Acute knee pain usually results from overuse, poor form during physical activity, not warming up or cooling down, or inadequate stretching. Simple causes of knee pain often clear up on their own with self care. Chronic knee pain can be a result of injury or disease. Being overweight can put you at greater risk for knee problems.
Knee pain can be caused by:
- Arthritis – including rheumatoid, osteoarthritis, and gout, or other connective tissue disorders like lupus.
- Bursitis – inflammation from repeated pressure on the knee (like kneeling for long periods of time, overuse, or injury).
- Tendinitis – a pain in the front of your knee that gets worse when going up and down stairs or inclines. Happens to runners, skiers, and cyclists.
- Baker’s cyst – a fluid-filled swelling behind the knee that may accompany inflammation from other causes, like arthritis. If the cyst ruptures, pain in the back of your knee can travel down your calf.
- Torn or ruptured ligaments or torn cartilage (a meniscus tear) — can cause severe pain and instability of the knee joint.
- Strain or sprain – minor injuries to the ligaments caused by sudden or unnatural twisting.
- Dislocation of the kneecap.
- Infection in the joint.
- Knee injuries – can cause bleeding into your knee, which worsens the pain.
- Hip disorders – may cause pain that is felt in the knee. For example, iliotibial band syndrome is injury to the thick band that runs from your hip to the outside of your knee.
- Foot problems can result in poor tracking of the knee cap with pain.
- Less common conditions that can lead to knee pain include bone tumor and Osgood-Schlatter disease