Causes Of Knee Pain When Bending And How To Treat With It

Knee pain when bending is a popular complaint because we bend our knees several times throughout the day and during all daily activities such as sitting or climbing.

Wear and tear of the cartilage, ligaments, muscles, tendons, and bones of the knee occur due to repetitive use with progress on the age.

knee joint movement is the result of the integrity of actions of all knee structures so if any structure gets injured during movement, knee pain will occur.

knee pain when bending usually can be treated at home with medical attention but if knee pain when bending lasts for several days, you need to see your doctor.

1-Patellofemoral syndrome

Patellofemoral syndrome is a condition that causes pain in the front of the knee and around the kneecap.

Patellofemoral syndrome is known as jumper's knee or runner's knee because it's very common with athletes, especially runners and jumpers.

This condition is associated with dull, aching pain which increases with daily activities such as exercises, bending, or squatting.

2-Bursitis

Bursa is fluid-filled sacs that lubricate structures of the knee joint during movement and when this sac is inflamed, it's called bursitis.

Bursitis is a Pain condition that occurs more commonly in the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee.

The affected joint appears swollen, red, warm, and tender and causing stiffness of the joint.

Bursitis is more common with aging and other systemic diseases can be risk factors for bursitis such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and gout.

3-Patellar tendonitis

Inflammation of the patellar tendon which connects kneecap with shinbone leading to weakness of the tendon and tears.

Patellar tendonitis is caused due to overuse of the joint which leads to repetitive stress on the patellar tendon that causes pain due to inflammation and weakness of the tendon.

Patellar tendonitis is known as jumper's knee because it's more common in athletes and sports which require repetitive jumping such as basketball or volleyball.

The Pain starts in the knee joint when you start physical activity and the pain gets worse and renders your daily movements such as climbing the stairs.

4-Iliotibial band syndrome

It's an injury of the connective tissue of the outer side of the thigh and the knee due to overuse causing inflammation and irritation of the iliotibial band.

Iliotibial band syndrome causes pain and tenderness on the lateral and outer aspects of the thigh and the knee joint.

Sharp pain starts on the outer aspect of the knee especially when your heel hits the floor then the pain gets worse and increases with running or descending the stairs.

Acute and burning pain starts on the affected joint which appears swollen and tender with palpation to the lateral aspect of the thigh.

5-Osteoarthritis

It's the most popular type of arthritis which occurs due to wear and tear of the cartilage with aging so it's a degenerative disease.

This condition is associated with pain , swelling and joint stiffness especially in the morning.

There are many risk factors for osteoarthritis such as age, family history, obesity and gender because osteoarthritis is more common in women than men.

How can you treat knee pain when bending at home?

1- change your activity

Take care and notice how you move your joints and if you feel pain when doing a certain action , avoid it until you feel better.

2- RICE

Many causes of knee pain when bending can be treated by home remedies without medical interference.

•Rest to allow your muscles to heal.

•Ice

apply ice on the affected area for 20 minutes several times daily to reduce knee swelling and pain.

•Compression

use elastic bandage to wrap your knee to reduce swelling.

•Elevation

place several pillows below your leg to reduce knee swelling.

3-Heat

switch to heat as heat helps to increase circulation to the tissue which

improves healing.

4-over the counter medications

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen are common treatments to reduce knee pain when bending because they

are available at grocery and pharmacy without prescription.

5-Massage

Apply pressure on your muscles, tendons and ligaments to relieve knee pain.

Massage help your muscles to relax which help your injury to heal and relieve.

6-Knee exercises

There are two types of exercises which are effective in reducing knee pain:

1-Strengthening exercises

To strengthen muscles around the knee joint to shift pressure away from the knee and reduce stress on the affected joint.

2-Stretch exercises

To decrease tension in the surrounding muscles and reduce pressure on the knee joint.

If you feel pain during doing exercises , you should stop immediately.

7-Physical therapy

Physical therapists may recommend specific exercises to improve strength, mobility and flexibility of the knee joint.

8-Knee braces and casts

If you have knee pain when bending , your doctor may advise you to wear knee braces or casts to protect your knee and prevent mobilization to allow healing of the injured joint.

9-Surgery

Surgery comes in the last option after trying all the previous methods but without any benefit.

There are many types of surgery which are required only for severe cases

1-Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

To repair torn ACL

2-Meniscectomy

To repair torn meniscus

3-Total and partial knee replacement

How to avoid knee pain when bending

1-Warm up for 15-30minute before starting workouts.

2- Gradual increase in the training load to avoid injury.

3-Wear comfortable and proper shoes.

4-Take enough rest between workouts.

5-Start with low impact exercises such as cycling and walking in place for 5-15minutes before switching to high impact activities.

When should you see the doctor if you have knee pain when bending?

1-If you have severe Knee pain when bending.

2-Inability to move your leg.

3-Swelling and redness of the joint.

4- Fever.

5-Weakness of the knee joint.

Knee joint recovery

Knee joint injury will take 6weeks to relieve and can increase if you need surgery.

Total time of knee joint recovery is affected by many factors such as :

1-Severity of the condition.

2-Overall health.

3-Age.

4-Type of surgery and injury.

5-Treatment plan.

Physical therapy is necessary during recovery time to restore the strength and function of the joint.

Summary

Prevention is better than cure so take care during movement to avoid knee pain when bending.

By.dr.Fatma Ragab