Once you reach adulthood, you will likely start dealing with minor aches and pains fairly often, especially if you live an active lifestyle or work a physically demanding job.
Do you need to worry about knee pain immediately? Not usually.
Often, those pains are in our knees due to the constant stress they are put under day in and day out.
More often than not, the aches and pains in your knee will pass on their own or will go away if you rest or use ice treatments.
However, sometimes the pain can linger on a little too long, or it may become so painful that it keeps you from performing basic activities or getting out of bed in the morning.
Fortunately, there are several things you can do to treat mild knee pain at home.
But it’s still important to know the limitations of self-treatment and when you should see a specialist that can treat your knee pain.
In the article below, we will discuss a few things to look out for that could indicate it’s time to worry about knee pain.
Treating Mild Knee Pain at Home
Depending on the overall condition of your knee and the surrounding muscles, it’s often possible to make a complete recovery at home.
You don’t need to immediately worry about knee pain that was caused by an awkward movement or just slightly tweak your knee, it might just take a few days for your knee to heal up and for your pain and other symptoms to go away.
In cases like these, you will only need medication if the pain is too unbearable, but otherwise, it should heal naturally.
Just don’t push yourself too hard after your injury or do much to test your limits.
This could very easily aggravate your injury and cause it to take longer to heal.
If you’re experiencing a little discomfort and your knee hurts when you’re more active and moving around, try using the RICE method; rest, ice, compression, and elevation.
This method works and is one of the standard at-home treatments to do when you’re experiencing slight pain.
If your pain doesn’t go away with at home-treatments, it could be a sign you need to see a doctor, so keep an eye out for these symptoms.
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When to Worry About Knee Pain
Pain Lasting Longer Than 48 Hours
If the pain in your knee joint prevents you from walking normally for more than a couple of days, it’s a good idea to see a doctor.
Some of the causes of pain deep down in the muscles could be abnormalities of the meniscus or cartilage covering and supporting the bone and knee joint.
Your meniscus is the shock absorber of your knee, and your cartilage covers the ends of your leg bones, allowing for smooth flexion and extension of your knee while you walk or run.
The medial meniscus is on the inside of the knee, and the lateral meniscus is on the outside.
If you have abnormalities of your meniscus or cartilage, it will limit your joint’s smooth range of motion and contribute to a feeling of deep knee pain.
This condition will continue to worsen until you seek medical treatment.
Aside from the pain itself, a torn meniscus often causes an audible popping sound and sensation (we’ll talk more about this later), and it can make it feel like your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.
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A Loss of Your Normal Range of Motion
If you aren’t able to complete basic tasks, like your normal exercises, getting up from a chair, squatting down to pick something up, or going for an easy walk, it may be time to see a specialist.
A loss in your range of motion can be an indicator of serious internal swelling.
If it persists for more than a day or two, you should get medical help.
Or if you find it difficult to put weight on your knee because you’re afraid it’s going to give out, you may have a ligament injury.
Without the proper care, ligament injuries will get much worse over time.
The ligaments are tissue in your knee that supports you as you stand and move.
If you have a ligament injury, you want to get it repaired as soon as possible so it doesn’t lead to chronic knee pain.
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You Heard A Pop
Although sometimes a popping sound in your knee can be normal, sometimes it can indicate something is out of place, especially if it is accompanied by severe knee pain.
A popping sound coming from your knee can be as innocent as the sound that comes after cracking your knuckles, or it can be the result of a ligament tear, a meniscus tear, strained tendons, or a dislocated kneecap.
You usually hear and feel the pop at the same time.
When you hear a popping sound during an injury, it can be an indication that you’ve injured a ligament.
Fortunately, not all ligament injuries are full tears, though, and they don’t all require surgery.
But if you experience excessive joint pain, swelling, and instability, it’s in your best interest to get it checked out.
If you only have a mild sprain, it can be rehabbed with physical therapy.
It can be difficult to explain the popping sensation, but you will definitely know it if it ever happens to you.
Even though the sound originates in your knee, it will seem like you hear it directly in your ear.
It’s like the pop travels up through your body, and when it reaches your brain, it becomes audible.
Depending on how bad the injury is, your age, and your overall health, it might heal on its own.
You can always use a knee brace and keeping your knee elevated and protected to speed up your recovery until you can get in to see a specialist.
The pop will almost always bring you to your knees, and you shouldn’t put any weight on it until you can stabilize it.
If you’re dealing with severe knee pain after a pop, visit a doctor as soon as possible.
Surgery may be the recommended course of action, but physical therapy and other non-invasive remedies may be prescribed as alternatives if diagnosed and treated in time.
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Swelling Lasting Longer Than 48 Hours
Typically the first thing to happen after an acute injury is swelling around the site of the injury.
You may notice swelling around your kneecap resulting from inflammation or possibly bleeding into your knee joint.
Either way, the swelling that occurs can cause significant pain and the loss of motion, limiting the use of your knee.
Swelling is almost always obvious and easily seen, but every once in a while, you might feel like something is swollen even though it appears to be normal.
Swelling almost always causes joint pain and joint stiffness, sometimes leading to a clicking sound as your tendons snap over one another.
This is because your tendons have been pushed into a new position from the swelling.
If your knee looks deformed or misaligned, seek treatment right away.
There’s a chance this could be a sign of a fracture or dislocation in your knee.
Injuries like these need to be evaluated and addressed as soon as possible so the source of injury can be treated to prevent long-term effects.
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Don’t Put Off Seeking Treatment For Your Knee Pain
Fortunately, some knee pain will go away on its own or with the use of simple home remedies.
However, if you have knee pain from something like knee bursitis, a meniscus tear, damage to the soft tissues of your knee, rheumatoid arthritis, or a common knee injury that won’t go away, it may be time to see a specialist.
If you worry about knee pain call Ethos Health Group for a free consultation.
Ethos Health Group has developed a proprietary HyalRegen-CT method as a comprehensive solution to ease knee pain symptoms for those suffering from knee arthritis and other conditions.
They will perform lubricating injections under precision imaging guidance, so they know they’re targeting the affected area.
This advanced medical process will add cushioning fluid back into and around your knee.
These F.D.A. cleared injections can help your knees stimulate more of their natural fluid, giving you long-term benefits and relief.
To learn more about what the Ethos Health Group can do for your knee pain, click the button below to schedule a free consultation.
