Knee Pain? 2 Things That Could Be Wrong And Treatment Options
If your knee hurts this can be due to many things. The one thing you need to do is to see an orthopedic physician as they can diagnose the problem to give you the proper treatment. Keep reading to learn of two things that may be wrong, and the treatment options available.
Arthritis
If you are older your problem may be arthritis, more specifically known as osteoarthritis. The orthopedist will take x-rays of your knee to get a broad image of the joint. If they think you may have this condition, the doctor might have you go for an MRI so they can see more detailed images of your knee.
If you have arthritis in your knee, you may have pain that starts out slow or appears suddenly. Your knee will swell and feel tender, and it might buckle on you while you are walking. It is common to hear popping or cracking sounds when you move your knee.
If the doctor determines you have this problem, they will start out with physical therapy and give you pain medication. The doctor can give you a steroid injection in the knee to help with the pain. If you continue to have pain the doctor can do a complete knee replacement to treat this problem.
Bursitis
Another thing that can cause knee pain is bursitis. There is a sac under your kneecap, known as the bursa, that holds fluid above your knee joint. This fluid is important as it prevents friction when you move your knee.
If you fall and injure your knee or overuse your knee this irritates the bursa. This will cause pain and swelling of the knee. To determine if you have knee bursitis the doctor will take x-rays and do an MRI. Knee bursitis often goes away on its own within a few weeks. If there is an infection in the bursa, the doctor will take a sample of the fluid to test it. They do this by inserting a needle into the bursa to drain a small amount of fluid.
If you continue to feel pain in your knee the doctor might do a corticosteroid injection in the area. This will reduce inflammation and your knee pain will likely go away in a few days. If you continue to have pain the orthopedist might suggest that you have surgery, which will involve removing the bursa.
The orthopedist will tell you of other causes of knee pain and the treatment options available.
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