be a sign that you need to seek medical attention immediately.

The difference between innocuous knee pain and those that might have you need to visit the ER lies largely in the symptoms youre feeling, your history, age, and other factors that contribute to a diagnosis.

Were talking about all those today . So, to start, here are

Types Of Knee Pain When Bending

Pain in the Knee, with Locking in the Joint

Inside the knee joint, there are two C shaped pieces of cartilage called menisci, which keep the surfaces of the upper leg bone and lower leg bones from grinding against each other. Injuries to this cartilage usually result from a trauma, like landing a jump or twisting your knee. You may also notice problems with range of motion, walking, or even a locking sensation in the joint. Resting the knee and managing inflammation will help heal minor tears, while physical therapy can help strengthen and stabilize it.

Pain Behind the Kneecap

Patella-Femoral Syndrome is a term that describes joint pain between the kneecap and upper leg bone. Under the kneecap is a smooth cartilage lining that creates a gliding surface between the bones, and if it softens or wears away it can result in pain and inflammation. According to Neuromuscular Specialist and co-founder of the Performance Institute in New York City, major contributing factors to this knee pain are poor alignment when landing, as well as imbalanced quadricep muscles, which can pull the kneecap side to side. Strengthening the quads and stretches to lengthen hamstrings and calfs will help reduce the risk of injury.

Pain and Tenderness on the outside of the Knee

Pain with a Pop

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The Way You Sit May Cause Knee Pain

If your knees hurt when sitting down at rest, it could be a sign that you’re sitting in an awkward position or simply sitting too long. To differentiate between knee pain caused by structural problems versus the way you sit, try the following:

Stretch your legs during the day. Sitting for six to eight hours during the workday may not only make your knees stiff, but it can also increase your risk of other health concerns like cardiovascular disease. Get up and walk around every hour or half-hour to give your knees some gentle exercise.

Avoid or limit certain sitting positions. Some sitting positions can cause more stress on your knees than others. For example, sitting on the floor cross-legged, kneeling, or sitting on your heels stresses the ligaments around the knee cap.

Find a comfortable chair. When sitting, your knees should be at a comfortable positionabout the same level as your hips and at a 90-degree angle. If youre adjusting an office chair, make sure the seat is just below your kneecaps when you’re standing next to it. This should help ensure that your feet are flat on the floor when youre sitting.

Check with your healthcare provider if your knees still hurt after making these adjustments. They can help you determine if a condition is causing your knee pain.

Possible Causes Of Pain

Quadriceps tendonitis this is caused by the irritation, strain or injury to the quadriceps tendon.

Patellofemoral Arthritis

This affects the underside of the kneecap and the trochlear groove in the femur in which it moves. When the articular cartilage covering the surfaces of the bone wears away and becomes inflamed the bones come into contact with each other resulting in pain.

Plica Syndrome

A plica is the fold in the thin synovial membrane that lines the knee joint. There were four of these folds in the knee joint originally, but they often become absorbed during foetal development. About 50% of the population is thought to have the remains of the embryonic plicae. When a plica becomes inflamed, perhaps because of repetitive knee movement, trauma or twisting, it causes pain and weakness in the knee.

Lateral patellar facet overload syndrome

This refers to dull aching pain underneath, around the sides or below kneecap. It is caused by increased pressure on the lateral facet of the patella. The reason for this is improper tracking, poor alignment or dislocation of the kneecap. The condition is often apparent during repetitive exercise such as climbing stairs.

Synovitis

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When Should I Get My Teens Knee Pain Evaluated By A Healthcare Provider

Make an appointment to see your healthcare provider if:

• Your teens pain has lasted longer than two weeks or anytime theres an increase in pain level.
• Your teens knee is red, swollen or warm to the touch.
• Your teen cant put weight on their leg they limp.
• Your teens knee locks and cant move.
• Your teens kneecap feels like it slides out of place or the knee looks twisted.
• Your teen has knee pain during or after activity.
• Theres painful popping or clicking sound in your teens knee.
• Your teens knee doesnt have strength or full range of motion.
• Your teens pain wakes them up at night.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 04/30/2021.

References

Why Is Medial Knee Pain So Common

Medial knee injuries are really common because muscle weakness and/or tightness, which is very common, can subtly change the way the knee moves.

This causes more force to go through the inner side of the joint, rather than distributing weight evenly through the whole joint, which results in damage to the inner side of the knee and therefore results in medial knee pain. For example, it is much more common to get osteoarthritis on the inner side of the knee than the outer side.

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Inner Knee Pain Symptoms

The exact location of inner knee pain varies from person to person and depends on the underlying condition. The severity of the pain will also vary.

Among the most common symptoms of inner knee pain are:

• Pain in the inner side of the knee
• Inner knee pain while running
• Inner knee pain while walking
• Inner knee pain when bending, cycling or squatting
• Weakness of the thigh muscles
• Loss of knee range of motion
• Poor coordination with lower leg movements

Treatment for these symptoms will likely include rest, ice, exercise and even the use of knee braces.

Although inner knee pain is not always accompanied by swelling, you may have a number of other symptoms, including swelling, discomfort, and stiffness.

What Are The Causes Of Knee Pain In Teenagers

Common knee pain problems in your teenager can be generally divided into three types:

• Anterior knee pain, also called patellofemoral pain.
• Injures to ligaments and tendons of the knee or to the kneecap itself.
• Medical conditions that affect the knee.

Anterior knee pain happens when your teens kneecap is pulled out of its groove from increased pressure. Increased pressure on the knee joint is caused by:

• Abnormal hip rotation due to imbalances in muscle strength and flexibility around the hips.
• Improper training methods or equipment.
• Poor flexibility of the thigh muscles, which support the knee joint. Thigh muscle weakness or tightness.
• Overuse of the knee from repetitive bending of the knee during running, jumping, and other activities.
• Problems with alignment, for example, the kneecap not being properly aligned within the knee or having flat feet, which changes the normal gait.

Knee pain resulting from sprains, strains and tears to ligaments and tendons or injuries to other soft tissues. These conditions include:

Medical conditions that can affect your teens knee include:

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What Causes Sharp Burning Pain In The Knee

Before you identify the cause of sharp burning pain, you need to identify the pain and the location. What does burning pain in the knee mean?

It means that your pain does not just generally ache. You have a sharp, burning sensation in the front, on the side, or on the back of your knee. You can have it while you’re kneeling, while you’re just standing still, and even when you’re sleeping.

Arthritis Of The Knee

Arthritis causes the joints to become painful and inflamed. Different types of arthritis can affect almost any of the joints in the body, including the knee.

Cartilage is the flexible, firm tissue that surrounds the joints and enables them to move smoothly. Osteoarthritis develops if this cartilage breaks down.

People with knee osteoarthritis may experience pain and swelling around the knee and feel as though the joint is stiff.

Osteoarthritis is most common in people over the age of 65 years.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that affects joints all over the body. The immune system attacks healthy tissue surrounding the joints, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.

Post-traumatic arthritis can happen after an injury to the knee that damages the joints or ligaments. If an infection spreads to the knee, it can cause infectious arthritis of this joint.

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How Can I Prevent Knee Pain

Although you canât prevent all injuries, you can take these steps to make them less likely.

• Stop exercising if you feel pain in your knee.
• If you want to make your workout more intense, always do it gradually.
• Stretch your legs before and after physical activity.
• Use kneepads to prevent bursitis, especially if you have to kneel a lot.
• Wear shoes that fit well and offer enough support.
• Keep your thigh muscles strong with regular stretching and strengthening.
• If youâre overweight, work to drop some pounds so thereâs less stress on all of your joints, including your knees.

What Is Causing My Inner Knee Pain

Let’s have a look at the common symptoms associated with medial knee pain and what they typically indicate:

Pain On Inside Of Knee No Swelling: If there is no swelling with your medial knee pain, it is likely only a minor injury such as a small cartilage tear or a grade 1 sprain of the MCL.

Inner Knee Pain Running: Knee pain medial side during or after running is most typically caused by a cartilage tear or Runners Knee.

Inner Knee Pain When Straightening Leg:Pes Anserine Bursitis is the main culprit here as the bursa can easily get squashed when straightening the knee.

Medial Knee Pain With Flexion: Most medial knee pain gets worse with knee flexion, especially when weight bearing through the leg. If it’s worse when standing, it may indicate an MCL tear or meniscus tear. If it happens when you are sitting or bending the knee, it may be pes anserine bursitis or plica syndrome.

Anterior Medial Knee Pain: If your inner knee pain is coming round to the front of the knee, it may actually be a problem with the knee cap or Runners Knee rather than one of the structures on the inner knee.

Medial Knee Pain When Sitting Cross Legged: Pain in the inner side of knee when sitting cross legged is most likely due to a meniscus tear as this position places extra stress on the cartilage.

Medial Knee Injuries: The most common medial knee injuries are MCL tears and medial meniscus tears, which often both happen at the same time as a result of awkward twisting or sporting injuries.

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