Knee

Pain in the knee can arise after an injury (e.g a fall), or develop with no known injury (e.g a flare of arthritis). Knee pain can be felt from problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, or as a result of fractures or arthritis.

Go straight to A&E if: 

• You have a new and visible deformed or misshapen knee or leg
• The knee pain was caused by a serious fall or accident (eg. a fall from height or high speed road traffic collision)
• A recent fall or trauma if you have osteoporosis 
• You're unable to move your knee (locked in a position) or put any weight through your leg 
• You have excessive knee pain with a redness or heat around your knee and feel unwell, especially after recent knee surgery or injections in the knee area - this can be a sign of infection

You should see your doctor if you: 

• Have pain that doesn’t show any signs of improvement, within a couple of weeks of self help
• Have pain that has rapidly deteriorated or suddenly worsened despite self help
• Have a history of inflammatory arthritis, immuno-suppression, cancer, Tuberculosis (TB), drug abuse, AIDS or other infection
• Feel unwell, have a fever, or unexplained weight loss
• Are experiencing significant changes to your usual sleeping pattern
• Feel the knee joint is locking or giving way when putting weight on your leg 

If you do not have any of the above, you may be able to effectively self manage your condition

There are several ways you can help yourself including: 

• Taking pain medication
• Keep active and avoid static postures/positions
• Find a balance between rest and some activity, try not to overdo things (alter activities that make it worse so they are less painful) 
• Using cold treatment, eg. ice packs, or heat treatment, eg. heat packs
• Maintain a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI). Being overweight can increase your risk of developing knee pain.