It is not surprising that our knees may experience weakness or instability throughout the day as we use them for many different activities. Weak knees are also known as knee buckling. It is however imperative to address the underlying cause as soon as possible in order to prevent falls or severe injuries caused by a weak knee. Weak knees will make your life difficult, as it would be very hard to walk with weak knees and perform daily tasks. Pain and injuries to the knee can be considered as a part of life. Due to which, you would not be able to be active in meaningful activities. A strong knee can prevent injuries and maintain knee strength.
Weak knees stop individuals from enjoying their favorite activities. People experiencing weak knees must consult expert healthcare professionals to diagnose fundamental complications and their treatments.
What Causes Weak Knees?
The knee joint is a hinge shaped joint having a combination of three bones: shine bone, thigh bones and kneecap bones. Knee joint is one of the fundamental supporting joints of the body that provides stability. However, with the passage of time, the cartilage and ligament structure of these joints deteriorate. This destruction leads to weak knees.
There are other several causes resulting in weak knees. The most prominent of them are as follows
- Lack of physical activity
- Arthritis
- Iliotibial band Syndrome
- Torn cartilage or ligament
- Quadricep weakness
- Strains and sprains
- Overuse injury
- Infection of knee joint
Weak knees may also involve mechanical problems like muscle imbalance or losing cartilage pieces majorly in athletes.
Signs and Symptoms of Weak Knees?
The symptoms of weak knees vary depending on the severity of pain and location. However, typical signs include following
- Instability and weakness
- Inability to straighten legs
- Difficulty in changing body positions
- Popping voices while bending knees
- Redness
- Inflammation and knee stiffness
Diagnosis of Weak Knees
Weak knees may be diagnosed by specific signs and symptoms, but proper physical evaluation and imaging tests are necessary to confirm the ailment. The healthcare professionals or orthopedic surgeons diagnose knee weakness that facilitate the designing of a customized treatment plan.
As a sudden manifestation of weak knees may be an indication of serious medical condition, it is very important to diagnose the underlying root cause.The physician may ask for following questions while physical evaluation
- Does the knee hurt while touching?
- What triggers the pain
- Do your knees show limited mobility
- Do you find difficult to bend the leg
- Is there inflammation in knee joints?
- Do you feel cracking or popping sounds while moving?
- When did the discomfort start?
Moreover, some imaging tests may also be recommended by pain and spine clinic, most prominent of which are x-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds.
When to See a Doctor?
Knee problem in any case is unbearable, so the best solution is to visit a doctor as soon as possible. Here are given symptoms, which should be considered serious and should be discussed with the doctor.
- Your knee joint is deformed or bent
- There was a “popping” sound at the time of injury.
- Intense pain.
- Sudden knee swelling
- Unable to bear weight.
Can Weak Knees be Treated?
Weak knees can only be treated if diagnosed accurately. The healthcare experts focus on reducing knee pain, discomfort and enhancing physical stability by several treatment approaches.
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Wearing Knee Braces
Wearing knee braces facilitate ligament and tissue healing in knees. They provide stability to the knee joint while exhibiting rotational and anteroposterior stress.
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Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises focus on strengthening the quadricep muscles.The treatment plans all over the countries target these muscles to strengthen knee joints that also prevent re-injuries.
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Weight Reduction
Overweight or obese individuals are mostly recommended to reduce weight and maintain their BMI. As elevated body weight puts 3-6 times more pressure on knees as compared to normal individuals. The most safest and unproblematic treatment approach in this condition is thus weight reduction.
It is also common observation that overweight individuals suffer from many other medical complications including osteoarthritis, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. So, weight reduction serves as a multipurpose treatment approach.
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Physical Therapies
The physiotherapists recommend physical therapies that serve as an important component of rehabilitation programmes. These physical therapies involve certain exercises that may also be practiced at home wearing proper footwear. The most common benefits of physical therapies are
- Reduce pain intensity
- Decrease discomfort
- Strengthen quadricep muscles
- Improve body posture
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RICE
RICE stands for resting, icing, compression and leg elevation. The individuals having mild symptoms of weak knees are the best candidate for RICE technique. It supports knee healing, inflammation reduction and pain elimination.
The professionals at pain clinic Fort Worth also recommend acupuncture, dry needling, diet changes and lifestyle modifications along with regenerative medications for weak knees treatment.
Final Thoughts
Weak knees could disturb quality of life and make a person physically inactive. It is also possible to experience knee pain or weakness as a result of sprains, muscle strains, and osteoarthritis. But there are some tips and suggestions which a person should keep in mind in order to avoid this condition. Like, before starting any exercise, don’t forget to discuss with the doctor. Along with prolonged sitting with bent knees, sports like skipping, running, and strolling down hills can also make the condition worse. Sometimes, if medications and exercises don’t help in relieving pain then it is better to consult a doctor. Maybe the doctor, according to your situation, recommends osteotomy, joint replacement, and arthroscopy for your severe symptoms.