Knee is a very complex joint used to bend your leg, make it easier to walk and climb things, and support yourself when standing up. But it can also hurt when you’re climbing up the stairs. What is the reason behind it? Is it nothing serious or should you see a doctor or an orthopedic surgeon. Let’s know!

Causes Of Knee Pain When Going Up The Stairs

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

The patella is the soft and very flexible lining behind your kneecap. It is responsible for ensuring that your legs are engaged right when you stand up or sit down and start walking almost immediately. Sometimes, the patella can weaken and it can break down.

This can cause a lot of friction in the knee when you walk and this is going to lead to a lot of pain because the protective layer of the knee is not there to protect the knee anymore. The most common symptoms of this syndrome can be as follows:

• Dull pain in the knee cap when you sit or stand after a long period.
• Shaky feeling in the legs. This will make your legs very unstable.
• A distinct rubbing feeling when you walk or climb up the stairs.
• There will be swelling in the knees along with a very tender feeling.

Chondromalacia Patella

This is a really common disorder that a lot of people suffer from, especially when they climb up stairs or do anything that requires their legs to be fully engaged. So, chondromalacia patella is the dull feeling of pain when you climb or do anything that puts a lot of stress on the knees. This can also occur when the soft cartilage called the patella wears away.

But the main difference between this and patellofemoral pain syndrome is that chondromalacia patella intensifies when there is climbing involved, so you will feel a lot of pain when you do something strenuous. It is usually caused by any injury to the knee or even some bone disorder that hasn’t been treated right and it needs to be looked at again. The common symptoms of this disorder include:

• Pain is the most obvious one. You will feel it a lot when you bend your knee and climb the stairs or even a hill.
• There will be a distinct clicking or cracking noise when you bend your knee. It will be highly uncomfortable and very alarming.

Meniscus Tear

The knee joint isn’t just a connection of bones that allow bending and moving. It also has an armor of sorts to protect the kneecaps from damage and impact when you accidentally fall down and hit your knees pretty hard. This armor is in the form of C-shaped discs and is known as meniscus. It is a soft and spongy cartilage that surrounds the knee cap.

However, the menisci can also fall victim to damage and that’s not good at all. So, what you want to see is where you’re feeling the pain. Do you feel it on the inside of your knee? Like something inside the kneecap causing immense pain?

Well, if that’s the case then it is a meniscus tear. Meniscus tear is exactly what it sounds like and it is the tearing or breaking of the meniscus. If there are chinks in the armor, then it’s not going to do a good job of protecting your knee, right? So, consult a knee specialist Woodbridge for help.

Osteoarthritis

This is also a very common but dangerous disorder. It can occur in any part of the body but it mostly targets joints and knees are not far from the wrath either. Osteoarthritis in the knee is the inflammation of the joints. This may sound pretty harmless but it’s anything but. Inflammation of the joints will cause pain in anything and everything you do while engaging the joints.

Whether you move your knee wrong, try to stand, walk, or even climb up the stairs, you won’t be able to do it. This can occur either due to old age or it may be something in your family.

Injury In Knee Ligament

Ligaments – your knee has tons of them. They’re all responsible for making sure that the knee works perfectly and is aided in movement every single time. So, you have the ACL, LCL, PCL, and MCL and any wrong activity can lead to ligament injuries and pain in these areas. These things can include:

• Twisting of the knee in the wrong way. It can happen during sports and even running, especially if you don’t wear the right shoes.
• Stretching your knee to the point where your knee ligaments can’t take it anymore and they can get torn. This can be very painful.

So, these things can turn the whole trajectory of the knee around. So, what do you want to do in this case? Well, luckily, knee ligaments can heal pretty easily on their own, given that you don’t put a lot of stress on the knees and ensure that you’re giving them a break.

Have a good rest and you’ll see the difference in no time. In the meantime, consult with your doctor too to double-check that there’s no other issue.

How To Deal With Knee Pain?

Well, now that you know why your knee hurts when you climb the stairs, here are some things you can do to prevent it and even manage it if your routine involves a lot of stair climbing.

Physical Therapy

Physical therapy is a hidden gem because it helps to release the unwanted tension in the knees and ensures that the knee is relaxed and loose. So, if you really want to relieve the pain in your knee, then you want to go for a physical therapy session. The exercises, the light stretching and even the occasional massages will make you feel like a million bucks.

Pain Medication

This is also quite obvious, but you want to take medication for when the pain is unbearable. These are the times when you need to rely on medication because you want everything to go smoothly and dealing with pain round the clock can make you lose your mind.

So, it’s always a good idea to have some basic pain medication like ibuprofen, NSAIDs, and anti-inflammatory drugs on hand, for when the pain flares up. You want to take it immediately and it will kick in in no time.

Lifestyle Changes

Sometimes, knee pain can be due to being overweight. Think about it – your knees can only hold so much. If your weight is off the charts, then that will not only lead to knee pain but other hidden and terrifying disorders in the body too. So, it’s time to take action. This is possible through lifestyle modifications.

Changing up your diet, eliminating processed foods and goods, giving up sugar and things like that will work for you in the long run and they will help to get you back in shape and your knee won’t hurt.

Conclusion

There are many causes of knee pain when going up the stairs. Well, now you know why it happens so you can treat it. See an orthopedic doctor for knee pain Woodbridge for diagnosis and treatment.