What Causes Knee Pain Without An Injury?
Sometimes the cause of severe knee pain is apparent.
Knee injuries caused by a twist, misstep, accident, or strain can strike at any time during a walk or a run.
But many people suffer knee pain without an injury and are unsure of the source of their pain.
Most people make the assumption that knee pain will just go away or if it isn’t the result of an injury that it isn’t a big deal.
Sometimes that may be true, but any pain in your knee should be taken seriously.
Damage to your knee joint can happen slowly over time.
It can also have as significant an impact on you as a traumatic knee injury would.
The first thing we should do is stop making assumptions.
Any time you feel pain, something in your body isn’t right.
As a result, any time you feel pain, it’s never a bad idea to your knee pain medically reviewed by specialists like the ones at Ethos Health Group.
Knee pain specialists can get to the bottom of your pain so they can help relieve some of your distress.
If you haven’t suffered an injury, it will be imperative for your doctor to make a correct diagnosis to fix your pain.
If you haven’t suffered an injury, what are the causes of knee pain?
In the article below, we will discuss the most common causes of knee pain without an injury.
Check out a related blog post: Common Causes of Chronic Knee Pain.
Common Causes of Knee Pain without an Injury
Gout
Gout has been known to cause extreme pain, swelling in the joints, redness, and warmth.
It’s also one of the causes of knee pain without an injury.
The symptoms of gout often appear without warning, sometimes in the middle of the night.
Almost half of all gout cases affect the big toe joint, but some cases will affect the knee joint.
Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid crystals in the joint.
Uric acid crystals are needle-like microscopic crystals that collect in the joint’s soft tissue and sometimes cause excruciating pain, along with redness, warmth, and swelling.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease similar to osteoarthritis that is a progressive wearing of the cartilage in the knee joint, causing inflammation.
Chronic inflammation can lead to damage and loss of cartilage.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs in about 0.6 percent of people in the U.S. It’s two to three times more common in women.
It is indicated by stiffness, swelling, and pain.
The skin over your knee may look red and feel soft or spongy when pressed. Symptoms are often worst in the morning.
Tendinitis
Your tendons connect your joints to your bones.
Repeating the same actions over and over again, like walking or running, can cause overuse injury and cause your tendons to become inflamed and swollen.
This is tendinitis.
Tendinitis of the knee is very common.
Patellar tendinitis, or jumpers knee, and quad tendinitis are specific types of tendinitis.
Swelling, tightness, and dull aches are common symptoms of tendonitis in your knee.
It’s often difficult to move your knee until you have adequate rest.
Osteoarthritis
The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis is a progressive wearing of the cartilage in your knee joint.
People over 50 are more likely to have this condition.
When you’re over 50, the impact of osteoarthritis can worsen due to accumulated use and the wearing down of your cartilage as you age.
Osteoarthritis is typically caused by age, weight, genetics, previous injuries, infections, illness, and certain occupations.
The most common symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee are:
- – knee pain
- – knee tenderness
- – deformity and weakness
- – pain that worsens over time
- – limited range of motion
- – stiffness of the knee
- – swelling of the joints
Pseudogout: Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD)
Like gout, pseudogout is caused by the build-up of microscopic crystals in a joint and leads to sudden joint pain, redness, warmth, and swelling.
Pseudogout is less common than gout, but it is more likely to affect the knee joint.
The microscopic crystals that cause pseudogout are calcium phosphate crystals.
Pseudogout is also referred to as pseudogout as calcium pyrophosphate deposition or acute calcium crystal arthritis.
Bursitis
Our knee joints have tiny sacs of fluid that cushion the bones.
If they become irritated or infected, they can become inflamed, leading to a condition known as bursitis.
This condition is often accompanied by redness around the joint, tenderness at the knee and even fever.
Diagnosing Knee Pain
Your doctor will diagnose your knee pain or arthritis using imaging tests and a physical exam.
They will inquire about your pain, knee flexibility and function, activity levels, past injuries or conditions, and if your family has a history of arthritis.
Health and wellness professionals may also use special tests to help identify the type of arthritis that may affect your knee.
The special tests include the following.
Bloodwork
Your doctor will draw blood to check for an anti-CCP antibody that can indicate rheumatoid arthritis.
Other antibodies can be related to a more widespread disorder like lupus with inflammation throughout your entire body.
Fluid Tests
Your doctor can draw fluid from your knee joint to take a look at it.
If they find that your fluid has uric acid crystals, it could be an indication that gout is causing your inflammation and pain.
The presence of bacteria indicates an infection is the source of your symptoms.
Imaging Tests
Imaging tests like x-rays will help identify signs of arthritis.
If the space between the bones is narrow, if there are any bone spurs, or if the joint isn’t aligned correctly, it could be a sign of arthritis.
CT scans and MRIs can produce detailed imaging of the bone and the tissue in your knee, so they are used to diagnose injuries and unexplained swelling.
So if your doctor suspects you’ve suffered a tear of your cartilage or a ligament, they’d likely order an MRI.
Takeaway
Many different causes of knee pain without an injury.
But the main thing to remember is that no matter what kind of pain you’re dealing with or what caused it, you should always see a doctor to make sure your pain isn’t a symptom of a larger issue.
Treating the condition that is causing your knee pain will help you make a complete recovery so you can get on with your life.
You should also remember that knee pain is just something you have to deal with that won’t get any better.
Your doctor can recommend lifestyle adjustments and tools to relieve your pain as well, like losing weight or physical therapy.
Ethos Health Group
If you’re suffering from severe knee pain without an injury or due to an injury, visit the Ethos Health Group.
The Ethos Health Group has treatment options for knee pain that will help you get your life back together.
Osteoarthritis and the other conditions we talked about above can lead to pain, stiffness, swelling, and instability in your joints.
If you’d like to avoid endless cortisone shots, dangerous medications, and invasive surgeries, Ethos Health is for you.
At Ethos Health Group, the number one priority is to help their patients get back to doing what they love most and enjoy the life they’ve worked so hard to achieve.
Ethos Health Group has developed a proprietary HyalRegen-CT method as a comprehensive solution for those suffering from knee arthritis and pain.
Lubricating injections are performed under precision imaging guidance, so we know we’re targeting precisely the right area.
This advanced medical process serves to add cushioning fluid back into the knee, like oil for a squeaky hinge.
Even more exciting, these FDA cleared injections can help your knees stimulate more of their own natural fluid, giving you long-term benefit and relief.
If you’re ready to find out what Ethos Health Group can do for you and your knee pain, click the button below to schedule your Free Consultation.
