Knee pain symptoms & treatment

Knee pain is a common condition affecting a wide range of people. Pain can result from knee injuries, an infection or medical conditions such as arthritis.

Treatment for knee pain depends on the cause of the pain and how severe it is. Our orthopedic and sports medicine specialists can offer personalized treatment plans – including surgical and nonsurgical options – after a physical examination and assessment.

Our specialized approach to knee pain

At Aurora, our orthopedists are committed to providing compassionate care for knee pain. We offer:

• Emphasis on prevention: A healthy, active lifestyle can help you prevent knee pain, swelling and painful joints. Our primary care doctors can help you maintain orthopedic wellness and prevent injuries at every age.
• One of the largest health care providers in Wisconsin: If your knee pain becomes serious, your doctor or a sports medicine specialist can immediately refer you to the right specialists and resources. That’s because our large team of experts is connected by a single, fully integrated health system.
• Seamless chain of care: Whether you need orthopedic specialists, primary care doctors, integrative medicine providers, sports medicine providers, physical therapists or a combination approach, our team works together to give you the best care possible.
• Top-tier specialists: Our expert team includes over 70 orthopedic surgeons, many of whom are fellowship-trained. This team sees many people for orthopedic care and joint replacement surgery, which translates to deep experience in treating all types of orthopedic problems – including knee pain.
• Faster, more advanced surgery: We offer leading-edge treatments that aren’t widely available elsewhere such as minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery. Minimally invasive surgery can help you recover faster.

When should you see a doctor for knee pain?

Knee pain symptoms can be different for different people and may change over time. You may feel knee pain constantly, or it may come and go. You might experience pain in the back of your knee or feel stiffness instead of pain.

If you experience any of the following symptoms, it’s important to see a doctor to prevent further injury:

• Pain, swelling and redness in and around the knee
• Stiffness and inability to fully straighten the leg
• Popping, crunching and clicking sounds when you move or bend your knee
• Fever, which can be a sign of infection

Is your hip and knee pain cause for concern?

Hip and knee pain doesn’t have to interfere with your life. Our hip and knee pain quiz evaluates your knees and hips, gauges the severity of any issues and gives you an idea what to do next based on your results.

Take the hip and knee pain quiz

What causes knee pain?

Like other forms of joint pain, knee pain can have many causes including injury, medical conditions or infection.

Knee pain risk factors

Knee pain can affect almost anyone at any age. Certain factors can increase your risk, including:

• Poor muscle tone due to a sedentary lifestyle
• Obesity
• Shoes that don’t fit properly
• History of previous knee injuries
• Participating in exercise or sports without properly warming up beforehand

Knee injuries

Accidents and sports injuries can cause mild to severe knee pain. This type of pain may be caused by damage to different areas of the bones or soft tissue, including:

• Tendons: Tendons are the fibrous connective tissue that attaches muscle to bone to support movement. Tendonitis and jumper’s knee are two conditions affecting the tendons that can cause pain in the knee.
• Ligaments: Ligaments are the fibrous tissues that connect bones or cartilage to provide stability. Knee injuries like ACL tears can cause pain in the knee.
• Cartilage: Cartilage is the rubbery tissue that protects the ends of the leg bones that come together in the knee joint. Meniscus tears and other knee injuries can cause pain, swelling and a feeling of instability.
• Bones: The kneecap is a bone called the patella. Breaking your patella will cause pain in the kneecap. This type of fracture can be difficult to detect by X-ray.
• Bursae: Bursae are the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joint. The knee has three bursae, which can become inflamed, resulting in bursitis of the knee, a less common condition caused by knee injuries. Knee bursitis may cause pain, swelling and tenderness, indicating the knee joint is irritated.

If you have a knee injury, count on our team of experts to get to the source of the pain and offer personalized care recommendations. Request a free injury evaluation.

Medical conditions affecting the knee

Common medical conditions that can cause knee pain include:

• Arthritis: This common joint condition can cause pain, swelling and stiffness in the knee because of worn cartilage.
• Knee instability: Injury to the ligaments can cause the knee to twist and move side to side during basic activities.
• Tendonitis: Repetitive motion can irritate the tendons in the knee and cause pain, swelling and discomfort.
• Infection: Infection or painful swelling of the knee can result from several types of bacteria or arthritis. If you have a joint infection affecting the knee, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

Knee pain diagnosis

When you visit your doctor, they’ll perform a physical exam to evaluate your knee mobility and investigate the cause of your knee pain.

To gather more information to confirm a diagnosis, your doctor may order tests including:

• Blood tests: Tests that check for infection or different types of arthritis
• X-ray: Images that can show arthritis, fractures or other problems with bones in and around the knee
• Ultrasound or MRI scans: Detailed images that show injuries to ligaments, muscles and other soft tissue

Treatments for knee pain

Depending on the cause and severity of your knee pain, your doctor may recommend several treatment options. Learn more about our treatments for knee pain.

Some treatments we offer include:

• Physical therapy
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Medications to treat autoimmune disease, infections or gout
• Injections for joint pain to lubricate the knee joint and relieve pain, including hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids like cortisone
• Arthrocentesis, where a syringe is used to remove fluid from the knee in order to relieve pain and test for signs of arthritis
• Full or partial knee replacement surgery to treat severe arthritis or severe injuries, including pain at the back of the knee
• Integrated medicine techniques like acupuncture

How weight loss can help knee pain

Being overweight adds additional strain and pressure on knees, which can lead to greater risk of knee injuries, pain and arthritis. The good news is that weight loss can help knee pain. One study showed that losing one pound resulted in four pounds of pressure being taken off the knees. So losing 10 pounds would remove 40 pounds of pressure from your knees.

Exercises to help knee pain

Strengthening your glutes, hamstrings and quadriceps can help stabilize your knee joints and prevent pain and injury in the future. Sports medicine and sports health experts can show you specific exercises to target these areas. Swimming, biking, walking and any activity that strengthens your legs are also beneficial. Always consult your doctor before beginning a new exercise program.