The knee is the most important part of the human body. The knee consists of the interaction of four bones, four ligaments, cartilage, menisci, and several tendons. Pain in the knee is common and can be a symptom of various knee injuries. The medial compartment of the knee which is also called medial knee is an area of the knee which is closet to your opposite knee.
The knee can be easily injured because it is the most useful joint of the human body which contains almost all of the body weight. The knees help the human body in moving, bending and working smoothly. The inside of the knee also known as medial knee occurs pain because of the deterioration of cartilage.
Symptoms of Inner knee pain
Symptoms may include dull aching or stabbing sharp pain may feel in the inner knee. When the knee joint moves a person may feel the sound of popping and cracking. Inner knee pain can also be felt when straightening the leg. Running can also cause inner knee pain depending upon the underlying cause of the pain. This pain can get worse at night.
Additional symptoms of inner knee pain may include burning pain on the inside of the knee, pain inside the knee while running, medial knee pain with flexion, swelling inside the knee, prominent redness on the knee bruising and increased warmth, etc.
Inflammatory inner knee pain indicates if symptoms get better during the day. But if symptoms are getting worse during the day then the reason could be degenerative disorder such as arthritis.
Inner Knee pain Causes
There are a variety of reasons for inner knee pain. Mostly an injury, increased activities, falls and sports injuries can be the reason for inner knee pain. If you’re in your 60’s then you might have a problem of inner knee pain. It can also occur in adolescents and children as well. The most common causes of inner knee pain are the jumper’s knee, Osgood-Schlatter disease, and patellar subluxation.
There are many causes of inner knee pain but here in this article we are going to discuss two major causes such as:
· Medial Plica Irritation
· Knee Contusion
Medial Plica Irritation
This condition indicates the inflammation of plica inside the knee. Plica, present inside the knee are small fold in the joint lining. Plica folds cover the inside knee and help to flex the knee. If a person starts overusing the knee by increasing their activity level or repeatedly flexing the knee joint. It can irritate the medial plica and can cause inflammation inside the knee. This also causes the folds to thicken and be stuck between the bones.
Addition to dull inner knee pain, the patient may experience locking knees or hear a cracking sound. A patient can also experience a nodule on the inner side of the knee. It may feel very tender to touch. After sitting for a long time, locking or catching sensation in the knee joint. Pain may get worse while using stairs, squatting and bending.
Medial plica problems normally get better without any surgery. Using the RICE method and resting the knee until the symptoms disappear. The doctor may suggest some anti-inflammatory pain medicine for quick healing. Some exercises may also help to strengthen the muscles. Swimming, walking, mini squats can strengthen your muscles overtime to keep the problem away from coming back.
Knee Contusion
Bruising your knee bone from a direct hit by any object or falling hard or a direct blow to your knee. It is also known as knee contusion. Damaging the muscles and skin tissues due to an injury is referred to as a soft tissue contusion. This is also called patellar contusion because patellar is the medical term for the kneecap.
A knee contusion can cause inner knee pain depending on the injury. Contusion symptom also includes pain during applying pressure, swelling and stiffness to the inner knee, bruised skin, trouble while bending the knee. If the swelling doesn’t reduce in knee contusion then it indicates a more severe bone bruise.
Minor knee contusion can be treatment by the anti-inflammatory drugs recommended by the doctor. Wearing a brace on the knee can help to heal in a severe bone bruise. The most common treatment for knee contusion is the RICE method. Resting the knee and minimizing its use as much as possible. Cold compression can help to reduce the swelling. Compressing the knee with a wrap or elastic bandage can also reduce swelling. Elevating the knee help reduce pain and throbbing.
Treatment for Inner Knee Pain
Knee injuries are so common that they can be resolved at home first. Initially, treatment can be done at home like having compression knee sleeves or braces but if the symptoms last for more than three days then you should visit a doctor. A doctor can recommend more involved treatments depending on your case. Home remedies can prevent your knee injury to get more worsen and are a great source of instant relief.
If your inner knee pain worsens after three days and basic home remedies don’t alleviate. Then there are many other advanced options to treat the knee pain. Some treatment methods for serious knee injuries include:
· Physical therapy: to stretch and strengthen the muscles around the knee. Exercising and ultrasound therapy also includes in this method.
· Assistive devices: wearing braces on knees during physical activities to support the knee and prevent it from getting more injured.
· Surgery: to remove or repair damaged portions of knee tissues. If you have a swear injury such as bursa or meniscus and nothing is working for that then you might need surgery to heal the wound faster.
· Steroid injections: some injuries including osteoarthritis or bursitis need steroid injections for quick relief.
Outlook
Inner knee pain may be short-term or chronic and it can be treated at home in mild cases using RICE and rest techniques.
But if the cause is not known and it stops you somehow in your daily life routine then you might need to see a physician or a doctor to help you out with the suitable treatment. A doctor will usually recommend conservative treatments before invasive ones, such as surgery.
