Knee pain is an extremely common ailment, with pain levels ranging from mildly annoying to severe and debilitating. Knee pain causes are just as varied: excess weight, injury, illness, etc… Regardless, a knee pain diagnosis is useless without knowing what caused it, how to fix it, and how to prevent future knee pain. Your knee joint is actually fairly complex (1). Bones of the knee include:
- tibia and fibula (lower leg bones)
- patella (kneecap)
- femur (upper leg bone)
Cartilage:
- meniscus (acts as a shock absorber) the menisci are found on the ends of the femur and tibia and at the back of the patella
Bursae (fluid-filled sacs that reduce friction in the knee joint) (2,3):
- prepatellar bursa
- medial collateral ligament Bursa
- iliotibial Bursa
- suprapatellar bursa
- gastrocnemius-semimembranosus Bursa
- infrapatellar bursae
- pes anserine bursa
Tendons and ligaments of the knee:
- anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
- medial collateral ligament (MCL)
- lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
- quadriceps tendon
- patellar tendon
Any bone or soft tissue of the knee can be injured or affected by certain medical conditions. Symptoms of knee problems include knee joint pain (sharp or dull), swelling, general soreness, difficulty bending or straightening the leg, and even hip or foot pain.
11 Worst Knee Pain Causes
Thankfully, you can reverse most of these knee pain causes naturally.
1. Injuries
This is one of the most common knee pain causes by far. Given how complex the knee is, there are almost countless ways in which a knee can be injured.
In sports, we often hear of a torn tendons, ligaments, or meniscus, knee sprains, hyperextensions, and more. Dislocations and breaks are less common but very serious.
In these cases, knee pain relief is usually provided through a combination of rest, physical therapy, ice, immobilization, and/or surgery. More severe injuries may limit future knee movement, strength, and mobility.
Make sure to give yourself ample time to recover from an injury– returning to physical activity before you are fully healed can extend recovery time and may cause permanent damage (4).