Its where the tibia shin bone meets the femur thigh bone. Worn cartilage cannot keep the kneecap in the groove when the knee is under pressure.
One major cause of knee pain when going down stairs is chondromalacia a weakening of the cartilage underneath the kneecap as explained by the Cleveland Clinic.
My knee hurts when walking up and down stairs. Chondromalacia can cause knee pain to worsen on stairs. In fact this condition may cause knee pain only on stairs. Osteoarthritis and ITBS are other possible explanations.
Fortunately patients can relieve pain by resting the knee strengthening the surrounding muscles and bracing the knee. One of the most frequent complaints about knee pain is of aching when climbing up and down stairs. So while taking the stairs is undoubtedly a great exercise for your overall health it does put a lot of stress on the kneesespecially when going down.
So although walking up and down stairs can have benefits if it causes knee pain it may be time to consult with your. This is why the knees often hurt when a person is going up or down the stairs. This deeper movement means that the kneecap is forced to slide up and down over the femur more than usual and if your cartilage is beginning to wear out watch out.
Most Common Causes Of Knee Pain When Walking Up And Down Stairs. Most often pain in your knee when walking up and down stairs is caused by some issue with the patella or the cartilage under the kneecap. There is a specific condition thats characterized by this deterioration known as chondromalacia.
But as I mentioned knee cap pain is really common and how you can differntiate is that knee cap pain is often painful when you are climbing stairs getting out of a chair or getting off the floor often it can also be sore running or after sitting for long periods such as driving. The knee doesnt often swell up but it can. Two knee joints can hurt when going down stairsthe tibiofemoral joint and the patellofemoral joint.
The tibiofemoral joint is the knee joint you probably think of first. Its where the tibia shin bone meets the femur thigh bone. The patellofemoral joint is the patella kneecap sitting on top of the femur.
Knee pain walking down stairs is commonly caused by arthritis chondromalacia patella and patellofemoral pain syndrome. Knee Pain When Going Up And Down Stairs Is Common But Not Normal. Knee pain when going up and down stairs is one of the most common complaints among people who suffer from knee pain.
However most people have to go up and down stairs almost daily even if its only one or two steps to get into the house. In most cases knee pain going down stairs usually indicates a problem with the knee cap patella and how it moves. The kneecap is a small bone shaped like an upside down triangle which sits in the patella groove at the front of the knee and glides up and down as the knee moves.
Well if you have less cushion inside your knee the stress from your weight stepping down can cause pain. When you go up the stairs you place indirect stress on a bent joint. So its less direct stress on the knee joint itself but its added stress on the ligaments and tendons around the knee.
Look at the picture below. It is almost always damage to the knee cap or the cartilage on the back of it that causes knee pain when you go down stairs but not up. The most common cause is a condition called runners knee.
This is caused by prolonged periods of repeated stressful activities such as running jumping or even standing and twisting on your knees. Chondromalacia may lead to a dull pain when bending the knee or when the knee straightens right after bending it. Activities that might cause pain include.
Walking down hills or stairs. Orthopedic Surgery 42 years experience. The most common cause of knee pain and crepetance walking up and down stairs is patello-femoral pain chondromalacia of the patello-femoral surfaces.
58k views Reviewed 2 years ago. Osteoarthritis happens when there is excessive wear and tear on the knee joint so that bone can rub against bone causing knee pain when going down stairs. It is most common among those older than fifty and those who always do activities that stress the knee such as working in cold weather certain physical activities and climbing stairs.
Knee Weakness Climbing Stairs or Walking. The knee is an incredibly complex joint that goes through a tremendous range of motion. It has many muscles that cross the knee joint to help control its movement while walking running squatting or going up and down stairs.
All of this movement occurs while supporting our body weight. Damaged cartilage may not cause pain when you walk. But as running deep knee bends squats or climbing stairs subjects the knee to additional stress the pain increases.
These types of motions force the kneecap to slide up and down. Worn cartilage cannot keep the kneecap in the groove when the knee is under pressure. Katie Griffin demonstrates how to relieve knee pain you might be experiencing when walking up and down hills or stairs or if you knee rolls in when you.
Wickham says walking sideways up the stairs is a movement modification that can help when dealing with pain or injury in the short term because it puts less stress and demand on your knees and hips. But if youre dealing with pain or injury caused by a traumatic event such as a fall or accident he says you may need to see a healthcare professional such as a physical. Knees are supposed to support us when we walk up a flight of stairs.
Other than pain around the knee cap related to an injury most pain under around or in the kneecap is related to pressure or damage to the cartilage of the kneecap and the area underneath it where the kneecap glides explains Barbara Bergin MD board certified orthopedic surgeon at and co-founder of Texas. One major cause of knee pain when going down stairs is chondromalacia a weakening of the cartilage underneath the kneecap as explained by the Cleveland Clinic. Muscle weakness injury or overuse can cause the condition which is.