knee-pain
In older people, recurrent pain and stiffness in both knees is likely to be caused by osteoarthritis , the most common type of arthritis in the UK. Osteoarthritis causes damage to the articular cartilage (protective surface of the knee bone) and mild swelling of the tissues in and around the joints.
The pain in your joints may beworse after putting weight onyour knees and your knees may become stiff if you don't move them for a while. They may also occasionally become locked or feel as though they're going to give way.
In some cases, osteoarthritis can also causea painful fluid-filled swellingto develop at the back of the knee this is known as a Bakers cyst , or popliteal cyst.
Less commonly, osteoarthritis can affect younger people, especially those who are overweight or have had serious injuries to the knee in the past.
You should see your GP if you think your knee pain may be caused by osteoarthritis. They may recommend wearing suitable footwear to reduce the strain on your joints, using assistive devices such as a walking stick, losing weight, taking painkillers, or having physiotherapy. This particularly affectspeople with certain jobs that involve kneeling (such as carpet layers), or sports players (such as footballers).
It typically causes pain in the knee that gets worse when you kneel or bend your knee fully.Your knee will also probably be swollen and may be tender, red and warm.
Bursitis can often be treated at home.Resting the affected area and using an ice pack helps reduce the swellingandordinary painkillers can help relieve the pain until your knee heals. You should see your GP urgently, or go to your nearest accident and emergency (A&E) department .
Sudden knee pain is usually the result of overusing the knee or suddenly injuring it. In many cases, you don't need to see your GP.
Common causes of knee pain include: sprains and strains anterior knee pain (pain around the kneecap) menisci or cartilage damage osteoarthritis tendonitis bursitis (housemaid's knee)
If you think your pain is the result of having done more activity than you're used to, you've probably just sprained or strained your knee. This means that the knee tissues have stretched, but aren't
Knee pain felt at the front of the knee, around the kneecap, is called anterior knee pain orpatellofemoral pain syndrome. It's not always obvious why this pain develops, but it's been linked to previ
Sitting between the upper and lower leg bones at the knee joint are rubbery pads of tissue called menisci. These cushion the bones, acting as shock absorbers. A meniscus can also be torn after sudden
In older people, recurrent pain and stiffness in both knees is likely to be caused by osteoarthritis , the most common type of arthritis in the UK. Osteoarthritis causes damage to the articular cartil
Knee painmay be caused by torn ligaments or tendons. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect the bones at the knee joint; tendons connect the muscles to the bone.You can tear these tissues du
An injury that causes significant damage to the knee joint may cause bleeding into the joint spaces, known as haemarthrosis.This can happen if a cruciate ligament is torn or if there is a fracture to
In teenagers and young adults, pain, swelling and tenderness in the bony lump just below the kneecap could be a sign ofOsgood-Schlatter's disease. This is a where the bone at the top of the lower leg
Ifyou experience sudden attacks of severe knee pain and yourkneealso becomesred and hot, the cause is likely to be gout , whichis atype of arthritis. Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid (a wast
You should see your GP if: you cannot put weight on your knee at all you have severe pain even when you're not putting weight on it, such as at night your knee locks or painfully clicks (painless