Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesWho Is at RiskOther SymptomsDiagnosisWhen to See a ProviderTreatmentSelf-CarePreventionOutlook
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Who Is at Risk
Other Symptoms
Diagnosis
When to See a Provider
Treatment
Self-Care
Prevention
Outlook
Chronic knee pain is a common problem that can make it difficult to walk and carry out daily activities. It can be a long-term problem that can affect one or both knees. It can affect one part or all of the knee. The pain may be felt with bending, walking, or other movements.
Chronic knee pain has a number of causes, including trauma and arthritis. It can cause inflammation and pain, and affect your mobility and independence.
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What Causes Chronic Knee Pain?
Knee pain affects around 25% of adults, and its prevalence has increased over 65% over the last 20 years.It can either be temporary or chronic. Temporary knee pain is usually the result of an injury to the knee, while chronic pain often has a long-term cause.
A number of health conditions and diseases can result in chronic knee pain. Such conditions include:
Knee pain, whether related to a health condition or an injury, can get worse without treatment. It can cause severe pain, further injury, difficulty with movement, joint deformity, poor mobility, andbone spurs(outgrowths of sharp bone at the end of a bone in the joint).
Top Causes of Knee Pain When Sitting or Bending
Who Is at Risk for Chronic Knee Pain?
You could be at risk for chronic knee pain if you are overweight or have obesity. According to a 2016 study, 19.5% of people withgrade 2 obesity(body mass index of 35 to 39.9) have OA of the knee compared to 3.7% at a healthy weight.The additional weight puts extra pressure on the knees and can lead to inflammation, which can further exacerbate knee problems.
Additional risk factors for chronic knee pain are:
Why Do I Have Knee Pain When Standing?
Other Symptoms of Chronic Knee Pain
The location and severity of knee pain will vary depending on what is causing your knee pain.
Common signs and symptoms of chronic knee pain may include:
Chronic knee pain can also affect your ability to carry outactivities of daily living(ADLs).Being able to complete ADLs is vital to maintaining your independence.
If you have chronic knee pain, the following ADLs might be affected:
Causes of Knee Pain and Treatment Options
How Chronic Knee Pain Is Diagnosed
Depending on what is causing your chronic knee pain, your healthcare provider may use different diagnostic tools.These may include a physical examination, lab tests, and imaging tests.
Physical Examination
During the physical exam, the healthcare provider will inspect the knee for swelling, tenderness, and warmth. They will also check to see how far you can move your lower leg in different directions. They may push on the joint to determine if there is any damage to the knee structure.
What Causes Side Knee Pain?
Lab Tests
If your healthcare provider suspects an infection or aninflammatory condition, like RA, they may order blood tests, including:
Another type of lab test done to diagnose the cause of knee pain is a procedure calledarthrocentesis.It involves using a needle inserted in the knee joint to remove fluid and send it to the lab for analysis. It is often done to look forcrystals that indicate gout(a type of inflammatory arthritis) or evidence of abacterial infection.
Knee Pain When Walking: Potential Causes and What to Do Next
Imaging
Your healthcare provider may request imaging tests to look for certain types of joint damage to the knee:
When to See a Healthcare Professional
If you are experiencing chronic knee pain, you should see a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis. This is especially important if you:
When to Go to the ER or Call 911If you have had a trauma like an automobile accident or a severe fall, go to an emergency room (ER) or call 911. You should also go to the ER if you cannot move or bend your knee or leg or if you believe you may have broken a bone.
When to Go to the ER or Call 911
If you have had a trauma like an automobile accident or a severe fall, go to an emergency room (ER) or call 911. You should also go to the ER if you cannot move or bend your knee or leg or if you believe you may have broken a bone.
Treatment Options for Chronic Knee Pain
Treatment for chronic knee pain will depend on the underlying cause. For example, if your knee is swollen and inflamed due to OA, RA, or gout, treatments to bring down inflammation and halt disease processes can help manage your knee pain.
In addition to treating an underlying problem, knee pain is treated conservatively (without surgery) or with surgery.
Conservative Treatments
Conservative treats for chronic knee pain include:
Surgery
Surgery is a last resort option, but it is sometimes the most effective treatment for chronic knee pain. It is often considered when conservative therapies have failed.
Surgical options may include for chronic knee pain may include:
Self-Care and Evidence-Based Home Remedies
Lifestyle Changes
Making healthy lifestyle choices can reduce the risk of chronic knee pain and improve symptoms in people with existing knee pain.
Research shows that obesity and chronic knee pain go hand in hand, with excess weight contributing to joint load and increasing the risk for knee OA.Losing excess weight can significantly reduce stress on knee joints, alleviate pain, and prevent fractures and further damage.
Can Obesity Increase Your Risk of Fractures?
Exercise
A major mistake that people with chronic knee pain make is avoiding movement. Research has continually found that regular exercise has numerous protective advantages for knee health.
It can prevent cartilage degeneration, inhibit inflammation, and prevent bone loss. It can also improve pain, stiffness, joint dysfunction, and muscle weakness in people with knee OA.
For people with chronic knee pain, low-impact exercise can reduce stress on joints and improve joint health. Such exercises include:
Sleeping
Knee pain can affect your sleep, but there are things you can do to improve knee pain and get a more restful sleep.
These include:
Heat and Cold Therapies
Heal therapy using a hot water bottle or a heating pad can improve knee pain and reduce stiffness.Cold therapy with a commercial ice pack or a simple bag of ice can alleviate pain, inflammation, and swelling.
Assistive Devices
A number ofassistive devicescan help manage chronic knee pain and prevent further damage to the knee joint. They can also help manage knee stiffness and pain, improve mobility, and help you stay independent.
Examples of assistive devices to manage knee pain are:
CAM Therapies
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are medical practices that are not part of conventional medicine. They may include natural therapies, mind-body practices, and body therapies to promote healing.
CAM therapies that have been found to be helpful for managing knee pain includeacupuncture, yoga, tai chi, and massage.These can be used alone or in combination with other therapies to manage your chronic knee pain.
Can You Prevent Chronic Knee Pain?
It is possible to prevent some, but not all, causes of chronic knee pain.
Ways to do this include:
If you are experiencing knee troubles, including stiffness and pain, let a healthcare provider know. They can examine your knees and create a treatment plan that reduces the potential for chronic knee pain.
What Is the Long-Term Outlook?
Some causes of knee pain, like arthritis, can be lifelong because the structure of the knee is damaged. Without surgery or other extensive treatments, you will continue to have swelling, pain, and stiffness.
However, as long as you can manage pain, prevent flares, and reduce other knee symptoms, your outlook can be positive. Knee surgery can also be helpful for repairing joint and cartilage damage and reducing or eliminating pain and other symptoms.
Summary
Chronic knee pain can cause long-term pain, swelling, and stiffness in one orboth knees. The cause of knee pain will determine any additional symptoms a person might have. Many conditions can contribute to knee pain, including an injury or arthritis.
Chronic knee pain can affect your mobility and independence. Treatments include self-care management with exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, wearing supportive shoes, and using assistive devices.
OTC NSAIDs and other pain relievers can help manage pain and other knee pain symptoms. A healthcare provider can prescribe more potent pain relievers and other medications to manage inflammation if needed.
The outlook for chronic knee pain can be positive if symptoms can be managed or surgery is done to repair a damaged knee.
26 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576-585.Farrokhi S, Chen YF, Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Jeong JH, Kwoh CK.The influence of knee pain location on symptoms, functional status, and knee-related quality of life in older adults with chronic knee pain: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Clin J Pain. 2016;32(6):463-470. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000291Johns Hopkins Medicine.Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee).Massachusetts General HospitalMeniscus -tears & sprains.Griffith RL. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Baker’s cyst (popliteal cyst).American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma.Saavedra-Lozano J, Falup-Pecurariu O, Faust SN, et al.Bone and joint infections.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017;36(8):788-799. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001635Reyes C, Leyland KM, Peat G, Cooper C, Arden NK, Prieto-Alhambra D.Association between overweight and obesity and risk of clinically diagnosed knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis: a population-based cohort study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(8):1869-1875. doi:10.1002/art.39707Berteau JP.Knee pain from osteoarthritis: pathogenesis, risk factors, and recent evidence on physical therapy interventions.J Clin Med. 2022;11(12):3252. doi:10.3390/jcm11123252Meng W, Adams MJ, Palmer CNA, et al.Genome-wide association study of knee pain identifies associations withGDF5andCOL27A1in UK Biobank.Commun Biol. 2019;2:321. Published 2019 Aug 28. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0568-2Wojcieszek A, Kurowska A, Majda A, Liszka H, Gądek A.The impact of chronic pain, stiffness and difficulties in performing daily activities on the quality of life of older patients with knee osteoarthritis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(24):16815. doi:10.3390/ijerph192416815Arthritis Foundation.Testing for rheumatoid arthritis.American Kidney Fund.Tests for gout.Tafler L, Ovshaev S, Ayon S, Luu A.A novel knee traction technique to treat chronic knee pain.Cureus. 2023;15(8):e43526. doi:10.7759/cureus.43526Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351-361. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351American Society of Anesthesiologists.Knee surgery.Hospital for Special Surgery.Meniscus surgery: trimming, repair & meniscectomy.Messier SP, Resnik AE, Beavers DP, et al.Intentional weight loss in overweight and obese patients with knee osteoarthritis: is more better?Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(11):1569-1575. doi:10.1002/acr.23608Zeng CY, Zhang ZR, Tang ZM, Hua FZ.Benefits and mechanisms of exercise training for knee osteoarthritis.Front Physiol. 2021;12:794062. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.794062Ma J, Chen X, Xin J, Niu X, Liu Z, Zhao Q.Overall treatment effects of aquatic physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Orthop Surg Res. 2022;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s13018-022-03069-6St. Luke’s Health.How walking can help with your knee pain.Cordeiro B. MD Anderson Cancer Center.8 healthy sleep habits.Arthritis Foundation.Heat therapy helps relax stiff joints.Sehgal M, Jacobs J, Biggs WS.Mobility assistive device use in older adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(12):737-744.Vina ER, Youk AO, Quinones C, Kwoh CK, Ibrahim SA, Hausmann LRM.Use of complementary and alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis: race and gender variations.ACR Open Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):660-667. doi:10.1002/acr2.11307Arthritis Foundation.10 tips for healthy knees and strong joints as you age.
26 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576-585.Farrokhi S, Chen YF, Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Jeong JH, Kwoh CK.The influence of knee pain location on symptoms, functional status, and knee-related quality of life in older adults with chronic knee pain: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Clin J Pain. 2016;32(6):463-470. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000291Johns Hopkins Medicine.Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee).Massachusetts General HospitalMeniscus -tears & sprains.Griffith RL. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Baker’s cyst (popliteal cyst).American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma.Saavedra-Lozano J, Falup-Pecurariu O, Faust SN, et al.Bone and joint infections.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017;36(8):788-799. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001635Reyes C, Leyland KM, Peat G, Cooper C, Arden NK, Prieto-Alhambra D.Association between overweight and obesity and risk of clinically diagnosed knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis: a population-based cohort study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(8):1869-1875. doi:10.1002/art.39707Berteau JP.Knee pain from osteoarthritis: pathogenesis, risk factors, and recent evidence on physical therapy interventions.J Clin Med. 2022;11(12):3252. doi:10.3390/jcm11123252Meng W, Adams MJ, Palmer CNA, et al.Genome-wide association study of knee pain identifies associations withGDF5andCOL27A1in UK Biobank.Commun Biol. 2019;2:321. Published 2019 Aug 28. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0568-2Wojcieszek A, Kurowska A, Majda A, Liszka H, Gądek A.The impact of chronic pain, stiffness and difficulties in performing daily activities on the quality of life of older patients with knee osteoarthritis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(24):16815. doi:10.3390/ijerph192416815Arthritis Foundation.Testing for rheumatoid arthritis.American Kidney Fund.Tests for gout.Tafler L, Ovshaev S, Ayon S, Luu A.A novel knee traction technique to treat chronic knee pain.Cureus. 2023;15(8):e43526. doi:10.7759/cureus.43526Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351-361. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351American Society of Anesthesiologists.Knee surgery.Hospital for Special Surgery.Meniscus surgery: trimming, repair & meniscectomy.Messier SP, Resnik AE, Beavers DP, et al.Intentional weight loss in overweight and obese patients with knee osteoarthritis: is more better?Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(11):1569-1575. doi:10.1002/acr.23608Zeng CY, Zhang ZR, Tang ZM, Hua FZ.Benefits and mechanisms of exercise training for knee osteoarthritis.Front Physiol. 2021;12:794062. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.794062Ma J, Chen X, Xin J, Niu X, Liu Z, Zhao Q.Overall treatment effects of aquatic physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Orthop Surg Res. 2022;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s13018-022-03069-6St. Luke’s Health.How walking can help with your knee pain.Cordeiro B. MD Anderson Cancer Center.8 healthy sleep habits.Arthritis Foundation.Heat therapy helps relax stiff joints.Sehgal M, Jacobs J, Biggs WS.Mobility assistive device use in older adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(12):737-744.Vina ER, Youk AO, Quinones C, Kwoh CK, Ibrahim SA, Hausmann LRM.Use of complementary and alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis: race and gender variations.ACR Open Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):660-667. doi:10.1002/acr2.11307Arthritis Foundation.10 tips for healthy knees and strong joints as you age.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576-585.Farrokhi S, Chen YF, Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Jeong JH, Kwoh CK.The influence of knee pain location on symptoms, functional status, and knee-related quality of life in older adults with chronic knee pain: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Clin J Pain. 2016;32(6):463-470. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000291Johns Hopkins Medicine.Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee).Massachusetts General HospitalMeniscus -tears & sprains.Griffith RL. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Baker’s cyst (popliteal cyst).American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma.Saavedra-Lozano J, Falup-Pecurariu O, Faust SN, et al.Bone and joint infections.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017;36(8):788-799. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001635Reyes C, Leyland KM, Peat G, Cooper C, Arden NK, Prieto-Alhambra D.Association between overweight and obesity and risk of clinically diagnosed knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis: a population-based cohort study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(8):1869-1875. doi:10.1002/art.39707Berteau JP.Knee pain from osteoarthritis: pathogenesis, risk factors, and recent evidence on physical therapy interventions.J Clin Med. 2022;11(12):3252. doi:10.3390/jcm11123252Meng W, Adams MJ, Palmer CNA, et al.Genome-wide association study of knee pain identifies associations withGDF5andCOL27A1in UK Biobank.Commun Biol. 2019;2:321. Published 2019 Aug 28. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0568-2Wojcieszek A, Kurowska A, Majda A, Liszka H, Gądek A.The impact of chronic pain, stiffness and difficulties in performing daily activities on the quality of life of older patients with knee osteoarthritis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(24):16815. doi:10.3390/ijerph192416815Arthritis Foundation.Testing for rheumatoid arthritis.American Kidney Fund.Tests for gout.Tafler L, Ovshaev S, Ayon S, Luu A.A novel knee traction technique to treat chronic knee pain.Cureus. 2023;15(8):e43526. doi:10.7759/cureus.43526Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351-361. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351American Society of Anesthesiologists.Knee surgery.Hospital for Special Surgery.Meniscus surgery: trimming, repair & meniscectomy.Messier SP, Resnik AE, Beavers DP, et al.Intentional weight loss in overweight and obese patients with knee osteoarthritis: is more better?Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(11):1569-1575. doi:10.1002/acr.23608Zeng CY, Zhang ZR, Tang ZM, Hua FZ.Benefits and mechanisms of exercise training for knee osteoarthritis.Front Physiol. 2021;12:794062. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.794062Ma J, Chen X, Xin J, Niu X, Liu Z, Zhao Q.Overall treatment effects of aquatic physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Orthop Surg Res. 2022;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s13018-022-03069-6St. Luke’s Health.How walking can help with your knee pain.Cordeiro B. MD Anderson Cancer Center.8 healthy sleep habits.Arthritis Foundation.Heat therapy helps relax stiff joints.Sehgal M, Jacobs J, Biggs WS.Mobility assistive device use in older adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(12):737-744.Vina ER, Youk AO, Quinones C, Kwoh CK, Ibrahim SA, Hausmann LRM.Use of complementary and alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis: race and gender variations.ACR Open Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):660-667. doi:10.1002/acr2.11307Arthritis Foundation.10 tips for healthy knees and strong joints as you age.
Bunt CW, Jonas CE, Chang JG.Knee pain in adults and adolescents: the initial evaluation.Am Fam Physician. 2018;98(9):576-585.
Farrokhi S, Chen YF, Piva SR, Fitzgerald GK, Jeong JH, Kwoh CK.The influence of knee pain location on symptoms, functional status, and knee-related quality of life in older adults with chronic knee pain: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative.Clin J Pain. 2016;32(6):463-470. doi:10.1097/AJP.0000000000000291
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee).
Massachusetts General HospitalMeniscus -tears & sprains.
Griffith RL. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Baker’s cyst (popliteal cyst).
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of osteosarcoma.
Saavedra-Lozano J, Falup-Pecurariu O, Faust SN, et al.Bone and joint infections.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2017;36(8):788-799. doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000001635
Reyes C, Leyland KM, Peat G, Cooper C, Arden NK, Prieto-Alhambra D.Association between overweight and obesity and risk of clinically diagnosed knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis: a population-based cohort study.Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(8):1869-1875. doi:10.1002/art.39707
Berteau JP.Knee pain from osteoarthritis: pathogenesis, risk factors, and recent evidence on physical therapy interventions.J Clin Med. 2022;11(12):3252. doi:10.3390/jcm11123252
Meng W, Adams MJ, Palmer CNA, et al.Genome-wide association study of knee pain identifies associations withGDF5andCOL27A1in UK Biobank.Commun Biol. 2019;2:321. Published 2019 Aug 28. doi:10.1038/s42003-019-0568-2
Wojcieszek A, Kurowska A, Majda A, Liszka H, Gądek A.The impact of chronic pain, stiffness and difficulties in performing daily activities on the quality of life of older patients with knee osteoarthritis.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(24):16815. doi:10.3390/ijerph192416815
Arthritis Foundation.Testing for rheumatoid arthritis.
American Kidney Fund.Tests for gout.
Tafler L, Ovshaev S, Ayon S, Luu A.A novel knee traction technique to treat chronic knee pain.Cureus. 2023;15(8):e43526. doi:10.7759/cureus.43526
Ayhan E, Kesmezacar H, Akgun I.Intraarticular injections (corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, platelet rich plasma) for the knee osteoarthritis.World J Orthop. 2014;5(3):351-361. doi:10.5312/wjo.v5.i3.351
American Society of Anesthesiologists.Knee surgery.
Hospital for Special Surgery.Meniscus surgery: trimming, repair & meniscectomy.
Messier SP, Resnik AE, Beavers DP, et al.Intentional weight loss in overweight and obese patients with knee osteoarthritis: is more better?Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018;70(11):1569-1575. doi:10.1002/acr.23608
Zeng CY, Zhang ZR, Tang ZM, Hua FZ.Benefits and mechanisms of exercise training for knee osteoarthritis.Front Physiol. 2021;12:794062. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.794062
Ma J, Chen X, Xin J, Niu X, Liu Z, Zhao Q.Overall treatment effects of aquatic physical therapy in knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Orthop Surg Res. 2022;17(1):190. doi:10.1186/s13018-022-03069-6
St. Luke’s Health.How walking can help with your knee pain.
Cordeiro B. MD Anderson Cancer Center.8 healthy sleep habits.
Arthritis Foundation.Heat therapy helps relax stiff joints.
Sehgal M, Jacobs J, Biggs WS.Mobility assistive device use in older adults.Am Fam Physician. 2021;103(12):737-744.
Vina ER, Youk AO, Quinones C, Kwoh CK, Ibrahim SA, Hausmann LRM.Use of complementary and alternative therapy for knee osteoarthritis: race and gender variations.ACR Open Rheumatol. 2021;3(9):660-667. doi:10.1002/acr2.11307
Arthritis Foundation.10 tips for healthy knees and strong joints as you age.
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