Knee Pain
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Knee pain can often be severe and it can prevent you from living your life to the fullest.
Knee pain is one of the most common types of joint pain, It can be localized to one specific area of the knee, or it can spread throughout the knee. There are bony structures which comprise the knee joint, as well as ligaments and cartilage in the knee joint. Any of these structures could be the source of your knee pain. Knee pain could be the result of an injury, an infection, or a complication of a medical condition.
Causes and Symptoms of Knee Pain
The severity of knee pain can vary, from a minor ache to a severe, disabling pain. There are many causes of knee pain, such as:
- Infection
- Fracture of the kneecap
- A Baker cyst (which usually causes pain in the back of the knee)
- Osteoarthritis
- Acute injury, such as a torn ligament, broken bone or meniscal tear
- Patellar Syndrome
- Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Anterior cruciate ligament injury (usually a sports injury)
- Knee dislocation (can be a medical emergency as blood flow to the leg could be compromised)
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Septic arthritis
- Gout
- Osgood-Schlatter disease (in children)
- Excess weight
- Overuse during repetitive motions
Symptoms of knee problems include:
- Instability of the knee
- Difficulty walking
- Discomfort-caused limp
- Inability to bend knee
- Inability to extend the knee
- Redness and swelling
- Shifting weight to the opposite knee and foot
- Pain—either intermittent or chronic, minor to severe
Diagnosing Knee Pain
A detailed patient history will help your healthcare provider determine the cause of your knee pain. Questions will cover your general health, as well as how long you have had knee pain, how severe the pain is, and whether anything makes the pain feel better or worse. Your doctor may also order numerous tests to help make an accurate diagnosis. An x-ray can establish whether you have suffered a fracture or a degenerative change to your knee. An MRI can evaluate the soft tissues in the knee to determine whether there are cartilage and muscle injuries or ligament tears. Blood tests can help make a diagnosis of gout or arthritis. In some cases, a small amount of fluid will be drawn from the knee area when a diagnosis is elusive.
Treatments Used for Knee Pain
The interventional pain management specialists at Seattle Pain will perform a complete evaluation of your knee pain and develop a comprehensive pain treatment program just for you. Whenever possible, we at Seattle Pain want to help you avoid surgery. We may use one or more of the following traditional or non-traditional treatments for your knee pain, with a goal of getting you back to your normal activities:
- NSAIDs or other anti-inflammatory pain medications
- Corticosteroids injections
- Nerve blocks
- Radiofrequency ablation
Are you suffering from knee pain?
Contact Our Seattle Interventional Pain Management Specialists
At Seattle Pain, our primary goal is to relieve your knee pain and improve your quality of life. We believe in treating the whole patient – and not just the injury. We understand that an athlete with knee pain may need a different treatment program than someone suffering from a knee fracture. You do not have to live in pain.
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