What Are the Causes of Knee Pain & Popping?

The knee is a complicated joint that is often subject to pain. According to home-remedies-for-you.com, "Approximately 50 million people in USA suffer from knee pain." If there is a pop in combination with your pain, there may be cause for concern.

Causes

• There are two main causes for knee pain and popping--you just tore one of the ligaments in your knee or you have osteoarthritis. The first one often results in one big pop when the ligament is torn. The second has recurring popping.

Ligament Injury

• The knee has four ligaments that connect the thigh bone with the bones below the knee. The one inside the knee is called the medial collateral ligament and the one outside is the lateral collateral ligament. The two inside the knee are called posterior cruciate ligament and anterior cruciate ligament. Anyone of these can be torn due to trauma or a fall. Often a tear is indicated by a popping sound that accompanies an injury.

Osteoarthritis

• Osteoarthritis, or degenerative arthritis, is very common and is the result of wear and tear or overuse of a joint. The pain is not as sudden and sharp as the ligament injury and the popping is associated with movement. The arthritic knee is often swollen and stiff in the morning.

Treatment

• Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of your condition. If you have torn a ligament you may recover just resting, icing, compressing and elevating your leg a few days followed by some physical therapy. If it is a bad tear, you may need crutches and surgery. There is no cure for osteoarthritis, but you can lessen the pain with painkillers and physical therapy.

Prevention/Solution

• Avoid knee pain by keeping the muscles around your knee strong and flexible. Lessen the risk for injury by wearing flats and never running downhill unless you are very conditioned.