Knee pain is one of the most complaints people have, and considering how much impact our knees withstand every day, it’s no surprise. There are cases where knee pain happens abruptly, such as after an injury, while in other cases, it is more slow to onset, starting off mild but then getting worse and worse over time. With how common knee pain is, it’s no wonder that people wonder about the common causes of knee pain so that they can do whatever they can to avoid it. 

Additionally, learning about the common causes of knee pain helps you know what could be causing yours and what your treatment options are. Once you’ve uncovered the cause of your knee pain, it’s that much easier to treat and then prevent in the future. Here’s what you need to know about some of the most common causes of knee pain and how they can be both treated and prevented. 

What Causes Knee Pain?

There are many different common causes of knee pain that vary based on the part of the structure of your knee that is affected. In order to understand what causes knee pain, it’s helpful to know a bit about the structure of the knee itself.

Your knee is composed of three bones: the lower thighbone, the upper shinbone, and your kneecap, also known as your patella. These are held together with ligaments and tendons while cartilage helps to both cushion and to stabilize your bones under the kneecap. If any of these parts of your knee have been damaged, diseased, or impacted in any way, it can lead to knee pain. The severity of your knee pain will depend on the severity of the cause. 

Symptoms Of Knee Pain

Depending on which of the common causes of knee pain is the culprit of your own knee pain, the signs and symptoms associated with it will vary, due to the location of your pain and its severity.

Some of the common symptoms of knee pain include:

• Redness
• Warmth to the touch
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Weakness
• Instability
• Popping/crunching noises
• Inability to straighten the knee

While some symptoms of knee pain are bearable and not cause for too much concern, there are instances where you should contact a doctor as soon as possible. You should call your doctor sooner than later is:

• You can’t bear weight on your knee.
• The pain is severe, even without weight on it.
• Your knee has become misshapen or deformed.
• Your knee locks, buckles, or clicks.
• You can’t fully flex or straighten your leg.
• Your knee is very swollen.
• There is pain, numbing, tingling, swelling, or discoloration under your knee in the calf.
• Pain persists after three or more days of trying to treat it at home.

Common Causes Of Knee Pain

The common causes of knee pain range in severity from a simple sprain to an injury. Here are some of the most common causes of knee pain that people experience.

• Arthritis

This includes gout, lupus, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

• Infection in the knee joint
• Infection in the bones of the knee
• Baker cysts

These are swellings full of fluid behind your knee that can happen with inflammation from other common causes of knee pain, such as arthritis. 

• Osgood-Schlatter disease

This most commonly occurs in teenagers, when your bones are still changing. Over-exercising can cause a bump below the knee that comes and goes over time. 

• Bursitis

Your bursa is a sac of fluid under your joint that prevents friction during movement. Overuse can cause swelling and pain.

• Dislocation

This is when your kneecap slides out of its location.

• Fracture
• Strain or sprain
• Torn cartilage
• Torn ligament
• Patellofemoral syndrome

This is caused by muscle tightness, imbalance, and alignment problems, that doesn’t occur as a result of an injury. 

• Iliotibial band syndrome

Your iliotibial band is a tissue that goes from your hip to your knee that can become inflamed with too much activity.

• Overuse

These are but some of the most common causes of knee pain. Treatment for your knee pain will depend on what brought it on.

How To Treat Knee Pain

There are a wide variety of treatment methods for the common causes of knee pain, ranging from rest and painkillers to physical therapy to surgery in more severe cases. 

Home care for knee pain includes:

• Resting and avoiding putting weight on your knee.
• Ice.
• Elevating your knee whenever you can.
• Wearing an elastic bandage or sleeve to support your knee and reduce swelling.
• Take painkillers.
• Sleep with your knee elevated. 

Professional care for knee pain includes:

• Physical exams to diagnose the cause of your knee pain.
• Stretching and strengthening exercises.
• Medications.
• Physical therapy.
• Surgery, and other more invasive procedures if the causes of knee pain are more serious.

How To Prevent Knee Pain

As you can see, a running theme amongst the common causes of knee pain is overuse. While it is important to be active, you want to ensure that you are stretching and strengthening your muscles in order to keep your body in its best possible state to prevent knee pain. Low-impact aerobic activities are also great, as is losing weight if you are overweight, as that excess weight places undue stress on your knees. If you work in a field where you need to kneel a lot, knee pads can provide protection. 

If you have any questions about how to prevent common causes of knee pain from impacting you, Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy is more than happy to answer them and provide you with the tools you need to live a happy, healthy life. If you are currently suffering from knee pain, we offer physical therapy services to help alleviate it and get you back to normal. Contact us today for any questions or to schedule a consultation!

You’ve likely heard of your pelvic floor, but aside from knowing that it’s somewhere in your pelvis, many women aren’t aware of just how important your pelvic health is. Your pelvic floor does a lot for you every day, from helping you stand, helping you control your bladder, and even with helping you achieve orgasm. In addition to its responsibilities with your urination, bowel functions, sexual function, and pregnancy, your pelvic floor also helps keep your intestines, bladder, and reproductive organs in place. 

With how much your pelvic floor does for your bodily functions, maintaining good pelvic health is a must. Here is what you need to know about your pelvic floor, the issues that pelvic floor dysfunction causes, and how you can improve your pelvic health. 

What Is Your Pelvic Floor?

Your pelvic floor is a web of muscles and connective tissues that is attached to the bones at the bottom – the floor – of your pelvis. These muscles are essential for supporting some of your organs, including your bladder, your colon, your rectum, your vagina, your cervix, and your uterus. It stabilizes your hips and your trunk, which allows you to stand and walk. Your lymphatic system relies on your pelvic floor, as does maintaining continence. Additionally, your pelvic floor’s muscles are what allow you to experience sexual sensation. 

What Happens When You Have Pelvic Floor Issues?

There are many things that can negatively affect your pelvic health, such as pregnancy, childbirth, chronic constipation, obesity, heavy lifting, nerve damage, chronic coughing, and straining while going to the bathroom. Anything that causes pressure to be put on your pelvis can lead to pelvic floor disorders and dysfunctions. Problems with your pelvic health can also arise when your pelvic floor is too tight or too loose, too weak, too slow, or not strong or quick enough to function properly.

Issues When Your Pelvic Floor Is Too Tight

There are times when your pelvic floor is too tight. This can result from overtraining your muscles, stress and anxiety, or sexual trauma. Some issues when your pelvic floor is too tight include:

• Spasms
• Pelvic and tailbone pain
• Bladder or bowel dysfunction
• Problems with your hips
• Sexual dysfunction

Issues When Your Pelvic Floor Is Too Loose

There are other times when your pelvic floor is too loose, which can result from being put under undue pressure, such as from pregnancy and childbirth, being overweight, and age. Some issues when your pelvic floor is too loose include:

• Low back pain
• Incontinence
• Not being able to orgasm/orgasms being less pleasurable
• Your organs shifting, bulging, or pushing outwards

Since there are so many issues that can arise if your pelvic health is impacted, it’s important to do whatever you can to keep it strong and in good condition. 

How Can You Improve Your Pelvic Health?

The same way you can improve your health with a good diet and regular exercise and mental stimulation, there are things that you can do in your day-to-day life to improve your pelvic health. Some of the ways you can improve your pelvic health include:

• Kegel exercises
• Meditation for tight pelvic muscles
• Getting enough fluids, fiber, and exercise to avoid constipation
• Decreasing caffeine, alcohol, and artificial sweeteners intake
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Not smoking
• Physical therapy

Painful sex, incontinence, pelvic pain, and other issues that can arise from issues with your pelvic health are not something you simply have to live with. These things are not normal and there’s no need for you to grin and bear it. If you’re struggling with pelvic floor issues, treatment can restore your pelvic health and improve your quality of life. 

How Physical Therapy Can Improve Your Pelvic Health

Physical therapists can develop treatment programs specific to you that will be able to treat your pelvic floor issues and restore you to good public health. The kind of physical therapy you receive will depend on what your symptoms are and their causes.

Some of the ways physical therapy can treat pelvic floor issues include:

• Relaxation techniques
• Exercises for your pelvic floor muscles
• Exercises to strengthen your core
• Joint mobilization
• Soft tissue mobilization and myofascial release
• Biofeedback techniques
• Education about how diet can impact your pelvic health
• Education about changing behavioral patterns that can be worsening symptoms
• Education about how to use kegel weights, wants, and therapeutic dilators

Wasatch Peak Physical Therapy offers pelvic floor treatments. There’s no need to suffer pelvic floor issues when physical therapy can help. We want to help you improve your pelvic health. Contact us today and let us assist you in restoring your quality of life.