knee-pain
Introduction
Sudden pain in one of the knees isusually the result of overusing the knee orinjuring it. In many cases, youdon't need to see your GP.
The knee joint is particularly vulnerable to damage and pain because it takes the full weight of your body and any extra force when you run or jump.
You're more likely to experience knee pain as you get older, and people who are overweight or do lots of sports have a higher risk of damaging their knees.Some sports that involve a lot of turning, such as football, netball and skiing, carry a particularly high risk of knee injuries.
This pagesummarises some of the most common causes of pain in one or bothknees, and offers advice on knee-pain .
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 4 Jan 2017
Introduction
Sudden knee pain is usually the result of overusing the knee or suddenly injuring it. In many cases, you don't need to see your GP.
Common causes of knee pain
Common causes of knee pain include: sprains and strains anterior knee pain (pain around the kneecap) menisci or cartilage damage osteoarthritis tendonitis bursitis (housemaid's knee)
Simple sprain or strain
If you think your pain is the result of having done more activity than you're used to, you've probably just sprained or strained your knee. This means that the knee tissues have stretched, but aren't
Anterior knee pain
Knee pain felt at the front of the knee, around the kneecap, is called anterior knee pain orpatellofemoral pain syndrome. It's not always obvious why this pain develops, but it's been linked to previ
Damage to the menisci or cartilage
Sitting between the upper and lower leg bones at the knee joint are rubbery pads of tissue called menisci. These cushion the bones, acting as shock absorbers. A meniscus can also be torn after sudden
Osteoarthritis
In older people, recurrent pain and stiffness in both knees is likely to be caused by osteoarthritis , the most common type of arthritis in the UK. Osteoarthritis causes damage to the articular cartil
Torn ligament or tendon
Knee painmay be caused by torn ligaments or tendons. Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that connect the bones at the knee joint; tendons connect the muscles to the bone.You can tear these tissues du
Bleeding into the joint
An injury that causes significant damage to the knee joint may cause bleeding into the joint spaces, known as haemarthrosis.This can happen if a cruciate ligament is torn or if there is a fracture to
Osgood-Schlatter's disease
In teenagers and young adults, pain, swelling and tenderness in the bony lump just below the kneecap could be a sign ofOsgood-Schlatter's disease. This is a where the bone at the top of the lower leg
Gout
Ifyou experience sudden attacks of severe knee pain and yourkneealso becomesred and hot, the cause is likely to be gout , whichis atype of arthritis. Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid (a wast
When to see your GP
You should see your GP if: you cannot put weight on your knee at all you have severe pain even when you're not putting weight on it, such as at night your knee locks or painfully clicks (painless
Subscribe
Ask the doctor
Rate this article
Find products