Knee Pain – Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis
Checking Inside with Imaging
Doctors usually start diagnosing knee pain by looking inside the joint with imaging tools. X-rays help spot bone fractures or signs of osteoarthritis.
CT scans show cross-sectional images, so doctors can catch small bone breaks or even gout—even when the joint doesn’t look swollen.
Ultrasound lets doctors check soft tissues like tendons, ligaments, and muscles. If you move your knee during the scan, it can reveal problems that only show up with motion.
MRI scans give a clear look at cartilage, menisci, ligaments, and muscles. This can pinpoint ligament injuries, meniscal tears, patellar tendinitis, or other soft tissue damage.
| Imaging Tool | What It Detects |
|---|---|
| X-ray | Bone fractures, osteoarthritis |
| CT scan | Subtle bone changes, fractures, gout |
| Ultrasound | Bursitis, ligament or tendon issues, Baker cyst, movement |
| MRI | Cartilage, ligament tears, menisci, soft tissue injuries |
Examining Blood and Knee Fluid
Doctors may order blood or joint fluid tests to look for infections, autoimmune disorders, or gout. Blood tests can show signs of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or other autoimmune diseases that cause swelling and pain.
With arthrocentesis, doctors use a needle to draw a small sample of fluid from your knee. The lab checks this fluid for infections, gout crystals, or inflammation. These tests help when there’s swelling, redness, trouble walking, or other mechanical symptoms.
Treatment
Medicines
Doctors often suggest medicines to manage knee pain and swelling. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen or naproxen are go-to choices for many people.
These drugs help with both pain and inflammation. For certain joint problems, such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis, doctors might prescribe stronger medicines to control the disease.
If there’s a knee infection, antibiotics may be necessary. Always use medicine exactly as your healthcare provider recommends.
Movement and Strength-Building Programs
Exercise and physical therapy play a big role in managing knee pain. Physical therapists help you strengthen the muscles around your knee, which gives more support and eases strain.
They often teach stretches and strengthening routines tailored to your specific knee trouble. Sometimes, a therapist will work with you to change the way you move in sports or daily life to protect your knees in the future.
Working on balance and flexibility can help lower your risk of new problems. Special shoe inserts, called arch supports, can shift pressure away from sore spots—especially if you have osteoarthritis.
Braces sometimes help support the knee and reduce pain after certain injuries.
Sample Knee Strengthening Program Table
| Type of Exercise | Purpose | Example Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Quadriceps strengthening | Stabilize knee | Straight leg raises |
| Hamstring stretching | Improve flexibility | Standing hamstring stretch |
| Balance training | Prevent falls | Standing on one leg |
Medicine That Goes Right Into the Joint
Some treatments send medicine straight into the knee joint. This approach can bring relief right where you need it.
- Steroid Shots: Corticosteroid injections sometimes lower swelling and pain for a few months, though they don’t help everyone.
- Hyaluronic Acid: This thick fluid, similar to what’s naturally in healthy joints, can make movement easier and reduce pain for several months, but results vary.
- Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP): PRP uses a part of your own blood packed with growth factors. These may help calm swelling and support healing, though experts still need more research.
Surgical Options When Needed
If other treatments don’t help or you have certain injuries, surgery might be the next step.
- Knee Scope (arthroscopy): The surgeon uses a small camera and special tools through tiny cuts to remove loose tissue, fix cartilage, or repair torn ligaments.
- Partial Knee Joint Replacement: Only the damaged part of your knee gets replaced with metal or plastic. This surgery usually means smaller cuts and a quicker recovery than a total knee replacement.
- Complete Knee Joint Replacement: The surgeon removes damaged bone and cartilage and puts in an artificial knee made from metal and strong plastic.
- Bone Reshaping (Osteotomy): This procedure changes the shape of your bone to take pressure off sore parts of the knee, which can help delay or avoid a full knee replacement.
Every treatment has its pros and cons, and what works best depends on your pain, its cause, and your personal needs.
Everyday Steps and Tips for Managing Knee Pain
You can handle knee pain at home with a few simple steps and habit changes. Many people use over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or naproxen sodium for quick relief.
Creams with numbing ingredients such as lidocaine or capsaicin can be rubbed onto the knee for extra comfort.
Simple self-care measures help with a sore or injured knee. The RICE method—Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation—is a classic approach:
| Step | What to Do | Why It Helps |
|---|---|---|
| Rest | Avoid activities that put stress on the knee | Prevents further damage |
| Ice | Apply a cold pack for up to 20 minutes at a time | Reduces swelling and pain |
| Compression | Use a supportive bandage that’s snug, not tight | Limits swelling, supports |
| Elevation | Prop the leg up with pillows or in a recliner | Lowers swelling |
A heat pack or hot-water bottle can sometimes soothe pain, but heat works best for sore muscles—not fresh injuries.
A light, breathable, self-adhesive bandage offers gentle compression. Just make sure it feels supportive and doesn’t cut off circulation.
Try resting your knee for a day or two after a minor injury. This gives it a chance to start healing. More serious injuries might need a longer break.
Whenever you can, keep your knee elevated—on pillows, for example—to help manage swelling.
Other Therapy Approaches
Some people turn to acupuncture for knee pain from osteoarthritis. This practice uses very thin needles placed in specific points, and some find it helps manage discomfort.
Getting Ready for Your Visit
Steps You Can Take Beforehand
You can get more out of your visit if you prepare a few details ahead of time. Jot down when your symptoms started, whether an injury triggered the pain, and if your discomfort stays constant or comes and goes.
Make a quick list of what helps your knee and what makes it worse. Note any medicines or supplements you use regularly.
To stay organized, bring a table like this:
| Symptom Details | Notes |
|---|---|
| Start of symptoms | |
| Injury involved | |
| Severity | |
| What helps | |
| What worsens | |
| Medicines/Supplements |
Wear loose, comfy clothes so the doctor can easily check your knee.
What Your Healthcare Provider Might Ask
During your visit, your doctor will likely ask for more details to figure out your knee problem. Expect questions about your sports or exercise habits, recent injuries, swelling, or trouble moving your knee.
They may ask if you have knee symptoms elsewhere or if you’ve dealt with knee pain before. Try to answer as clearly as you can—every bit helps with your treatment plan.
