Severe knee pain

Knee Pain - Introduction

Knees are joints which carry the entire weight of the body. They also assist in mobility and allow a variety of movement such as bending, kneeling, and getting up etc.

Many people have to face knee pain. The intensity of the pain varies a lot and it can be disabling and interfere in even the simplest daily activities. Knee pain may be also temporary or chronic. There are many factors which can contribute to the occurrence of knee pain and as soon as they are identified there is a greater chance for them to be brought under control.

Characteristics of Severe Knee Pain and Accompanying Symptoms

Knee pain actually represents a symptom of injury, trauma or some underlying medical condition. A person suffering from knee pain may also develop several more symptoms which usually include inability to walk, limping, swelling of the knee and surrounding tissues, a crunching or grounding sound during moving, a popping sound which is mostly related to a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament. Furthermore, the knee area can be so sensitive that the pain may arouse even from slightest touch. In some cases the knee joint may get 'locked' preventing any kind of movement.

The pain may linger for days or even weeks which needs to be taken seriously and reported to the doctor.

What are Causes of Severe Knee Pain

There is a variety of causes of severe knee pain. Injury is most definitely the leading one. Any kind of injury such as sprains, fractures of nearby bones etc. result in intensive knee pain. Ligament tears are frequent injuries in athletes and people who do vigorous exercises and they typically feature with intensive knee pain. Dislocation of knee cap is another cause of severe knee pain. It can be also a source of chronic knee pain.

Furthermore, several medical conditions also affect the knee joint and may be a source of severe pain. Arthritis of the knee joint is only one of them. Patients suffering from knee arthritis experience excruciating pain especially when bending the affected knee.

Apart from the previously mentioned several more conditions which may be associated with sever knee pain are Baker's cyst, patellar tendonitis, meniscal tear and other cartilage injuries and so on.

Treatment for Severe Knee Pain

The treatment for severe knee pain depends on the intensity of pain. Still, it primary depends on the underlying cause. After thorough physical examination and additional tests the doctor will identify the underlying cause of the pain.

In majority of cases severe knee pain requires proper bed rest. This allows inflammation and swelling to subside. During this period patients are advised to use crutches in order to shift the weight off the affected leg. In some cases severe knee pain can be alleviated by certain exercises which can be only prescribed by well-experienced physical therapist. And finally, patients may be injected cortisone injections or prescribed non steroidal anti-inflammatory medications.