Diagnosing & Successfully Treating Knee Pain in Arizona

Knee pain is any type of pain, discomfort, or tenderness in the joint where your upper and lower leg bones come together. It can build gradually over months or years or start suddenly. 

Knee pain can affect your ability to move around — and your overall quality of life. That’s why at Dignity Health, our orthopedic experts use the latest technologically advanced and innovative techniques to treat knee pain in Arizona. We provide complete care, including pain management, orthopedic physical therapy, and nutritional counseling to help your body heal and get back to doing what you love. Find a Doctor with our online tool or by calling (877) 634-0285.

For some people, partial knee replacement or total knee replacement is necessary to relieve their pain. Our Chandler Regional Medical Center and Mercy Gilbert Medical Center campuses earned the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval® for joint replacement, including knee surgery. 

What Causes Your Knee Pain? Let Dignity Health Find the Answer

Knee pain can be caused by a range of problems, including sports injuries, overuse, and progressive joint deterioration. Common knee problems include:

• Ligament tears and sprains, including medial collateral ligament (MCL) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears 
• Arthritis, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Bursitis, inflammation of the bursae (sacs) that cushion the knee
• Runner’s knee (patellofemoral pain syndrome), a loss of cartilage behind the kneecap
• Meniscus tear of the shock-absorbing cartilage of the knee
• Tendinitis, irritation or inflammation of tendons
• Baker’s cyst, a fluid-filled cyst behind the knee

To diagnose the source of your knee pain, your doctor may order:

• Radiology and diagnostic imaging tests, including MRI, CT scan, X-ray, and bone scan 
• Joint aspiration to withdraw fluid from the knee for analysis 
• Arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery that allows your doctor to see inside your knee joint 

Symptoms Associated with Knee Pain

If you have knee pain, you may experience:

• Stiffness, grinding, locking, or buckling of the knee
• Knee swelling, warmth, or redness
• Pain in the thigh, ankle, shin, or calf
• Muscle spasms around the knee
• Tingling, prickling, or burning sensation in the knee

See a Dignity Health doctor if your knee pain is limiting your daily activities or does not go away. Seek same day care if you have:

• Inability to put weight on your leg or walk
• Sudden, severe swelling, pain, or deformity of the knee, thigh, or lower leg
• Knee injury with a popping sound, a possible sign of a torn meniscus

Sometimes, knee pain can be a sign of life-threatening condition called deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a blood clot that can travel from your leg to your lung. Call 9-1-1 if you have knee pain with wheezing or other breathing problems or chest pain.

Dignity Health offers treatment and orthopedic procedures for knee pain in Arizona.