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Knee Pain When Bending

Experiencing Knee Pain When Bending?: Thing You Need To Know

Knee pain happens to be one of the most common concerns that are reported by most adult Americans and is mainly linked with the usual wear and tear that our joints go through on a daily basis while being used for running, walking, sitting, standing, lifting, and more.

Sportsmen who are more likely to overuse their joints with their physical activities are the people who complain the most when it comes to shooting pain in the knee. But whether an individual’s knee pain is caused by aging or injury, it can be a nuisance and even debilitating in some circumstances.

What Is Knee Pain?

Being the most common complaint relating to physical pain, knee pain when bending is something that affects people regardless of their age. It can be caused by an injury, for instance, torn cartilage or even a ruptured ligament. Also, there are a few medical conditions that can also lead to excruciating knee pain when bending, such as arthritis, gout, and infections. This Knee pain always starts slowly and then gradually increases its pain intensity.

Symptoms Of Knee Pain

The reason that is causing your knee pain determines how severe the pain is going to be and where it will be located. Listed below are a few of the symptoms and signs that can be experienced along with sharp pain in the knee:

  • Weakness or instability
  • Popping or crunching noises
  • Inability to fully straighten the knee
  • Swelling and stiffness
  • Redness and warmth to the touch
  • Visible deformity in your knees or legs

Why Does Your Knee Pain When Bending?

There can be several different causes behind the pain that you have been experiencing in your knee. However, apart from an injury; most reasons are linked to the overuse of the knee joint over a period of time. Another common reason is arthritis.

Here are some common causes of knee pain:

Medical Conditions

  • Arthritis: Including rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, lupus, as well as gout
  • Baker cyst: This is a swelling filled with fluid right behind the knee, that might also be accompanied by inflammation
  • Cancers tend to begin spreading from your bones or are spreading toward the bones
  • Osgood-Schlatter disease
  • Infection in the bones around the knee
  • Infection in the knee joint

Injuries & Overuse

  • Bursitis: This is the inflammation caused by the repetitive pressure on our knee such as kneeling at lengths, overuse, or injury
  • Kneecap dislocation
  • Fractures of the kneecap or other bones
  • Iliotibial band syndrome: An injury to the thick band, running from your hips to the outside of your knee
  • Patellofemoral syndrome: Pain in the front of your knee, right around the kneecap
  • Torn ligaments: An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury or Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injury may cause bleeding into your knee or even swelling
  • Torn cartilage (a meniscus tear): Pain felt on the inside or outside of the knee joint
  • Strain or sprain: Minor injuries to the ligaments caused by a sudden or unnatural twisting

Treatment For Knee Pain

Depending on how severe the pain that has been making your knee hurt is, along with the cause that has been diagnosed for the ache; your physician will determine what treatment needs to be opted for:

  • Minor to mild knee pains can mostly be treated with rest, ice, and anti-inflammatory medications. Also wearing a brace can stabilize your knee
  • If the cause of your knee pain is arthritis, your treatment needs to include medication and physical therapy
  • Doctors can usually repair the tendon and ligament tears with minimally invasive surgery (Ony if necessary)
  • Much more severe knee injuries may require knee replacement surgery


Regardless of whatever the cause may be, the most effective of all ways to strengthen your knee muscles and get relief from the discomfort is physical therapy.

Types Of Knee Pain

There are several types of knee pains, and the ones that are most likely to affect your knee are:

Why Does My Knee Pain When Squatting?

You are most likely squatting with too much weight for yourself if you are experiencing knee pain when squatting. Lifting more weight than we should while squatting leads our body to being pulled forward, and can become cause knee pain when bending. If this is something that you have been suffering from, you should try lowering the weight that you use to squat.

How To Get Knee Pain Relief?

The physician or physical therapist that you have been dealing with for your knee pain, may prescribe you certain home-based remedies that can be very effective in helping you to get knee pain relief.

Their home remedies are inclusive of:

  • Use of heat or ice packs
  • Altering physical activities to avoid pain
  • Add gentle stretches or exercises to your physical regimen
  • Consume over-the-counter pain killers such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen
  • Topical treatments such as muscle creams or rubs
  • Try wearing a brace on your knee to offer additional support

– Disclaimer –
This blog is for informational & educational purposes only, and does not intend to substitute any professional medical advice or consultation. For any health related concerns, please consult with your physician, or call 911.

Medically Reviewed

Last reviewed by Dr. Syra Hanif, M.D. on 01/30/2023

Learn more about our editorial process.

  • About The Author

    Dr. Syra Hanif M.D.

    Board Certified Primary Care Physician

Dr. Syra Hanif is a board-certified Primary Care Physician (PCP) dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered healthcare.

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