4 Symptoms of Knee Pain

A painful or dysfunctional knee is a challenging type of joint pain because it can limit your mobility and eventually impact your independence. 

If you experience knee pain, our pain management experts Dr. Adam Shestack and Dr. Cy Blanco explore the many possible causes and can diagnose or rule out conditions based on the results of MRI scans or X-rays. Here at Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach, Florida, we strive to heal your painful knee using the least invasive and most effective strategies. 

When knee pain occurs, be sure to take note of any other symptoms you notice too. Your symptoms offer insight into what’s causing your knee pain and what you might need to do to ease the discomfort. 

Knee pain frequently comes with some combination of the following four symptoms:

1. Knee instability

One telltale sign of a knee problem is the inability to stand on the knee without the risk of falling. If your knee feels unstable, you probably feel like it twists side to side when walking with an otherwise normal gait. 

Usually, if knee pain comes with instability, it means there’s an issue with one or more of the ligaments within the joint. These ligaments not only help your knee move but also prevent it from moving in ways it’s not supposed to. 

2. Redness and heat

When a particular body part, in this case your knee, seems to radiate heat, it means there’s inflammation in the area. You’ll also note that the skin on your knee is red or pink in color despite the lack of a sunburn. 

When redness and heat accompany knee pain, it’s usually because of a condition that causes inflammation within joints such as arthritis and bursitis. It can also indicate an overuse injury or a bacterial infection. 

3. Stiffness

An uninjured knee moves swiftly and smoothly. You can bend or straighten it at will. With a knee injury or condition, the joint may be stiff enough that you cannot fully straighten your leg. It’s also possible for your knee to lock in place because of certain injuries. 

When there’s stiffness, there’s often swelling too. The swelling inside your knee can contribute to the newly limited range of motion, and both are signs that you should seek treatment. 

4. Sounds

A functional knee is quiet when it moves. When you have knee pain, you should take note of whether you can hear or feel anything when you move the joint. Popping or crunching sounds and sensations are common indications of meniscus tears.

This is not to be confused with the occasional knee “pop” when you bend your legs to squat or sit on the floor. When something is wrong with your knee, the popping, crunching, or clicking happens a lot more often. The key is to identify if there’s pain along with these sounds and sensations. When there is, it’s time to contact our team for a diagnosis. 

For exceptional knee pain diagnostics and advanced treatment, call Florida Management Institute to schedule an appointment or book online today.