Sports Injuries

What causes knee pain?

Your knees are complex joints that help you sit, stand, and run. Overuse of your knee joint can lead to acute pain that requires rest and over-the-counter medications.

If you have chronic knee pain that lasts longer than six months, it may be due to underlying issues in your knee joint. Some common causes of chronic knee pain include:

• Gout
• Fractures
• Osteoarthritis
• Meniscus tears
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears

If you have weight challenges, you may be at increased risk for developing knee pain because your weight puts excess pressure on your knee joints.

When should I seek help for knee pain?

If you have acute knee pain from a recent injury, you can try using ice therapy and over-the-counter anti-inflammatories to ease your pain. Keeping your knee elevated and modifying your activities can also reduce swelling and pain in your knee joints.

When you have chronic knee pain that lasts longer than six months, you should schedule an evaluation at Performance Therapy Institute.

Your provider can use on-site diagnostic technologies to pinpoint the underlying cause of your pain so you can start treatment without delay. They customize a pain management plan to alleviate pain and swelling and restore the range of motion you have in your knee joint.

How is knee pain treated?

Depending on the underlying cause of your knee pain, you may need medications to relieve pain and inflammation before you can start physical therapy. Your provider may also recommend at-home exercises to strengthen the muscles and ligaments that support your knee joints.

If oral medications aren’t working well for you, your physician may use injections of corticosteroids and anesthetics. He injects the medications directly into your knee joint to provide long-lasting relief of pain and inflammation.

In addition to pain-relieving treatments, your physician can provide nutritional counseling and weight loss guidance to take excess pressure off your knee joints.

To schedule a diagnostic evaluation for persistent knee pain, call the Performance Therapy Institute office nearest you today or book a consultation online. The team looks forward to helping you manage your pain, so you can get back to living your best life.