Knee Pain

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Common Causes

Knee pain usually results from overuse, poor form during physical activity, not warming up or cooling down, or inadequate stretching. Simple causes of knee pain often clear up on their own with self-care measures. Being overweight can put you at greater risk for knee problems.

Knee pain can be caused by:

• Arthritis -- including rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, and gout, or other connective tissue disorders, like lupus.
• Bursitis -- inflammation from repeated pressure on the knee (like kneeling for long periods of time, overuse, or injury).
• Tendinitis -- a pain in the front of your knee that gets worse when going up and down stairs or inclines. Happens in runners, skiers, and cyclists.
• Baker's cyst -- a fluid-filled swelling behind the knee that may accompany an inflammation from other causes, like arthritis. If the cyst ruptures, you can have pain in the back of your knee that travels down your calf.
• Torn or ruptured ligaments or torn cartilage (a meniscus tear) -- can cause severe pain and instability of the knee joint.
• Strain or sprain -- minor injuries to the ligaments caused by sudden or unnatural twisting.
• Dislocation of the kneecap.
• Infection in the joint.
• Knee injuries -- can cause bleeding into your knee, which worsens the pain.
• Hip disorders -- may cause pain that is felt in the knee. Examples include a poor blood supply to the top of the thigh bone, and iliotibial band syndrome (injury to the thick band that runs from your hip to the outside of your knee).