Knee Pain and Injury - Project Sports
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Questions and answers about sports

Knee Pain and Injury

6 min read

Asked by: Elias Montenegro

Knee pain may be the result of an injury, such as a ruptured ligament or torn cartilage. Medical conditions — including arthritis, gout and infections — also can cause knee pain. Many types of minor knee pain respond well to self-care measures. Physical therapy and knee braces also can help relieve pain.

What are 5 symptoms of a knee injury?

5 Knee Symptoms You Should Not Ignore

  • Clicking, locking, or popping in the knee joint.
  • Swelling.
  • Knee pain when sitting, driving, walking, sleeping, or exercising.
  • Instability or a feeling of the knee giving way.
  • Pain or stiffness which causes a decreased ability to bend or straighten the knee.


What are 3 common knee injuries?

The most common knee injuries include sprains and tears of soft tissues (e.g., ligaments, meniscus), fractures, and dislocation.

How do I know what injury I have in my knee?

Two tell-tale signs of a knee injury are pain and swelling of the knee. You may also have difficulty with the joint moving. It may feel stiff, lock up, or feel like it’s catching as you bend and straighten your leg. If you hear your knee pop and then give out at the time of impact, it’s definitely a cause for concern.

What knee injury is the most painful?

Quadruple Knee-Ligament Injury



It also seems that the more severe the damage to the knee, or the more ligaments destroyed in the injury, the more pain the player seems to be in. For this reason, the quadruple ligament injury must be one of the most painful football injuries imaginable.

How do I know if my knee injury is serious?

Make an appointment with your doctor if your knee pain was caused by a particularly forceful impact or if it’s accompanied by:

  1. Significant swelling.
  2. Redness.
  3. Tenderness and warmth around the joint.
  4. Significant pain.
  5. Fever.


How do I know if I tore something in my knee?

Symptoms

  1. A popping sensation.
  2. Swelling or stiffness.
  3. Pain, especially when twisting or rotating your knee.
  4. Difficulty straightening your knee fully.
  5. Feeling as though your knee is locked in place when you try to move it.
  6. Feeling of your knee giving way.


How do I know if I tore a ligament in my knee?

What Does a Knee Ligament Injury Feel Like?

  1. Pain, often sudden and severe.
  2. A loud pop or snap during the injury.
  3. Swelling within the first 24 hours after the injury.
  4. A feeling of looseness in the joint.
  5. Inability to put weight on the joint without pain, or any weight at all.


When should you not ignore knee pain?

Sudden, severe pain in the knee. Pain that persists while walking. The knee abruptly giving out, causing you to fall and feel unstable while walking. Swelling within 24 hours after the initial injury.

How do I know if I tore my ACL or meniscus?

Many ACL tears we see only have problems ascending stairs, jogging, or walking downhill but can walk up hills and on flat roads without an increase in pain. A meniscus tear, on the other hand, will cause fairly severe pain even just standing on it.

What does a torn ligament in the knee feel like?

Often you will have pain at the sides of the knee and swelling over the injury site. If it is an MCL injury, the pain is on the inside of the knee. An LCL injury may cause pain on the outside of the knee. The knee will also feel unstable, like it is going to give way.

Can you still walk with a torn ligament in your knee?

In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates. If someone suspects a damaged ACL or MCL seek immediate medical attention.

Can you walk on a torn meniscus?

A torn meniscus usually produces well-localized pain in the knee. The pain often is worse during twisting or squatting motions. Unless the torn meniscus has locked the knee, many people with a torn meniscus can walk, stand, sit, and sleep without pain.

Is it a knee sprain or tear?

A knee sprain occurs when some or all of the fibers in one of the ligaments—cords of tissue that connect and support bones surrounding the joint—overstretch or tear. A knee strain is a tear that occurs in muscle fibers or in the tendons, which are the cords of tissue that attach muscle to bone.

How long do knee injuries take to heal?

For knee sprains or strains, the healing time is typically 2 to 4 weeks. For major injuries as a result of trauma, it can take from 4 up to 12 months. Of course, this healing time would be dependent on the treatment being administered and the lifestyle of the patient.

How long after a knee injury should you see a doctor?

Generally, athletes should see a healthcare provider for pain lasting more than 48 hours and other adults should see an expert if there seems to be no change for three weeks. Generally, most healthcare providers recommend that you schedule an appointment as soon as you notice that your symptoms impact the way you live.

What are the five most common knee problems?

The varieties most likely to affect the knee include:

  • Osteoarthritis. Sometimes called degenerative arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. …
  • Rheumatoid arthritis. …
  • Gout. …
  • Pseudogout. …
  • Septic arthritis.


Can you still walk with a torn ligament in your knee?

In most cases, the injured person can still walk with the torn knee ligament. But the movement will be severely limited, not to mention painful. Surgery may be the best route to a pain-free life, with amazing success rates. If someone suspects a damaged ACL or MCL seek immediate medical attention.

Can knee injuries heal on their own?

A mild to moderate knee ligament injury may heal on its own, in time. To speed the healing, you can: Rest the knee. Avoid putting much weight on your knee if it’s painful to do so.

What is the most common injury to the knee?

ACL injuries are one of the most common types of knee injuries and account for about 40 percent of all sports-related injuries. An ACL injury can range from a small tear in the ligament to a severe injury –when the ligament completely tears or becomes separated from the bone itself.

How do you tell if knee is sprained or torn?

Many people seem to come across the most common one regarding whether their Knee is a sprain or tear.



Symptoms of a Knee Sprain

  1. Swelling.
  2. Bruising.
  3. Pain around the knee area.
  4. There was a popping noise when the actual injury occurred.
  5. Your range of motion is minimal.
  6. Stiffness from the amount of pain.


When should you not ignore knee pain?

Sudden, severe pain in the knee. Pain that persists while walking. The knee abruptly giving out, causing you to fall and feel unstable while walking. Swelling within 24 hours after the initial injury.