Having knees that hurt can make life miserable, and it can keep you from living your life as you should. You may be having trouble working, playing, and even resting. The structure and mechanics of the knees can be very complicated and delicate, but if you are having knee problems it could be because of one of these common conditions.
Meniscus tear
The meniscus is a piece of cartilage in the knee that acts as a sort of a “shock absorber.” It can tear if you lift something heavy or if you twist your knee in just the wrong way while putting weight on it. A small tear may go unnoticed for a day or even longer, but then your knee might start to feel painful, swollen, and stiff. It might be hard to straighten your knee all the way, and it may feel like your knee gives out when you try to stand on it.
Arthritis
Arthritis is very common in the knees. It can make the knee feel stiff, swollen, and painful. There are different kinds of arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis runs in families and is an autoimmune disease. Post-traumatic arthritis can result from trauma or an injury to the knee, which results in the cartilage in between the bone thinning out. Osteoarthritis, in which the cartilage wears away and the bones rub together, is the most common kind of arthritis.
ACL tear
The anterior cruciate ligament (the ACL) connects the shinbone and the thigh bone. If your ACL tears you’ll hear a loud “pop,” and you’ll have sudden and severe pain. Your knee will very quickly become swollen. This type of injury often happens when you play a sport that involves a lot of changes in direction or sudden stops, such as basketball.
There are many reasons why you may have knee pain, but you may not even care why it hurts – you just want it to stop! Cynergy PT can diagnose why you have the pain and then can help you to feel better! Call for an appointment at one of the five locations in New York. Call (212) 974-7252 today!