My Knee Injury: What Should I Know?

One in three Americans currently suffer from knee pain or knee related injuries and it is the most common reason why people visit the doctor’s office or emergency room, according to the American Medical Association.

Most knee pain is the result of an injury involving ruptured ligaments and torn cartilage, including other knee joint conditions such as gout, infection, and arthritis. Nearly all injuries involve the ligaments, tendons, bursae (or fluid-filled sacks), bones, cartilage, and ligaments. It is because the knee joint is so intricate that any damage – no matter how minute – can cause long lasting, chronic pain and ambulatory challenges.

• You may need contact a physician if you…
• Cannot put any weight on your knee
• Experience severe pain even when there is no weight on the leg
  
• Cannot use your knee without it clicking, buckles, locks, or feels as if it is slipping
• Have a knee joint that is swollen or misshapen with significant swelling
  
• Feel pain, numbness, swelling, tingling and if there is a blue discoloration in the calf below the knee
• If for after three days of constant home treatment there is still pain