What Causes Chronic Knee Pain?

Chronic knee pain is a pain that lasts for longer than 3 months and differs in symptoms for every patient. Many patients will experience some swelling or sensitivity in one or often both knees that vary in intensity. The symptoms that are experienced are also heavily influenced by the cause of the knee pain, and what kind of daily activities the patient does that may affect how frequently the knees are used. There are many different possible causes as we use our knees for almost everything in our day-to-day lives, but thankfully, there are also many different treatments so that patients will not have to suffer from the pain.

It is common for knee pain to be the result of one or more conditions or injuries, but most injuries will only lead to acute pain, which will go away once fully healed. Chronic knee pain can be caused by severe injuries or torn ligaments but is more commonly caused by repeated overuse or injury of the knee, which leads to inflammation, known as bursitis. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are very common conditions that lead to chronic knee pain, occurring due to degeneration and deterioration of the knee joint. Some other conditions that lead to chronic knee pain include tendinitis, gout, dislocations, meniscus tear, and bone tumors. The longer different injuries or conditions go without treatment, the worse the pain will likely become since we use our knees so frequently and heavily rely on them to get around.

The most common disease that causes chronic knee pain is arthritis, including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout (a type of arthritis caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals in the joint), pseudogout (arthritis caused by calcium-containing crystals that most commonly build up in the knee joint), and septic arthritis (an infection in the joint leading to cartilage degeneration). There are also multiple types of cancers that start or spread to the bones, which could lead to chronic knee pain. Baker’s (popliteal) cyst is another common condition that can cause chronic knee pain and often develops as a result of an underlying condition such as arthritis. It is a lump that forms in the back of the knee due to fluid build-up and swelling that causes an uncomfortable tightness and lack of mobility in the knee. For most of these diseases or conditions, treatment of the cause itself can often lead to alleviation of the knee pain as a result.

Knee pain can be incredibly uncomfortable and quite inconvenient as we use our knees almost constantly throughout the day. While it can be difficult to determine whether your pain is serious enough to warrant a trip to the doctor, some indicators to look out for to help you make that decision include how much the knee pain is affecting your daily activities. For example, if you are unable to bear any weight on your knee or it feels as though your knee may give out if you have significant swelling if you are unable to flex or extend your knee fully if there is a visible deformity within your leg or knee, and if you have a fever alongside any redness, pain, or swelling in your knee, these are all very valid reasons to visit your doctor. As well, if you have suffered an injury to the knee and the pain that you are experiencing is likely associated with that injury, it is recommended that the pain be taken seriously and checked out promptly by a physician. There is no need to suffer from chronic knee pain anymore, Dr. Robert Nocerini MD, and his highly skilled team at NorthStar Joint and Spine are ready to help you get back to living your best life. We serve patients from Plano TX, McKinney TX, Richardson TX, Frisco TX, Allen TX, Addison TX, Carrollton TX, and BEYOND!