Common knee injuries and why you shouldn’t ignore knee pain

Christina Gutta, MD

Sports Medicine

Knee injuries are common, not just as a result of sports injuries, but also from overuse or overdoing it while exercising, car wrecks and more. Luckily, the most common knee injuries can be treated and fully recovered from.

Sports medicine specialist Christina Gutta, MD, answered questions about common knee injuries and why you shouldn’t ignore even mild knee pain.

What are the most common types of knee injuries?

“There are a couple different categories when it comes to common knee injuries,” said Dr. Gutta. “Those that result from an acute injury, and those that happen as a result of overuse or consistent stress.”

Types of knee injuries include:

• Strains and sprains, caused by overstretching or tearing of the ligaments or muscles around the knee
• Meniscus tears, or tears in the cartilage discs that cushion the knee joint
• Ligament tears, like in the case of ACL injuries (also includes PCL or MCL injuries)
• Fractures, where the bones in the kneecaps or the ends of the femur or tibia break
• Tendonitis, inflammation of the tendons caused by repetitive movements or overuse
• Bursitis, where fluid-filled sacs around the knee joint known as the burse become inflamed

What are the treatment options for knee injuries?

“Rest and ice are the first line of treatment for knee injuries,” said Dr. Gutta. “In the event of milder injuries to the knee, you may recover well with rest, ice and the use of over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.”

For more severe injuries, your treatment plan might also include physical therapy, wearing a brace on your knee, injections to combat inflammation or even surgery.

In some cases, lifestyle modifications can be an important part of the plan not just for recovery but also for preventing further injury in the future. Maintaining a healthy weight, wearing supportive footwear, avoiding activities that aggravate knee pain and using proper techniques during physical activity can all help keep your knees healthy.

Even in mild knee injuries, don’t ignore the pain

“Some injuries might initially feel very mild, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need medical care,” said Dr. Gutta. “Early diagnosis helps us ensure we can help you with controlling pain and getting your quality of life back.”

Dr. Gutta noted that ignoring pain might cause a problem that isn’t so bad at first to continue to worsen over time, causing more significant damage to the knee joint and the area around it that could be more time-consuming, difficult or painful to treat and recover from.

Are there ways to prevent common knee injuries through exercise?

“There are some exercises you can do that will help to strengthen the tendons and ligaments in your knees, as well as build up that supportive muscle in your legs,” said Dr. Gutta.

Low-impact aerobic exercise like walking, swimming or cycling is great for building up your baseline resilience and strength and can help those who struggle with higher-impact exercise. Strength training that focuses on the muscles around the knee (such as the quadriceps, hamstrings or calf muscles) is also helpful, as are balance exercises.

Finally, exercise that strengthens your core muscles will improve your long-term strength and ability to stay active overall.