Knee pain can feel like an endless game of whack-a-mole. One day you might go for a run and find that your left knee bounces in pain. On other days, it’s your right knee that aches. Sometimes, bending your knee is painful no matter which knee you bend or whether you bend it or not. But why does my knee hurt when I bend it?
If this sounds like what’s going on with your knees, continue reading to learn more about why your knees hurt when they bend and the different reasons why this happens.
Achy knees are a natural consequence of aging and activities like running, squatting, and kneeling on the floor can irritate them even further. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to relieve knee pain so you can keep doing whatever it is you love to do!
Why Does My Knee Hurt When I Bend it?
The knee is made up of bones, ligaments, tendons, and a few different muscles that make up its “girdle.” When we bend our knee, the muscles contract, and the ligaments and tendons stabilize the knee joint. When they do this, they put pressure on the cartilage that lines the knee joint.
When the cartilage is stressed or damaged, it can cause pain and make bending your knee even more painful. What is the cartilage in your knee and why does it cause knee pain when it’s damaged?
The cartilage in your knee joint is what allows you to bend your knee without feeling like you’re breaking your bones. It’s a combination of collagen and other proteins and is found on the ends of the bones within the knee joint. When you’re young, this cartilage is firm, elastic, and very smooth.
As you age, the cartilage gets worn down and becomes less effective in protecting the knee joint. When this happens, you’ll start noticing knee pain when you bend your knee and when you’re walking or standing.
The cartilage in your knee joint is most sensitive when it’s cold because blood flow to the joint slows down. This makes it easier for the cartilage to become irritated or inflamed when it’s cold out. This can make bending your knee even more painful and make standing up after sitting down, kneeling on the floor, and other knee-bending activities even more painful.
Knee Pain When You Don’t Bend It
When you don’t bend your knee, it can still be extremely painful. This is a sign of knee joint stiffness, not knee joint pain. Stiffness in the knee can be caused by a number of different issues. If you have knee pain when you don’t bend your knee and you’ve ruled out the possibility that the pain is caused by cartilage damage, it’s possible that you have knee joint stiffness.
Stiffness in the knee joint can be caused by a number of things. One of the most common causes of knee joint stiffness is sitting for long periods of time. If you work at a desk, drive regularly, or spend a lot of time sitting on the couch, you’re more likely to experience knee joint stiffness.
Knee Stiffness
Knee joint stiffness is common among people who sit regularly. People who spend a lot of time sitting are more likely to experience knee pain and knee joint stiffness.
This can make it difficult to stand up after sitting for long periods of time. Stiffness in the knee joint can be caused by both a lack of movement and pressure on the knee joint from uneven weight distribution.
Stiffness in the knee joint can make bending the knee extremely difficult. Stiffness in the knee joint can also make it difficult to stand up and walk. Stiffness in the knee joint can be caused by poor posture and pressure on the knee joint.
Chronic Knee Pain From Damage Or Injury
Chronic knee pain from damage or injury (like a torn meniscus or arthritis) can sometimes happen after knee surgery. When you injure your knee, the cartilage can sometimes become inflamed and cause additional knee pain. This can make you feel like your knee is on fire.
If you injure your knee, you’re more likely to develop knee pain even after the injury has healed. When the cartilage in your knee joint is damaged, the knee joint becomes irritated, inflamed, and painful.
Chronic knee pain from damage or injury can make it difficult to walk and can make bending your knee extremely painful. Chronic knee pain from damage or injury can be caused by a variety of different injuries or issues with your knee. This includes a torn meniscus, arthritis, or other knee ligament injuries.
Knee Pain From Inflammation and Arthritis
It’s also possible that chronic knee pain from damage or injury is caused by knee arthritis and inflammation. In this case, the pain will be constant and not just while you’re bending your knee.
Inflammation that’s not caused by an injury can be caused by something as simple as your daily activities. If you have knee pain that only happens when you bend your knee, it’s possible that your knee pain is caused by a lack of movement and pressure on your knee joint.
If you have knee pain that only happens when you bend your knee and you’ve ruled out the possibility that the pain is caused by cartilage damage, knee joint stiffness, or a lack of movement and pressure on your knee joint, you may have knee arthritis. If you have knee pain that is constant and doesn’t go away, you may want to see a doctor to get it checked out and find out what’s going on.
Conclusion
Knee pain can be caused by a variety of different issues, including knee joint stiffness, chronic knee pain from damage or injury, or knee arthritis. When you experience knee pain, it’s important to figure out what’s causing the pain so you can get it treated and start feeling better. And that’s the real challenge!
It can be very frustrating to not know what is causing your knee pain. In order to properly treat it, you need to know what is causing it. This article will hopefully have helped you determine what is causing the knee pain you are experiencing.
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