Knee Pain Diagnosis

Your knees may hurt for a number of reasons. According to the National Institutes of Health, "Knee pain usually results from overuse, poor form during physical activity, not warming up or cooling down, or inadequate stretching." Being overweight is another cause of knee pain.

Local Causes

• Local knee pain causes include anterior knee pain, arthritis, Baker's cyst, bursitis, connective tissue disorders such as lupus, kneecap dislocation, Iliotibial band syndrome, joint infection, knee injuries, tendinitis, torn cartilage or ligament, sprain or strain and unnatural twisting.

External Cause

• You may have referred pain in your knee. According to Dr. Daniel Mazanec, a rheumatologist and director of the Spine Center at Cleveland Clinic, referred pain is "pain in an area of the body that is distant from the source of the pain."

Self Care

• Use the RICE method to relieve most knee pains at home. R stand for resting your knee, I for icing it often, C for using bandage or some kind of brace to compress it and E for keeping it elevated when it is swollen.

Prevention/Solution

• Exercise and stay thin. You must stretch and strengthen muscles around the knee and do cardio for good blood circulation. Swimming and the elliptical are especially good for exercisers with knee pain.

Considerations

• See a physician if your pain does not improve after three days, you cannot put weight on the leg, you are in extreme pain, your knee is deformed or it buckles or it is excessively red and swollen.