Knee pain is a common reason for people to visit their physical therapist. Often, knee pain is the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. But some medical conditions can literally bring you to your knees, including arthritis, bursitis, patellofemoral syndrome, and tendonitis.
Common Knee Conditions:
- ACL Injuries
- Bursitis
- Arthritis
- Muscle Strains
- Meniscus Tear
- Ligament Sprain
- Patellar Tendonitis
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
- Sports Injuries
- Osgood-Schlatter Disease
- Patellar Instability
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Post Surgical
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of knee arthritis. Also called wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis is characterized by progressive wearing away of the cartilage of the joint.
Iliotibial Band Syndrome is an irritation / inflammation of the iliotibial band (the inflammation is usually not visible) that causes lateral knee pain. This condition is most common in long-distance runners and cyclists.
Muscle Strains can be caused by increasing the duration and intensity of exercise or any activity too quickly.
The bursa is a sac containing a small amount of fluid that is located between surfaces that need to move to reduce friction. Bursitis (Inflammation of a bursa) is usually caused by overuse. Excessive kneeling often causes prepatellar bursitis (common in carpet layers, and gardeners). The symptoms are knee pain and inflammation over the kneecap and sometimes limited range of motion.
(Tendonitis of the Knee-REMOVE) Patellar Tendonitis (also called jumper’s knee) is generally caused by overuse of the quadriceps, especially jumping types of activities such as volleyball and basketball. Quadriceps Tendonitis is also generally caused by overuse of the quadriceps.
Meniscal tears may occur during participation in sports, often when the knee is twisted.
A torn ACL is a common knee injury in athletes, particularly adolescent females. The knee may give out suddenly when the ACL (Anterior cruciate ligament) is torn and there may be a popping sound upon injury. Symptoms of a torn ACL include knee pain, swelling, stiffness, and bruising. Walking is painful and the knee feels unstable.
The clinicians at COAST Physical Therapy have extensive experience with treating a wide variety of knee injuries. Call us today if you or someone you know could use our help recovering from a knee injury. We are here to help.
