Different Types of Knee Pain - Causes, Symptoms, When to Seek Physical Therapy

Knee pain can cause severe discomfort and limit mobility and physical function. You may find it harder to perform your simple daily activities if you are suffering from this condition, leading to frustration, and reducing your overall quality of life over time. Therefore, you need to seek immediate treatment in Merrick if you suffer from knee pain. Fortunately, physical therapy in Merrick offers a targeted, non-invasive way to address all kinds of knee pain. Physical therapists can relieve your knee pain and restore your ability to move without discomfort by improving joint stability, strengthening surrounding muscles, and enhancing flexibility. Therefore, this article will explain different types of knee pain, their possible causes, and when to see a physical therapist at Summit Physical Therapy.

Types of Knee Pain

Knee pain can differ, depending on its nature, duration, and location of discomfort. In fact, these factors may reveal the underlying cause of pain and suggest the best knee pain therapy approach. Some of the most common types of knee pain include:

Acute VS Chronic Knee Pain

• Acute knee pain: This type of knee pain develops suddenly, often following a direct injury, fall, or sports-related accident. Acute knee pain is often short-term and may be linked to acute injuries, such as ligament sprains or meniscus tears. Therefore, it may be resolved in a short period as your injury heals.
• Chronic knee pain: Generally, any pain that persists for more than three months is regarded as chronic pain. Similarly, chronic knee pain is a type of knee pain that develops gradually over a long period and lasts for several months. Chronic knee pain usually result from ongoing conditions like osteoarthritis, tendonitis, or lingering damage from a past injury. This type of pain often fluctuates in intensity and may gradually worsen without proper management.

Mechanical VS Inflammatory Knee Pain

• Mechanical knee pain: This type of knee pain usually results from wear-and-tear, overuse, or structural problems in the knee joint. Mechanical knee pain is usually associated with conditions like meniscus tears, osteoarthritis, and patellar misalignment.

• Inflammatory knee pain: This type of knee pain is caused by conditions that allow the body’s immune system to trigger joint inflammation. Common examples of such conditions include rheumatoid arthritis and gout. With inflammatory knee pain, you may feel discomfort even when at rest. 

Location-Based Knee Pain

• Anterior knee pain: This type of knee pain triggers discomfort around or below the kneecap when participating in activities that involve the knee. It is commonly associated with conditions like patellofemoral pain syndrome or patellar tendonitis.

• Medial knee pain: This type of knee pain is felt on the inner side of the knee. It is commonly associated with conditions like medial collateral ligament (MCL) injuries or medial meniscus tears.

• Lateral knee pain: This type of knee pain develops gradually and it triggers discomfort on the outer side of the knee. Conditions that may cause lateral knee pain include iliotibial (IT) band syndrome, lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injuries, etc. 

• Posterior knee pain: This type of knee pain triggers discomfort, swelling, or a feeling of discomfort behind the knee. Posterior knee pain can result from conditions, such as a Baker’s cyst, hamstring tendon issues, or deep vein problems.

When to Seek Physical Therapy for Knee Pain

The following are situations in which you should involve a physical therapist for knee pain or knee injury treatment:

• Immediately after suffering a knee injury (sprains, strains, fractures, etc).
• Before or after knee surgery for pre and post-surgical rehabilitation.
• If you experience knee pain beyond a few days even after using pain-relieving medications or applying other treatment.
• If you suffer from chronic conditions such as arthritis.
• If your knee pain restricts your physical function and movement.

These are some indications that it is time to visit a physical therapist for your knee pain. Your physical therapist will perform a comprehensive assessment to determine the severity of your condition and the best treatment approach. After diagnosis, your physical therapist will employ several non-invasive physical therapy techniques to relieve your knee pain, restore mobility and physical function, improve muscle strength, prevent future injuries, and help you avoid the need for surgery. 

Conclusion

You should never ignore knee pain, especially when it causes so much discomfort and prevents you from moving around and performing your daily activities comfortably and independently. Physical therapy at Summit Physical Therapy can help to relieve knee pain and restore your mobility and physical function.