Knee Pain At Night |Relieve Your Pain And Get Restful Sleep

Knee pain at night is a common discomfort sensation that is characterized by throbbing and aching knees which leads to pain-induced insomnia and leaves you exhausted.

The knee joint is the largest joint on the body so it's more susceptible to injury if you fall.

We use our knees many times in all daily activities when bending, walking, running, swimming, going up and down the stairs which generate pressure on the joint and cause knee pain at night.

Causes of knee pain at night

Conditions with musculoskeletal illness and injuries are the most common causes of knee pain at night.

1-Runner's knee

Runner's knee is one of the most common causes of knee pain at night in athletes due to overuse of the joint.

Runner's knee is characterized by dull radiating pain and aches behind the kneecap which increases with jumping and running.

Usually, pain is caused due to runner's knee relief after a few weeks of resting or by over-the-counter pain relievers.

2-osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease that occurs due to wear and tear of the soft tissues which absorb the shock and support the body weight during walking and falling.

When cartilage is degraded, rubbing of the knee bones against each other increases causing knee

inflammation, irritation, and stiffness.

Osteoarthritis may be associated with swelling, stiffness, aching, and throbbing pain.

Unfortunately, osteoarthritis can't be treated completely as there is no way to replace all damaged soft tissue but patients with osteoarthritis have many options to reduce knee pain and prevent deterioration of the disease.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition that presents with similar symptoms to osteoarthritis but treatment for each disease is different.

3-Bursitis

Bursa is a sac filled with fluid that lubricates the structures of the knee joint during movement, when this sac gets inflamed it's called bursitis.

Bursitis occurs with over frequent pressure on your knee during high impact exercises such as squatting without Knee braces or pads which support your joint and shift pressure away from the knee.

Bursitis causes knee swelling, warm and aching pain which varies from moderate to severe.

Why does knee pain get worse at night

In the morning, our mind is occupied with many things and thoughts so it ignores knee pain.

At night when we try to relax, our body produces lower levels of cortisol which is important to reduce inflammation and relieve knee pain due to inflammation.

When your body is at rest such as during sleep, your joints become stiff and less flexible but low-impact workouts such as walking, swimming, and yoga help your joints to be healthy and strong while high-impact activities May cause knee pain.

Low impact workout activates synovial fluid circulation which lubricates joint structures during movement to protect knee joints and decrease the wear and tear process of the cartilage.

Despite pain depriving you of sleep but you need to sleep because lack of sleep will worsen the pain as sleep is important for healing and regeneration of energy which is needed for healing.

Home remedies for knee pain at night

1-Over the counter medications or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are very good knee pain relievers and are available at grocery stores and pharmacies.

2-3 hours before sleep, avoid eating heavy foods or doing exercises.

3-Keep your bedroom dark and cool.

4-Avoid using computers and phones before sleeping and try to relax.

5-Use pillow in-between your legs to avoid straining the knee.

6-Ask your doctor to give you sleeping pills like melatonin.

7-Acupuncture is an old invasive Chinese method of treatment that is still used as a treatment for many diseases.

8-Use Cold and warm pads in alternation to reduce swelling and inflammation.

9-Wear knee braces or casts to support and stabilize your joint during exercise.

10- Put several pillows under your knee during sleeping to support the joint and decrease congestion of the leg.

Medications are taken when you can't sleep (sleeping pills) due to knee pain at night

1-Narcotic pain relievers

Your doctor May prescribe stronger narcotic pain relievers such as hydrocodone but these types of drugs are addictive so never take them without a doctor's prescription.

2-Over the counter sleeping pills

•Diphenhydramine is an antihistamine for allergies and May cause sleepiness.

•melatonin is another over-the-counter sleeping pill that is effective when insomnia is due to the disturbed circadian rhythm but this medication is associated with a high risk of tolerance so you should ask your doctor about how to use this drug correctly and follow the instructions.

3-Benzodiazepines family

They are the major group of sleeping pills which your doctor will recommend if insomnia persists even after the use of over-the-counter sleeping pills.

Sleeping pills are not suitable for pregnancy and most of these medications are addictive so sleeping pills are not favorable for many people due to their side effects.

1-Belsomra

2-Ambien and Eurodin are benzodiazepines receptors agonists which support the action of GABA so they will help you to fall asleep fast but never take these medications before asking your doctor because overdose may cause delirium, transient memory loss, or sleep-related disorders.

3-Intermezzo

This medication contains the same ingredient as Ambien but its life half is shorter than Ambien so you can take it if you wake in the middle of the night and fail to sleep again.

4-Lunesta

It's a benzodiazepine receptor agonist which has a metallic taste in the mouth.

5-Rozerem

It's benzodiazepines, which promote the effects of the brain's natural sleep hormone(melatonin) so it will help you to fall asleep fast.

6-Silenor and trazodone

They are antidepressant medications that have an effective role in reducing time taken to fall asleep and decreasing the potential of waking at night.

Summary

Knee pain at night is very annoying so you need to visit your doctor to detect the accurate diagnosis and make suitable treatment plans for you to manage knee pain at night.

You will try many options like pain relievers medications, physical therapy, and home remedies such as ice till you explore the effective ones.

By.Dr.Fatma Ragab