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Knee Pain

Diagnosis & Treatment

Dr. Pamela Mehta, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon, San Jose

Table of Contents

Knee pain is incredibly common and is faced by people of all age groups. 18 million people with knee pain see their doctor or orthopedic surgeons every year.

Pain in your knee joint can be quite debilitating. It can cause constant discomfort and stop you from performing your daily activities. You can struggle to get up from the couch, climb the stairs, or play sports. It might also impact your sleep and interrupt your exercise regime. Ultimately, it can lead to you putting on weight, making the problem even worse.

Your knee joint has to deal with a lot of stress and strain. It is a “hinge” joint and must take your entire weight while allowing you to run, jump, and turn. When you get pain in your knees, it could be due to any condition of the knee.

Knee pain is very common

This includes problems of the:

  • Bones
  • Cartilage
  • Muscles
  • Tendons
  • Ligaments

Ligaments are especially vulnerable to sports injury and trauma. A ruptured ligament can lead to your knee becoming unstable and is sometimes difficult to diagnose.

For a prompt diagnosis, you should book a consultation with a knee specialist before you can do any lasting damage.

Knee Pain Symptoms

Knee pain symptoms depend on the cause. Symptoms often associated with knee conditions include:

  • Pain in or around your knee at rest
  • Pain when you bend or flex the knee
  • Pain with certain activities like turning or jumping
  • Popping or clicking sounds in the knee
  • Difficulty moving your knee
  • Your knee locking or buckling
  • Bruising or swelling over the knee
  • Weakness or numbness in your leg

While some knee conditions heal by themselves, others can cause lasting damage if left untreated. This is whether the pain has come out of the blue or from a sports injury. If you try to “walk it off” you might be causing even more damage – you may not know how serious your knee pain is!

Common causes for knee pain include:

knee pain symptoms can prevent you from walking and running
Dr. Pamela Mehta M.D is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and founder of Resilience Orthopedics. At our state-of-the-art facility in Los Gatos, we provide assistance to all of those suffering knee pain in the San Jose area. Book a consultation with us today.

Book a Consultation with Dr. Pamela Mehta, MD

The Best Orthopedic Surgeon in San Jose

Dr. Mehta is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who can help you recover from your joint condition.

We can help if you:

Knee Pain Diagnosis

When you suffer from knee pain it’s so important that you visit an orthopedic clinic. This can help to determine whether the cause of your knee pain is serious.

At Resilience Orthopedics you will be seen by Dr. Pamela Mehta M.D., an expert knee surgeon. She will first ask you questions about the location of your knee pain, what makes it worse, and any associated symptoms.

Sports injuries commonly cause knee pain

Dr. Mehta will then perform a physical examination of your knee to test for swelling, joint instability, and any serious knee pain signs. Following examination, she will send you for tests including an x-ray and sometimes an MRI. Depending on the possible causes she may also request blood tests or other types of scans.

Once you’ve had your tests, Dr. Mehta will see you to explain the results and her diagnosis of your knee pain. She will give you all of the information you need about what treatments are available to give you relief. Following this, she will work with you to form a personalized treatment plan.

Knee Pain Treatment

At Resilience Orthopedics we offer concierge orthopedic care directed by Dr. Mehta. This means you will see her on every visit and you’ll have a full range of surgical and non-surgical treatment options. Our local surgical center has modern and advanced surgical options. We can treat patients suffering from all knee conditions.

Dr. Pamela Mehta is an expert knee surgeon and is able to diagnose and treat any cause of knee pain. She specializes in advanced surgical techniques for degenerative knee conditions such as arthritis. Minimally invasive surgical techniques help to speed up recovery. Dr. Metha will listen to all your concerns and will work with you to create a treatment plan.

By choosing Dr. Mehta as your knee doctor, you will be offered a full range of non-surgical options. We pride ourselves on avoiding any pushy sales tactics. Conservative treatment can include:

  • Exercise plans
  • Physical therapy
  • Braces
  • Crutches
  • Hot or cold treatments
  • Anti-inflammatory medications
  • Cortisone injections
knee pain model with patella, bones, and muscles superimposed

Sometimes surgery such as knee arthroscopy is required to assess the damage in your knee. This can repair the tendons, cartilage, bone, and ligaments inside the knee joint. Knee arthroscopy is a surgical technique that reduces recovery time and scarring.

Knee replacement surgery, known as knee arthroplasty, is an option when the joint is damaged. This advanced technique involves resurfacing the affected joint. The joints are capped with metal and plastic caps, and finally replacing the knee cap.

5 Reasons Your Knee Pain Symptoms Might Be Serious

1. Your Knee is Swollen

2. You Can’t Bend or Straighten Your Knee Fully

knee exam

3. Your Knee is Unstable or Buckling.

4. Your Knee is Locked in a Certain Position, or it’s Catching.

5. Knee Pain That’s Just Not Getting Better.

This is more of a chronic issue, but if your knee pain symptoms are just not getting any better, you need to get it evaluated. It’s possible that this knee pain is on the medial (inner) or lateral (outer) side of your knee at the joint line. It’s just not getting better despite taking oral anti-inflammatories, icing it, elevating it, and resting it.

You also may feel a sharp pain in that joint line while doing a certain movement or being in a certain position. If with time this is just getting worse, this is another reason to go see your doctor as soon as you can.

knee pain

What If I Have Pain in More Joints Than My Knee?

Sometimes, in addition to knee pain, you may experience pain and discomfort in other joints too. Acute pain in multiple joints may result from inflammation or flare-up of a chronic joint disorder. Chronic pain in multiple joints could stem from osteoarthritis or inflammatory disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Overuse or mechanical strain could cause pain in multiple joints too. For instance, repetitive movements and the way you use your joints could result in pain that affects several joints. The body’s musculoskeletal system is interconnected, so it comes as no wonder that you can experience pain in multiple joints at the same time.

Below, you can learn more about the reasons behind pain in the knee and other joints such as the hip, ankle, and lower back.

Causes of Hip and Knee Pain

Knee and hip pain occur at the same time due to several causes such as:

Osteoarthritis

The most common type of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage starts breaking down. Knees and hips alike are susceptible to osteoarthritis. As a result, you may experience pain, stiffness, and limited mobility in these weight-bearing joints.

woman with hip pain

Injury

You may sustain an injury that affects both the hip and knee area and thereby causes pain. These injuries may occur due to falling, car accidents, sports activities, and overuse.

Flat Feet

Although some people don’t necessarily experience symptoms due to flat feet, it’s possible to develop pain in the knees and hips. That happens due to excessive pressure on these joints.

Tendonitis

Inflammation of the tendons due to repetitive motions, overuse, and direct trauma. Tendonitis in the hip can lead to a referred pain in the knee area.

Sciatica

Although sciatica pain starts in the lower back, this nerve expands down the legs, which is why you may experience pain in your knees too.

Causes of Knee and Ankle Pain

Knee and ankle pain at the same time may result from osteoarthritis, tendonitis, and other causes, including:

Injury

Sustaining an injury to the ankle can cause pain that radiates and affects the knee. Additionally, injury to ligaments connecting the knee and ankle can induce pain in both areas and affect your mobility. A good example is a sprained ligament.

Gait issues

Sustaining an injury to the ankle can cause pain that radiates and affects the knee. Additionally, injury to ligaments connecting the knee and ankle can induce pain in both areas and affect your mobility. A good example is a sprained ligament.

Tendonitis

Repetitive stress or overuse can cause inflammation of tendons. One of the main symptoms of tendonitis is pain. Inflammation of the peroneal tendon, which runs from the upper leg down the knees, ankle, and foot, can cause pain in several joints.

Causes of Lower Back and Knee Pain

Pain in the lower back area may affect your posture and change the way you walk. That way, you may put too much pressure on your knees, which could lead to pain. Sometimes lower back and knee pain occur together. That happens due to several causes, such as:

Sciatica

Sciatica causes pain in the lower back and down one leg. As a result, you may experience pain in your knee as well. You may notice numbness, weakness, pain, and a burning sensation in the affected leg.

diagram of the knee joint with arthritis

Knee Arthritis

Pain and stiffness in the knees can affect your walking gait and increase strain on your back. In turn, you may experience pain in the lower back area too.

Knee Injuries

Sustaining an injury to the knee can change your gait and posture, thereby putting too much pressure on your lower back. Good examples of injuries are tendon tears, meniscal tears, and ligament injuries.

Identifying the exact cause of pain in multiple joints requires a thorough evaluation by an orthopedist.

What Knee Services Do We Offer?

Knee Pain Assessment

Knee pain can make moving around incredibly frustrating, interrupting your daily activities and making your life difficult. Dr. Mehta is a knee doctor and can offer various knee pain treatments.

Knee Surgery

If your knee condition is severe, or nothing you have tried has helped, Dr. Mehta can advise you on the options for surgery. She is a knee specialist and can offer expert opinion and care.​

Treatment of Knee Conditions

Including

ACL Tear

ACL tears are usually the result of sports injuries and may require surgery.​

Patellar Tendon Tear

The patellar tendon connects your patella to your shinbone, and tears of this make movement difficult.

Meniscus Tear

A meniscus tear is a rupture of the cartilage in your knee joint causes difficulty moving.​

Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis is a common and painful condition that often requires a knee replacement.

And Many More!

Dr. Mehta offers diagnosis and treatment of all knee conditions and can offer her specialist opinion as an expert knee doctor.

Expert Advice For Knee Problems