Knee pain refers to pain that occurs in and around your knee joint. Knee pain can be caused by problems with the knee joint itself, or it can be caused by conditions affecting the soft tissues — ligaments, tendons or bursae — that surround the knee.

The severity of knee pain can vary widely. Some people may feel only a slight twinge, while others may experience debilitating knee pain that interferes with their day-to-day activities. In most cases, self-care measures can help you cope with knee pain.

1. ACL injury
2. Avascular necrosis
3. Baker's cyst
4. Broken leg
5. Chondromalacia patella
6. Collateral ligament injury
7. Dislocation
8. Fibromyalgia
9. Gout
10. Hyperextended knee
11. Iliotibial band syndrome
12. Knee bursitis
13. Medial collateral ligament injury
14. Meniscal cyst
15. Osgood-Schlatter disease
16. Osteoarthritis
17. Osteochondritis dissecans
18. Patellar tendinitis
19. Peroneal tenosynovitis
20. Posterior cruciate ligament injury
21. Pseudogout
22. Referred pain from hip area
23. Rheumatoid arthritis
24. Septic arthritis
25. Soft tissue sarcoma
26. Sprains and strains
27. Tendinitis
28. Tendon rupture
29. Torn meniscus
30. Swollen knee

Causes shown here are commonly associated with this symptom. Work with your doctor or other health care professional for an accurate diagnosis.

Source: mayoclinic.org

Long-term knee pain from arthritis is often helped by weight loss and exercises to strengthen the muscles around the joint. Other self-care options include:

• Rest. Avoid more-strenuous or painful activities, but keep active. Try alternate activities that cause less discomfort — swimming instead of jogging, bicycling instead of tennis. For acute injuries, you may have to stay off your feet as much as possible or even use crutches for a short time.
• Ice. Put ice on your knee for 15 to 20 minutes a few times each day. Use ice cubes or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a towel.
• Compression. Wrap an elastic bandage around your knee to help control swelling. Make the bandage fit snugly around your knee, but not tight enough to cause pain.
• Elevation. Lying down with your knee propped up on pillows may help control pain and swelling.
• NSAIDs. Over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may help relieve pain, swelling and inflammation. These include ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). These types of drugs can cause stomach upset.

Schedule a doctor's visit
Make an appointment with your doctor if your knee pain was caused by a particularly forceful impact or if it's accompanied by:

• Significant swelling
• Redness
• Tenderness and warmth around the joint
• Significant pain
• Fever

If you've had minor knee pain for some time, make an appointment with your doctor if the pain worsens to the point that it interferes with your usual activities or sleep.

Seek immediate medical attention
Ask someone to drive you to urgent care or the emergency room if your knee pain is caused by an injury and is accompanied by:

• A joint that appears deformed
• A popping noise at the time your knee was injured
• Inability to use the joint
• Intense pain
• Sudden swelling

Source: mayoclinic.org