Knee Pain: Frequently Asked Questions

Administering injections directly into the knee might help in some cases. The two most commonly used injections for knee pain are corticosteroids and lubricants. Of these, corticosteroid injections can help with arthritis, as well as the inflammation of the knee. In general cases, these need to be repeatedly administration every few months. On the other hand, lubricants are similar to the fluid that is present in our knee joint and can help with motion and pain.

In most of the cases, knee pain can be examined and treated by a primary care physician itself. However, if your knee pain needs surgery or the cause of your pain requires further evaluation, you will be directed to an orthopedic surgeon. In the case of arthritis, gout, or any other inflammatory joint problems, you will have to consult a rheumatologist.

Knee pain and injuries can be avoided by following certain precautions and rules in life:

• Taking caution in the body weight, since overweight can result in osteoarthritis. Keep track and maintain the weight, thereby decreasing the stress given to knees due to overweight. It can also avoid knee injuries.
• Wearing sensible shoes that fit and help in proper leg alignment and can balance the weight of the body, thereby preventing the chances of any injuries.
• Whenever you start any exercise or sports activities, before getting stretching done, do warm-up exercises. These would help reduce the tension in tendons, thereby relieving the stress or pressure in the knees.
• Better go for some low impact exercises which can offer you strong workout but less effort. Better select a rowing machine or a cross country skiing machine if you go to the gym to do exercises.

There are several causes and injuries that can cause knee pain. The most common types of injuries that can cause knee pain are:

• Fractures
• Anterior cruciate ligament injuries
• Dislocation
• Meniscal tears
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Tendon tears
• Collateral ligament injuries
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Posterior cruciate ligament injuries

Knee pain may be a result of bumps, hits or bruises during sports or normal activities. Sometimes, it may be due to prolonged use of knee - like walking and running a lot, standing for a long time, or long training days. Such knee pain will be mild or moderate, and it can reduce if rest is taken for a few days with regular ice therapy.

But if the knee pain is severe and persists for a longer time even after rest and ice therapy, and caused due to some injuries, then it will be better to see the doctor immediately and get a complete checkup done following which an evaluation plan and treatment will be framed.

A visit to the doctor and a complete check-up is essential if the following symptoms are seen in the body:

• Long lasting pain for more than 48 hours
• Heavy and critical pain in the knee joint for more than a day or two
• Deep pain in the knee due to a tear in the meniscus and cartilage that protects the knee and hold the joint intact
• Knee pain due to fracture, patella tracking injury or dislocation of bones in the joint
• If there is trouble in the movement of the knee and motion is restricted and reduced due to pain
• Any shakiness in the knee joint or any feeling that the knee may break down or collapse due to movement
• If there is any torn in the ligament due to injury

Even the old injury to the knee can affect the normal mobility of the person. We cannot leave aside thinking that the injury is a mild one and had happened very long ago and that it will not disturb the day to day activities. Some mild and moderate injuries can be treated with physical therapy, exercises, hot and cold therapy. But if the injury is a serious one, you may have to undergo surgery.

If there is a continuous loss of motion, unable to bend or extend the knee to the full length, then it is the sign for immediate surgery requirement. If the person is not able to carry his or her own weight in the knee, or a pop sound heard due to a twist or turn in the knee, then surgery is an inevitable one. If the inflammation and pain do not subside in regular rest and physical therapy, then surgery has to be done after a complete examination of the affected part through X-ray, scan, etc.

Surgery is the most appropriate treatment to get relieved of pain, be it arthroscopic surgery or knee replacement surgery.

Physical therapy always aims in reducing the pain and swelling and stiffness in any bone or joints. In the case of knee osteoarthritis, taking a physical therapy can help in the improved and efficient functioning of knees. Getting a physical therapy can help you walk little strain-less, when at the same time helping in the functioning of knees, bringing about the flexibility of the knee. This is because physical therapy can help you bend, walk, kneel or even squat.

Generally, there are two types of physical therapy prescribed by the ortho-specialist:

They are active therapy and passive therapy. These two types of physical therapy make the knee pain and OA more manageable. In passive treatment, the therapist takes care of your knees and does major work. The common passive therapies are giving a cold or hot treatment to the injured or painful joint, giving hydrotherapy, etc.

In the case of active treatments, you are doing most of the physical work. First, you will be put to a group that does exercises. This group is always on the go but only under the supervision of trained people. Your therapist can take you through the major exercises done at home. It’s highly advised to always go for active physical therapy. This is because; passive treatments like IFT/ultrasound may or not work and have not been proven to be effective for knee pain.

In any case, you should have an open discussion with your trainer before starting the sessions. If knee pain still prevails for more than two to three weeks or is due to major recent trauma, the doctors will advise not to go for physical therapy.

The common cause of knee pain is osteoarthritis. There are several factors that add up the risk of getting knee pain because of osteoarthritis.

The prevalence of overweight or obesity and improper and imbalanced diet are considered as the main causes of the knee pain. If you are obese or overweight, you have a high risk of getting the knee socket pain.

In addition to the overweight, aging is also a factor that put you at risk. A government statistics claim that by the year 2030, almost one-fifth of the American adult population would have crossed the age of 50 and these pains like knee pain, joint pain, and back pain will be the common problems for the people of that age group. It is also estimated that almost half of the adults will be facing the arthritic problems.

Even if your knee injury has occurred in a short time in the past, it will still cause pain. This, however, will put several different things together with inflammatory disease and different conditions. To understand what’s happening in your case, you are advised to see your doctor.

During the visit, you’ll say your symptoms and therefore the injury. You’ll conjointly get a physical examination, and you'll have to get an X-ray, MRI, CT scan, or different tests.

If you can't place weight on your knee, feel sick, or have a fever or if your knee is red and hot, you ought to reach to the ER to be evaluated by a doctor for the likelihood of a fracture or infection. Acute pain or pain that interrupts your sleep may indicate a torn connective tissue, meniscal tear, or inflammatory disease.

If your symptoms are an aching pain from standing from a sitting position, or pain that improves when walking one or two of steps, this might indicate inflammatory disease. If you're experiencing these symptoms, it's a decent plan to get your knee tested by your doctor.

If you realize that your knee is already jutting outward during any movement or exercise, as it has never been before, take note. An injured or broken patella (kneecap) will cause injuries like this. If you notice a bone deformity when an injury had happened, you must seek the help of an orthopedic doctor in real time.

You can wear it all day. If you are suffering from a specific injury or are taking part in an activity or sport, you must make sure that you wear the right brace for your injury and/or sport. Otherwise, all through the day, you can wear some kind of brace that provides moderate support and which is made using a cool, breathable material to remain cool.

Stretching is the best way to strengthen the knees. One of the significant factors related to overuse injuries is rigid muscles. Athletes should pay careful attention to stretching of the muscles around the knee and hip regions; giving more concentration to:

• Hamstrings
• Quadriceps
• Hip flexors
• Piriformis
• Calf muscles

Pulling should be done progressively for 30 seconds, and it should be repeated for 3 to 4 times.

Doing some fundamental strengthening exercises can help reduce the anterior knee pain. Do the following exercises to lessen the pain:

• 4 Way Straight Leg Raises: Lying on the back and tightening the thigh muscles, straighten the injured leg. Let the straightened leg be raised to 12 to 18 inches and lowered down to starting position. Now, shift the lying position onto one side and repeat the straight leg raising and lowering in this position. Again shift to the lying on stomach position and repeat. The same exercise has to be done lying on the other side. It should be done for ten to fifteen times in all the four positions.
• Wall Slides: Lean against the wall and place the feet approximately 2 1/2 shoe lengths away from the wall and placing a ball (soccer, basketball, volleyball) between the knees, slide down the wall till knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Hold for 5 seconds, and carry out three sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
• Step Downs: Stand on a 3 to 4 inch higher bench or step on the injured leg. Slowly bend the injured knee until the opposing heel touches the ground, after returning to the original position. Carry out the three sets repeating for ten to fifteen times.

Performing these exercises once or twice per day can reduce the symptoms and get you back in action. Flexibility and strength will get better with a little persistence and dedication to avoiding and taking care of overuse injuries.

You can decrease the risks linked to prolonged standing by following the below tips:

• Find time to sit.
• If you are pregnant, elevate your feet and rest with the feet at a higher level than your head.
• Try moving around, stretching, and standing in various positions.
• Wear shoes that are comfortable and supportive shoes.
• Custom-made orthotics will help support the skeleton, muscles, and fascia in the right position, which is a key to alleviating several foot and leg pain symptoms.
• In case of hard floor covering, use a rubber mat or a rug to be kept on the floor.
• Compression hose and socks can help people suffering from foot and leg problems.
• Bend your knee and try to touch the heel to the butt using one leg, and repeat on the other side.
• Circling the hips in figure-8 motions will prevent hip tightness, as well as blood stagnation.
• Do an active hamstring stretch.

Whether the knee pain is due to sprain or arthritis, or due to prolonged injury, there are several ways to fight the pain. Heat therapy is one of the best ways to reduce knee pain. Heat is the best way to relax the muscles, reduce chronic pain, and remove the stress.

Before you attempt the heat therapy for the knee pain, get a proper check-up done. After 48 to 72 hours after injury and use of cold therapy, warming up or heat therapy twice or thrice a day can help in relaxing the stiffened muscles which may be a reason for the knee pain.

Heat expands the blood vessels, kindles blood circulation, and lessens muscle spasms. Also, heat alters the consciousness of pain. Dry heat (like heating pad, heat lamp, etc.) or moist heat (like warm bath, heated wash cloth, etc.) is suitable for relaxing the muscles, thereby reducing the pain.

When using moist heat therapy, precaution should be taken seeing that the temperature is not so hot that it may burn the skin. A comfortably tolerant temperature should be selected, whether using a bath, hot water bottle, or spa therapy, giving some time or break in between. Also, a break of nearly 15 minutes is necessary before going to exercise after heat therapy. And, immediately after the exercise, go for heat therapy. Additional moist heat therapy helps in reducing arthritis pain.

Using the following popular types of heat therapy helps a lot in reducing arthritis pain:

• Throw away heat patches or belts
• Hot water swimming pool
• Hot packs &  moist heating pad
• A therapeutic mixture of paraffin and mineral oil
• A warm bath or shower
• A warm, wet towel or cloth massage

A steady heat flowing on the arthritic joint or pain site helps to keep pain minimum and allows for more natural movement.

A right combination of hot packs and ice packs is the best to get the most relief from pain and to make it easier to manage arthritis.

Knee pain is among the most common complications of being obese. Women who are obese have a four times higher chances of developing OA than women with a healthy weight. On the other hand, men who are obese have five times more chances of developing OA than men with a healthy weight.

If you are among the thousands of people who suffer from chronic knee pain, even a little weight loss can help you in reducing pain and lowering the risk of contracting osteoarthritis.

That extra weight increases the pressure that is exerted on your knees, thereby causing chronic pain and leading to other complications, such as osteoarthritis.

Losing weight can benefit your knee pain in two ways:

• Decreasing weight-bearing pressure on your knees: Each and every pound of weight loss can help decrease the load on your knee joint by four pounds. Less stress means less wear and tear on your knees, which in turn, can lower the risk of OA.
• Reducing inflammation in your body: For a long time, OA was believed as wear and tear disease that is caused by prolonged excess stress on the joints, especially the knees, which, in turn, resulted in inflammation. But, recently, it has been found that inflammation is a key risk factor of OA, rather than being a consequence.

Being obese may raise inflammation in the body and can result in joint pain. Shedding weight can decrease this inflammatory response.

Losing even a few pounds can be beneficial when it comes to dealing with knee pain.

Knee pain is the most widespread grievance and issue related to both muscles and bones in the knee that makes the people visit the doctor often. Some people may suffer only mild or intermittent symptoms, whereas others may experience knee pain so much that it affects their daily activities or in some cases reduces the quality of life. The measure of knee pain you’re suffering from usually depends on the intensity of the condition or injury.

Some of the most recurrent problems causing knee pain are Bursitis, knee ligament injuries, osteoarthritis, meniscus tears, tendinitis, and runner's knee.

• If there is inflammation in the Bursae, which are small pockets of lubricating fluids of the tendons to move freely along the joints, it will result in gradual or sudden and severe pain in the knees. The inflammation may be due to excess of calcium deposits in the Bursae.
• Knee ligament sprains and/or tears are prevalent sports injuries resulting in severe knee pain and can occur in the following areas:
• Anterior cruciate ligament
• Posterior cruciate ligament
• Medial collateral ligament

Such types of injuries can cause significant pain, and they require medical attention and in some severe cases, surgery.

• People who haven’t properly treated an old knee injury get pain now and then or for some time. The typical knee pain felt by teenage people and athletes of all ages is anterior knee pain, which is the pain near the front of the knee. The most common cause of anterior knee pain is the injuries. This can be treated without surgery. Irregular exercise, poor training, and improper flexibility are a few reasons for the anterior knee pain problem.
• PFS is one of the universal causes of anterior knee pain in people of all age groups. Frequently, we can notice athletes complain of throbbing "crunching" around or beneath the patella. Knee pain can also be due to continuous running covering a wide range, stair climbing or after prolonged sitting. Repetitive jumping is also one of the primary causes of this type of knee pain.
• Wear and tear arthritis can cause severe knee pain in the men and women over the age of 50 years. The condition provokes pain from the loss of cartilage, which is the reason for the bones to rub together and produce intense discomfort. It may also result due to joint malformations present at birth, injuries caused during active sports or work conditions that require repetitive movements. Pain will be more when the person is active and will seem to be better at rest.
• A torn meniscus is extremely widespread knee injury seen in adults, which may be caused due to any twist or rotation of the knee. Menisci are thin layers of cartilage that act as a cushion between the shinbone and thigh bone. If too much stress is placed on the knees, it results in the tear in the meniscus, thereby causing pain and hamper with the knees proper functioning. If you have this, you might also feel a block to knee motion and have trouble extending your knee fully.

Knee pain can be caused due to injury, arthritis, and old age. Knee pain can be easily looked into at home itself if it is diagnosed at an early stage. The intricate structure of joints and cartilage combined with a lack of protection makes knees especially susceptible to injury.

• If you have knee pain, immediately go to your doctor and get a quick examination and medication.
• If the pain persists even after medication, the doctor may refer you to a physical therapist.
• If the pain does not get reduced, then surgery is needed.
• Reduce the weight as knees are the essential organs in our body that holds the entire weight of our body. By shedding the few additional pounds in your body, you are reducing the weight on the knee, which will help in reducing the pain.
• Build up the front and back muscles of your thigh, to strengthen your knee and to prevent the wear and tear of the muscles in the knee joint. This can be done by exercises.
• Walking on the treadmill will help you a lot to strengthen and build up the muscles.
• Avoid running on roads, as it may jar your knees, instead go for jogging.
• A healthier way to run is on a treadmill or track, or alternating jogging with walking.
• Change and concentrate on your food habits, as more spicy foods can spice up the pain in the knee.
• Better go for fruits, vegetables, less sour foods, and more green tea.
• Avoid the use of high heel shoes or sandals. They may twist your ankle or give you a great fall which may affect your knee.
• Take additional supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin, which will help strengthen the cartilage and help in relieving the pain.
• Don't rest much if you have knee pain because immobilization can cause the pain to aggravate.
• Go for a walking aid if you have acute pain and cannot balance or support your weight.
• Don't let your shoes worsen your knee pain.
• Going for acupuncture can help in reducing knee pain.
• High-straining exercises can add painful injury knees. Avoid vigorous exercises, such as running, jumping, and kickboxing. Also keep away from doing exercises, such as lunges and deep squats that put a lot of stress on your knees.

If the knee pain is mild to moderate, it is enough if you try a few home remedies, rest, therapy, compression and elevation of the foot. If the pain persists after one or two weeks, go for medications, and if it is not cured, you have to go for further tests and treatment.

If the knee pain is from moderate to severe, it is better to get a medical examination done immediately. If the knee pain is due to an injury, you should directly go to the emergency room in case the damage may have resulted in a fracture, bone dislocation or ligament tear that may cause the pain. For some instances, immediate surgery will be suggested by the doctor.

If you are not able to put weight on your knee or if you feel sudden sickness, fatigue or nausea, immediately rush to the emergency room because the knee pain, in this case, may be due to fracture dislocation or infection.

If there is hemorrhage or blood loss due to sudden injury to the knee which significantly damages the knee joint, an immediate visit to the emergency room is advisable. Septic arthritis, which gives acute knee pain, also needs a quick rush to the emergency room.

You should go to an emergency room in the following cases:

• If you cannot place weight on your knee at all
• If you have pain even when you're not putting weight on your knee
• If your knee locks or painfully clacks
• If you have a deformity in your knees
• If you have a fever, swelling, redness or a sense of hotness surrounding the knee
• If you have:
• Pain
• Swelling
• Numbness
• Tingling of the calf below the affected knee

Yes, knee pain is serious.  It will affect your daily activities. If unattended in the initial stage, it will lead to immobilization of your leg. The following conditions will lead to rigid immobilization in your knee if your knee pain is unattended to:

• If you experience excessive or abnormal swelling, then immediate attention to the knee pain is to be given.
• If there is any deformity noticed in the knee, it also leads to severe arthritis or can be due to dislocation or fracture of the knee bones.
• If you hear a pop up sound when you move your knee, it means something is out of place resulting in the displacement of bones or ligament tear injury. It also leads to swelling and imbalance.
• If the movement of the knee is felt to be remarkably higher than average level, even though you have taken only a few steps, then it is said to be joint instability which results in acute pain. You will have a sense of buckling or folding the knees while walking or lifting the weight.
• It will be hectically painful to lift even your weight with the sore knee. Not able to bear weight following a knee injury could be due to a:

1. Fracture
2. Bone contusion
3. Cartilage injury
4. Ligament tear

Overall, if the knee pain is unattended to, it will completely stop the movements of legs; thereby leaving you succumbed to a chair or bed, affecting our daily activities.

Applying alternative hot and cold therapy on the painful or a swollen knee will help reduce the intensity of the pain. It can also reduce the swelling. Essential heat therapy or thermotherapy use a hot water bottle or hot pads that can be heated in a microwave. For cold treatment or cryotherapy, a water bottle filled with cold water, a pad cooled in the freezer, or frozen vegetables from the fridge can be used. Don't apply the ice directly on the skin. Alternative hot and cold therapy will be great help as it will effectively increase the blood flow to the injured knee.

Heat therapy relaxes the muscles, thereby improving the lubrication which reduces the stiffness felt in the joints. It also helps enhance the mobility of the knee in the morning, and in the evening, it reduces the swelling. Ice therapy, on the other hand, will reduce the pain, inflammation, and the swelling by decreasing the blood flow to the knee. Cold therapy helps in making the inflamed tissues and muscles numb, thereby reducing the pain.

Applying heat to a swollen area will expand the blood vessels, prop up blood flow, and help sore and tautened muscles relax. Enhanced circulation can help get rid of the lactic acid buildup. Heat is also sensitively comforting, which can increase its analgesic properties. In many cases, heat therapy is more effective than cold when it comes to treating chronic muscle pain or sore joints due to arthritis. Heat relaxes the muscles after a hectic day of stress and work pressure. Precaution should be taken before trying heat therapy.

Knee pain that is caused by osteoarthritis will hurt so much that we will not be willing to move. But if you are inactive, it will only aggravate your pain. On the other hand, if you walk and do exercises, it will reduce your pain making you feel a little better.

People affected with osteoarthritis may have some discomfort in the initial stages of walking, but once they get used to walking, their pain and discomfort will decrease and cease.

Walking helps in resolving your knee pain in several ways as follows:

• They help in rebuilding the joints. Cartilage – a springy tissue that is seen in the joints, which functions as a shock absorber for the knees, will get damaged as the age goes up due to wear and tear. This results in pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the knee joints. Walking and doing exercises will help rebuild the joints by compressing the cartilage and strengthening it.
• Walking strengthens the legs by building up the muscles and making it balance the weight of our body.
• Walking also helps lose the weight, which in turn, reduces the pressure on the knees due to our weight and reduces the pain and swelling.
• Doing exercises and walking help maintain bone strength. It also helps in improving your balance over your bodyweight.
• Walking will also help in getting good sleep at night which is essential for an activity-filled day during the following day.
• Keeping the muscles and tissues surrounding the joints stronger and active will help in supporting the bones and the joints. So, walking is very good for health.

Before going for any form of medication or therapy for knee pain, first, assess the intensity of the pain. If you have mild to moderate knee pain, it can often be adequately taken care at home. Irrespective of the cause of the pain (sprain or arthritis), there are several ways to fight the illness. If the pain is moderate to severe and is caused due to an injury, then take immediate medical assistance. If the pain is acute due to arthritis, in the most severe condition, surgery may be suggested by your doctor to cure the pain. But if the pain is due to arthritis, inflammation, or some minor injuries, we can get it treated with some home remedies:

• If the pain is due to twisting in the leg or an injury caused by a hard fall or strain, go for first aid at home which can be remembered with the acronym, RICE:
• Rest: Stop all activities and immobilize the foot
• Ice: Apply some ice or frozen vegetables in a bag on the painful part.
• Compression: Apply a tight compression bandage around your knee to prevent swelling
• Elevation: Keep your feet above in an elevated position -
• Do some mind-body exercises and keep the mind relaxed which will reduce the pain and give resistant power to the body to withstand against the pain.
• Do daily activities to have continuous and proper joints movement, which can reduce the pain to a greater extent. Remember, inactive parts that are supposed to be active can cause more pain.
• Reducing the movement can cause stiffness in the joints, which in turn can give rise to pain. So keep the knee active.
• Check your weight, because being overweight will create a problem as your knee has to support your weight.
• Apply alternative hot and cold therapy on the painful or a swollen knee to reduce the intensity of the pain. It can also reduce the swelling.
• Apply some herbal oils and massage very mildly and slowly to minimize the pain in the knees.
• Using ginger extract is also very useful for arthritis.

A knee brace for arthritis may help decrease pain by transforming your bodyweight off the most damaged part of the knee. Thus, it may help enhance your capability to move around and help raise the distance you walk more comfortably.

These knee braces are available in a wide variety of designs, although most of them are built with a mix of rigid and flexible materials, such as plastic, metal, and other composite material for fundamental structure, as well as support, and synthetic rubber/moldable foam for the purposes of padding and positioning.

Knee pain, in many cases, will have an apparent reason like a twist, a fall, a strain, or a misstep. This may happen anytime when we stand, walk or run. But in many cases, above the age of 50, knee pain arises without any evidence of injury, and we cannot predict the source of this pain.

Most commonly seen knee pain in aged people is due to knee arthritis. This would make our day to day activities harder, reduce our movement, and lead to severe disability in people.

There are several causes of being affected by  knee pain, without an injury:

• Bursitis: The painful condition with redness around the joint, tenderness in the knee, and sometimes a fever due to infection or irritation and inflammation of the tiny sacs of fluid that covers the bones in the knee joint.
• Tendinitis: Most common condition that causes pain in the knee is tendinitis. It will cause a dull ache in the knee with swelling, which increases with the use of the knee over time.
• Baker’s cyst: The fluid-filled swelling seen at the back of the knee, which restricts the movement of the knee, is generally known as a popliteal cyst, otherwise called as Baker's cyst, is also one of the primary causes of the knee pain. Sometimes, we may have to drain out the fluid from the cyst for reducing the pain and for movement of the knee.
• Osteoarthritis: Among the different types of knee arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common in the people above 50 years. This causes knee pain without any injury or fracture. This type of knee arthritis is a degenerative one and is mainly due to the wear and tear of the cartilage in the knee joints. In this condition, the cartilage becomes tattered and rough reducing the protective space between the bones in the joint. This makes the bones rubbing against one another, resulting in chronic pain in the bones. The pain in this type of arthritis develops very gradually, but it aggravates severely over time. The main reason for this is the deterioration of the knee and sometimes might also be due to abnormal posture or obesity.
• Rheumatoid arthritis: Except for the location of this, not contending with a single joint but varies from joint to joint, this is similar to osteoarthritis, with symptoms of stiffness, swelling, and pain, and is an autoimmune disease.

Arthritis in the knee will make it very difficult to do our regular day to day activities. It will be excruciating to climb stairs. Some kinds of arthritis affect children too, while mostly adults are severely affected by arthritis.

Getting the knee pain to go away:

• Decreasing or losing the weight is the primary and foremost remedial treatment for getting rid of arthritis. A reduction in weight can lower the risk of damage to the knee, thereby reducing arthritis.
• The limitation of rigorous day to day activities involving knee and legs, like too much of walking, climbing stairs often, standing for a long time, and walking on hard surfaces, can help reduce the knee pain.
• Some physiotherapy exercises will be beneficial to prevent the massive damage due to arthritis.
• Aquatic exercise is beneficial for reducing the suffering due to knee pain.
• Intake of joint supplements as advised by the doctor can help control the pain due to arthritis, but keep in mind that this will not help in regenerating the bone cartilage.
• Strengthening of muscles in the knee joint will help decrease the pain in the knee. Preventing the weakening of muscles is very important to keep the knee pain in control and to avoid additional damage to the joints.
• Intake of anti-inflammatory medications as per doctor’s advice without exceeding the prescribed dosage will be helpful in treating the pain, tenderness, and swelling in the knee.
• Taking hyaluronic acid injections as per the advice of the doctor in the painful knee will help lubricate the joints. This acid is naturally found in the fluid of the knee, and as a person is affected by arthritis, the natural hyaluronic acid present in knees become ineffective and thinner. A hyaluronic acid injection can help reduce the pain and get relieved of it for a period of three to six months.

Any irritation or tenderness, otherwise known as inflammation, in any of the joints results in arthritis. If a person suffers from pain, swelling or stiffness in any joints then he is supposed to have arthritis. And people as they age up, are commonly affected by arthritis in the knee. There are three most common types of knee arthritis namely, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and Post-traumatic arthritis.

Following are the symptoms of arthritis in the knee:

• Sudden pain developed in the knee which gradually or slowly gets intensified.
• Early morning pain, after being inactive or idle for a long time.
• The pain felt in knees as we climb stairs or standing up after sitting for along time.
• Even when you walk for a few meters, if you feel pain in your knee, it is due to arthritis.
• You will feel pain when sitting down on the floor, folding your legs.
• Change in the weather, especially winter season can bring pain in knees when you have arthritis.
• If you wake up from sleep due to sudden gunshot pain in the knee, it will be due to osteoarthritis.
• Swelling and pain will be more prominent after a long period of inactivity, due to the formation of bone spurs or extra fluids in the knee.
• A feeling of warmth and observance of redness in the skin is another symptom for knee arthritis.
• A feeling of grinding sensation during movement with some cracking and popping sounds from the knee. This is due to the loss of smooth cartilage in the knee bone which helps in the rhythmic motion of the knee joint.
• Due to difficulty in movement of knee joints due to arthritis, it will be complicated even to make simple movements with the knee.
• The sense of pain when some weight is kept on the knee may be due to arthritis.
• A sense of feeling that the joint is giving out resulting in chronic pain can also be due to arthritis.
• Deformity of the joint is another symptom of arthritis.