Knee Pain Capitola

Knee Pain

The knee is the largest joint of the body and takes a lot of force from supporting the weight of our body to keeping us upright and stable. So, it is common to feel pain at some point in our lives. The knee joint consists of the thighbone, shinbone, and kneecap (patella) along with cartilages, ligaments, menisci, and tendons. When all these pieces work together, the knee functions properly, allowing a person to move freely. However, that is not always the case. When the layer of cartilage surrounding the underside of your kneecap becomes soft and breaks down, it can cause knee pain.

Knee pain is a common symptom that affects millions of people of all ages. It limits their function, mobility, and at times it can impair their quality of life. An injury in younger people results in knee pain, while it is due to arthritis in older adults. Sometimes cancer, infections, and other medical conditions may also be linked to knee pain.

What Causes Knee Pain?

The most common reasons for painful knees include inflammation caused by improper lifting of heavy objects, poor flexibility, wrong shoes, muscle weakness, starting fitness routines without warming up, and structural knee problems, such as ligament damage or arthritis. Knee pain can be divided into three major categories:

• Acute injury: such as a broken bone, torn ligament, or meniscal tear
• Medical conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, infections
• Chronic use/overuse conditions: osteoarthritis, chondromalacia, IT band syndrome, patellar syndromes, tendinitis, and bursitis.

Several factors can increase your risk of having knee problems, including:

• Excess weight
• Previous injury
• Certain sports or occupations
• Biomechanics

We Help Knee Pain

Knee pain can occur suddenly for no apparent reason. It can develop slowly because of repeated trauma. However, if you have knee pain that doesn’t respond well within a few days, you should consider contacting Harbor Health Center to schedule an evaluation. Each case of knee pain is different; whether it is an acute injury from twisting your knee during a sports activity or a motor vehicle accident, it’s essential to find the root of your pain.

There can be many reasons why you may have knee pain. To make an accurate diagnosis, our doctor will require a complete medical history, discuss your pattern of symptoms, and conduct a physical exam. Our doctor will inspect your knee during the physical exam to look for any swelling or bruising and move the knee around to assess stability, noise, and locking. Depending on the results, you may also require different diagnostic tests such as X-rays, CT scans or MRI, and blood work to determine the precise cause of your pain.

Treatment of knee pain depends entirely on the cause of the problem. Once an accurate diagnosis is confirmed, we can develop a treatment program that works best for you, relieve your pain, and help you return to an active lifestyle. You may contact us at (831) 200-0880 to schedule a consultation!