Knee Pain - When to Consult a Doctor?

Painful knees have become a part of the life of many and some of them have accepted it as normal. Mild cases of knee pain improve after some time, but persistent knee pain needs medical attention. If the pain is severe, it might demand surgical intervention and that involves the use of orthopedic implants. 

In this post, we will see when it becomes necessary to consult a doctor in the case of knee pain. 

Why does Knee Pain Occur?

Traumatic events like automobile accidents, contact sports injuries, falling from a height, and a direct impact on the knees from a solid object result in knee pain. The intensity of the impact and the severity of the cause decides how severe the pain would be and what treatment it requires. 

Some of the other causes of knee pain in the elderly and adults include:

• Arthritis
• Dislocated kneecap
• Infections of the knee joint
• Knee sprain or pulled muscle
• Ligament tear
• Age-related wear & tear in the joint
• Overuse injuries
• Osgood-Schlatter disease
• Fractures

Cases like open fractures and other types of structural damage to the knee joint demand surgery. Such conditions are severe and need immediate medical attention.

How to Decide Whether Doctor’s Consultation is Required or not for Knee Pain?

If knee pain occurs because of a trauma, it is important to identify whether structural damage is there or not. For that, immediate medical attention is required. Besides this, if knee pain persists for a long and doesn’t improve with medication and home remedies, then also one must consult a specialist. Here are some of the signs of knee pain that demand an expert’s help:

• If you experience a fever above 101° Fahrenheit along with knee pain
• If it becomes difficult for you to put any weight on the affected leg
• When you are unable to bend your affected knee joint
• If there is numbness in your knees, toes, or foot
• If you experience redness or warmth touching the knee joint
• If there is sudden and severe swelling in the knee joint 
• If there is deformity around the affected knee joint

Home Remedies for Knee Pain

Mild cases of knee pain that do not have any traumatic cause or deformity can be managed at home. Here are some tips for managing knee pain at home:

• Application of ice or cold pack for 15 minutes with a gap of 15 minutes several times a day. Wrap ice cubes in a towel before using them on the knee joint. 
• Elevate the affected knee joint to improve swelling and pain. You can do this by putting pillows or cushions below the knee joint.
• Rest your knee and avoid doing activities that make your knee pain worse. Try not to bear any weight on the injured knee as it might delay healing.
• Take over-the-counter NSAIDs to relieve pain if other methods fail.
• You can try wearing a compression sleeve for a few days to support the knee joint.