Knee Pain SmartSite^TM

Questions to ask your doctor about knee pain

Knee pain

What else besides arthritis may cause knee pain?

What is a muscle strain? What is a ligament sprain? What is a ligament tear?
What is a torn meniscus (or meniscal tear)?
What is bursitis of the knee?
What is patellofemoral syndrome?

What can I do to prevent sports injuries?

What types of activities are more likely to cause knee pain? Is it ok to continue doing the sports that I am doing?
How much sports activity is too much?
What sports activities may be easier on my knees?
Can certain exercises help prevent sports injuries?

What are the treatments for sports injuries?

Does losing weight help?
Can I buy medicines at the drug store to help my arthritis? What side effects do I need to worry about?
Will injections help?
Can I buy herbs or supplements?
Do braces help?
When does surgery help? What is knee arthroscopy?
What exercises should I do in the gym to avoid more injuries?

What is arthritis?

Are there different types of arthritis?
What are the symptoms? What are the causes?
How do I know for sure whether arthritis is the cause of my knee pain?

If I have arthritis of the knee, can I still play sports?

What types of activities are more likely to cause knee pain?
Is it okay to continue doing the sports that I am doing?
How much sports activity is too much?
What sports activities may be easier on my knees?
Can certain exercises help prevent my knee from getting worse?
What can I do to slow down the progression of arthritis?

What can I do to help with my arthritis?

Can I do exercises? Will they make my arthritis worse?
Can changes around the home make it easier for me?
Does losing weight help my knee arthritis?
Can I buy medicines at the drug store to help my arthritis? What side effects do I need to worry about?
Can I buy herbs or supplements? Does acupuncture help?
Do injections help arthritis?

What type of health care providers should I see about my knee pain?

What tests do I need?
How can my primary care provider help?
What is a sports medicine doctor?
Should I see a physical therapist?
What is a rheumatologist?

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Review Date: 8/9/2018

Reviewed By: C. Benjamin Ma, MD, Professor, Chief, Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

View References:

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons clinical practice guideline on treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee. 2nd ed. Rosemont (IL): American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS); 2013 May 18.

Bannuru RR, Schmid CH, Kent DM, Vaysbrot EE, Wong JB, McAlindon TE. Comparative effectiveness of pharmacologic interventions for knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(1):46-54. PMID: 25560713 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25560713.

Bennell KL, Buchbinder R, Hinman RS. Physical therapies in the management of osteoarthritis: current state of the evidence. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2015;27(3):304-311. PMID: 25775185 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25775185.

Crenshaw AH. Soft tissue procedures and corrective osteotomies about the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 9.

Duivenvoorden T, Brouwer RW, van Raaij TM, Verhagen AP, Verhaar JA, Bierma-Zeinstra SM. Braces and orthoses for treating osteoarthritis of the knee. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;3:CD004020. PMID: 25773267 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25773267.

Fransen M, Agaliotis M, Nairn L, et al; LEGS study collaborative group. Glucosamine and chondroitin for knee osteoarthritis: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluating single and combination regimens. AnnRheum Dis. 2015;74(5):851-8. PMID: 24395557 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24395557.

Groen VA, van de Graaf VA, Scholtes VA, Sprague S, van Wagensveld BA, Poolman RW. Effects of bariatric surgery for knee complaints in (morbidly) obese adult patients: a systematic review. Obes Rev. 2015;16(2):161-170. PMID: 25487972 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25487972.

Hochberg MC, Altman RD, April KT, et al. American College of Rheumatology 2012 recommendations for the use of nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies in osteoarthritis of the hand, hip, and knee. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2012;64(4):465-474. PMID: 22563589 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22563589.

Lieberman JR, Engstrom SM, Solovyova O, Au C, Grady JJ. Is intra-articular hyaluronic acid effective in treating osteoarthritis of the hip joint? J Arthroplasty. 2015;30(3):507-511. PMID: 25542833 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25542833.

Malagelada F, Vega J, Golano P, Beynnon B, Ertem F. Knee anatomy and biomechanics of the knee. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee and Drez’s Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 4th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2015:chap 91.

Mascioli AA. Arthrodesis the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 8.

Mihalko WM. Arthroplasty of the knee. In: Azar FM, Beatty JH, Canale ST, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 13th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2017:chap 7.

Moyer RF, Birmingham TB, Bryant DM, Giffin JR, Marriott KA, Leitch KM. Valgus bracing for knee osteoarthritis: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2015;67(4):493-501. PMID: 25201520 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25201520.

Paluska SA. Knee braces. In: Pfenninger JL, Fowler GC, eds. Pfenninger and Fowler's Procedures for Primary Care. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2011:chap 193.

Percope de Andrade MA, Campos TV, Abreu-E-Silva GM. Supplementary methods in the nonsurgical treatment of osteoarthritis. Arthroscopy. 2015;31(4):785-792. PMID: 25633815 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25633815.

Silverwood V, Blagojevic-Bucknall M, Jinks C, Jordan JL, Protheroe J, Jordan KP. Current evidence on risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2015;23(4):507-515. PMID: 25447976 www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25447976.

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Knee Pain SmartSiteTM

Questions to ask your doctor about knee pain

Knee pain

Knee Pain SmartSite^TM