Chronic pain caused by sport-related injuries can impact any part of the body, but the knee often suffers a great deal of damage. This is because it is responsible for all movement and is weight-bearing too. If you have experienced knee joint pain previously, you know how much it can affect your life on a daily basis. It’s important to rest it but to seek medical advice too in case treatment is required.

The knee joint is a large and complex structure. The femur runs all the way to the tibia and a small bone called the fibula sits by the kneecap itself (patella). Ligaments create stability and tendons connect the bones to muscles to aid movement. All these areas can easily be damaged both by natural wear and tear or through sports-related injuries. The impact the knee joint takes simply from holding up body weight is multiplied when you go running or jumping. Many promising athletic careers have been ruined when the joint has been damaged and not healed correctly.

 

Some common injuries include:

  • Sprains
  • Torn ligaments
  • Cartilage tears

 

Cartilage tears are very common in those who run a lot. Most sports-related knee injuries tend to affect the one knee joint, but, through biomechanics, this can lead to other injuries elsewhere on the body. When both knee joints are impacted, it’s often with a degenerative disease such as osteoarthritis, or gout. Most people think of these as problems that affect those who are a little older, but this is not always the case.

 

Typical sports-related knee injuries

  • Tendonitis is a very painful condition caused by overuse of the tendons and these then swell. This type of injury is often related to jumping and is sometimes referred to as ‘Jumpers knee’.
  • Bone chips can easily break away, locking the knee joint completely and this causes swelling and pain. Impact sports can cause this type of painful knee injury.
  • Some injuries can build up over time such as fluid building up in the fluid sacs which cushion the knee joint, and bleeding can occur around the joint itself. This can lead to the joint becoming extremely painful and swollen.

 

In truth, nearly all the parts of the knee can be injured in some way either through prolonged use or impact injuries. Those who are keen to improve their athletic or sporting abilities find these sorts of injuries frustrating and that’s understandable. You may have felt tempted yourself to try to continue through the pain, but, this should be avoided. These types of problems rarely right themselves and may worsen over time.

Fortunately, knee joint pain can be treated easily by using injections guided by ultrasound, this is a far more accurate method for getting the fluid right to the point where it benefits most. Peripheral intra-articular injections – known as joint injections can provide a great deal of pain relief. It can take a little bit of time before the treatment takes effect – potentially up to 18-hours, so there may be some mild discomfort. There are, however, other treatments that can be used too. Sports-related knee joint pain can now be treated safely and more accurately than ever before with up to 6-months of being pain-free.