Knee Pain Q & A How does knee pain present itself?

If you’re suffering from knee pain, Bart Rask, MD, can help. Dr. Rask is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon providing excellent knee treatments at Hillsboro Orthopedic Group. in Hillsboro, Oregon. Schedule your visit with Dr. Rask by calling Hillsboro Orthopedic Group. and find relief from your pain today.

Knee pain ranges widely in its nature, location, and severity. In some cases, knee pain is just a minor annoyance, while other cases can be so severe that it makes day-to-day tasks impossible, prevents a healthy lifestyle, and significantly impairs quality of life.

The location of knee pain is also variable, even though the name makes it sound like the pain should only occur in one place: your knee. But some people experience knee pain in the joint that connects your shinbone to your thigh bone, while others feel it in their kneecap. You might also have knee pain that creates discomfort in some combination of the two.

People also experience different types of pain in their knee. For some, it’s a sharp shooting pain that only arises when they’re using their knee, while for others, it’s a dull ache that’s always present. 

You can develop knee pain for several reasons, such as:

• Osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
• Dislocation
• Tendinitis
• Gout
• Bone tumor
• Bursitis
• Baker’s cyst
• Chondromalacia patella

Injuries are also a common source for knee pain, like a meniscus tear or a ligament tear.

You’re more likely to develop chronic knee pain if you:

• Have bad posture or bad form during physical activities
• Don’t stretch before you exercise
• Have suffered an injury or trauma to your knee in the past
• Are older

There’s also a strong link between your weight and knee pain. The more overweight you are, the more likely you are to experience knee pain. In fact, for every extra pound on your body, your knees have to support an additional four pounds of pressure whenever you walk, run, or climb stairs.

If you want to prevent chronic knee pain, there are certain lifestyle changes you can adopt, such as: 

• Standing less
• Avoiding walking or running on rough or uneven roads
• Warming up or stretching before you exercise
• Losing weight
• Custom orthotics to wear in your shoes

These are effective lifestyle changes for knee pain when caused by poor posture or chronic overuse. If your chronic knee pain is the result of a medical condition, you’ll likely need medical intervention to alleviate your symptoms.

Dr. Rask is highly skilled in treating conditions that cause knee pain. He offers a wide range of nonsurgical and surgical options for his patients at Hillsboro Orthopedic Group including: 

• ACL reconstruction
• Arthroscopy
• Kneecap stabilization

To learn more about how Dr. Rask can alleviate your knee pain, schedule a visit today by calling Hillsboro Orthopedic Group.