Find Care for Knee Injuries in the Sacramento Region
Your knee joint is the largest joint in your body. It bears your body weight, supports movement, and acts as a shock absorber. It’s also one of the most easily injured joints. In fact, millions of people each year see their doctor for a knee injury.
Causes of Knee Injuries
Knee injuries typically result from trauma of some kind. Often, the trauma affects more than one structure in the knee. High-energy trauma, such as car accidents and sports injuries, is usually responsible for fractures, dislocations, and ligament and tendon tears.
Other injuries, such as meniscal tears, tendonitis, and sprains, can occur either from acute (sudden) trauma or chronic (long-term) overuse. Overuse places repeated stress on the knee. This can eventually weaken the knee structures and lead to injury.
Symptoms of Knee Injuries
Pain and swelling are the most common symptoms of any kind of knee injury. Other signs and symptoms include difficulty moving the knee and a catching or locking of the knee. The knee may also be unstable, meaning it feels like your knee is loose or gives way when you use it. For fractures and dislocations, the knee may look deformed or out of alignment.
Common knee injuries include:
- Tendonitis and tendon tears
- Sprains
- Meniscal tears
- Ligament injuries
- Fracture
- Dislocation
Prevention & Treatment of Knee Injuries at Dignity Health
The treatment and prevention options our professional suggest depend on the severity of the knee injury. Minor injuries may respond to rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Anti-inflammatory medicines can help relieve minor pain and swelling. Further treatment may include immobilization with a brace, physical therapy, and joint injections to reduce inflammation and help with healing. Many knee injuries eventually require surgery to fully restore knee function.
Whether your knee needs ice or injections, look to the orthopedists at Dignity Health to offer you advanced, personal care and look out for your overall well-being and health as you heal from your knee injury or condition.
Dignity Health provides comprehensive orthopedic treatment for knee injuries in Sacramento, CA and the surrounding areas.