Knee pain is a general term that refers to pain or discomfort felt anywhere along the front, inside, or back of the knee. It is an unpleasant sensation that feels like sharp jabs of pain, cramping, or swelling that comes from the knee. It can start suddenly but most often takes time to develop. Sometimes it’s the result of something like a fall onto your knee or even a minor knock, but other times nobody has any idea what’s causing it.
Why Do I Have Knee Pain When Standing?
If you have knee pain, seeing a doctor is usually the best way to find out what’s causing it — and what you can do about it. Although certain areas of your knee are more likely than others to cause problems, knee pain can be caused by many different things, including:
Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS)
Patellofemoral syndrome is a common cause of anterior knee pain in young adults, though it also occurs in older patients after an injury or trauma. Patellar tracking disorders are very common, especially among athletes who participate in track and field events, basketball, soccer, or volleyball, among others. When any weight-bearing activity is started, such as standing from a sitting position, the pain develops above and to the outside of the patella. The patient commonly holds his/her leg slightly bent with the heel off the ground and walks with a limp.
Chronic Degeneration of the Meniscus
The menisci are fibrocartilaginous shock absorbers that sit between the femur and tibia, acting as a cushion to protect the bones and joints against shock. The medial meniscus is larger than the lateral (tibial) meniscus, which has more of an S-shape.
When standing or walking, the knee joint is cycled through a large range of motion. Every time you bend or straighten your knee, your lateral or medial meniscus rubs against the joint surfaces as it rotates within the joint. Over time, this repetition can cause damage to both types of menisci from fraying and tearing.
This fraying/tearing can occur in a variety of areas. As a result, people with this condition have pain on the inside of their knees during walking and rotation. The pain is often worsened if they have been running, jumping, or twisting their knee. Sometimes, there isn’t much pain at all when walking or running, but instead, there is a feeling of “pulsing” or “buzzing” when the person is resisting compressive forces applied to the medial meniscus. Additionally, the tears and fractures that occur in the inner (medial) meniscus can range from small and isolated to extensive and large.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterized by a breakdown of the articular cartilage that is responsible for protecting the bones from rubbing against each other. As a result, this breakdown leads to pain, stiffness, and loss of function in the affected joint(s). In Osteoarthritis, inflammation is not present.
The common symptoms are pain and stiffness in one or more joints. The knees are commonly affected, but they can also involve the hips, fingers, spine, and ankle joints. Early on, there may be no symptoms until you move a certain way or stand for a long time.
Diagnosis
Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS)
Diagnosis of Patellofemoral Syndrome (PFS) is through a medical history and clinical examination. The doctor will also assess the range of motion, muscle strength, and pain on the knee caps by using a Physical examination. A patient is suspected of having PFS if he or she has experienced swelling of the knee cap area, tenderness of the kneecap area, tightness in the quadriceps muscles, and also if he/she experiences pain while standing up from a kneeling or squatting position, etc.
Chronic Degenerative Meniscal Tear
The diagnosis of a meniscal tear is the same as the diagnosis of Patellofemoral Syndrome. The doctor will take a medical history and physical examination. The patient is suspected of having a meniscal tear if he/she has experienced swelling, tenderness, pain during movement, or pressure applied to the knee cap area. A physical examination will also reveal if there are any deformities or irregularities in the shape of the kneecap area.
Osteoarthritis
The diagnosis of Osteoarthritis is through a medical history and clinical examination. The doctor will also assess the range of motion, muscle strength, and pain on the knee caps by using a Physical examination. The patient is suspected of having Osteoarthritis if he or she has experienced stiffness in the joints, pain in the joints when climbing stairs or bending down to pick something up from the floor, etc. Osteoarthritis can be confirmed by taking an MRI scan of your knees.
Treatment Options
Knee pain when standing is a common complaint and can be caused by a variety of factors. There are many treatments available for knee pain, some more conservative while some may need surgery.
Medication
Medication is commonly used to treat knee pain when standing. In most cases, using an over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen or naproxen can provide relief from knee pain. The physical therapist may also recommend an oral pre-employment vocational drug test for a patient with knee pain when you stand.
Physical Therapy
The physical therapist may be able to manage knee pain in most patients. The physical therapist will assess the patient and, if necessary, apply joint mobilization techniques, joint distraction techniques (e.g., joint mobilizations), joint manipulation (e.g., joint mobilization with resistance), inhibition techniques (e.g., joint inhibition exercises), or massage therapy to treat knee pain when standing or cause less tension on the affected quadriceps tendon. The physical therapist may also provide the patient with an elastic band to use when standing to support the patellar tendon.
The physical therapist may also recommend that you walk on your toes when standing if you have knee pain in the front of your knee. Additionally, the physical therapist may recommend avoiding prolonged periods of standing and making sure that you have proper shoe support for your feet.
Surgery
In certain cases, surgery may be necessary to treat knee pain when standing. In these cases, sometimes referred to as hip arthroscopy, the physical therapist will apply a local anesthetic to the quadriceps tendon to block the nerve impulses from the quadriceps muscle and allow for a direct injection of an anesthesia solution into the quadriceps tendon. The surgeon will then cut away a portion of the patella tendon connected to a portion of your quadriceps muscle and attach it to a suture that attaches it to your patella tendon. This is called a patellar tendon autograft.
The surgeon may also attach your quadriceps tendon to your hamstring tendons or to the outside of the knee. This is called an extensor retinaculum transfer. The surgery should relieve knee pain when standing and may reduce weakness as well.
Coping
If you have knee pain when standing, make sure that you use proper care and attention to maintain your health and well-being by listening to your body’s needs and warning signs:
- Rest. – Your body needs rest to heal and recover from injuries and illness. If you fail to give your body the time it needs, you may put yourself at risk for future injury or weakening of your joints.
- Listen to your body. – Listen to how your body feels after doing certain activities such as walking, climbing stairs, taking naps, or lying down. Pay close attention to any pain and discomfort.
- Eat well and keep your weight and cholesterol down. – Healthy eating habits, such as eating a balanced diet and low in fats, may help to prevent future complications of knee pain when standing. Additionally, exercise regularly can help to maintain muscle mass and strength, which will reduce trauma on the structures of the body, such as the knee joint (e.g., reduced injury during loading).
- Get enough sleep – get 8 hours of sleep each night if you are feeling tired or have a time shortage. Sleep helps to regulate your body’s hormones which may reduce joint pain when you are standing.
The most important thing is that you don’t ignore it or think that it is nothing serious. If your knee becomes swollen, red, warm, or painful when you are sitting, it can be caused by blood pooling in your leg because of gravity, causing swelling in your tendon, which in turn causes pain in the knee when sitting or bending forward. If you ignore this, it could cause a more serious condition such as tendonitis or tendon rupture. When dealing with knee pain when standing, you will need to find healthy ways to compensate for your injury. Your goal should be to stay active and functional while practicing proper pain management techniques such as ice and heat therapy.
Seeking Doctor For Help
If you experience knee pain when standing irregularly (e.g., late in the night), if your knee becomes swollen or painful when you are sitting or bending forward, or if you feel any tenderness in your knee, it may be time to visit a doctor for knee pain. Even if you feel better with rest and stretching exercises, most doctors will want to examine your knee for a further diagnosis, like seeing any swelling in the quadriceps tendon that may cause pain when bending or sitting.
FAQs
How do I stop my knees from hurting when I stand?
If you’re experiencing knee pain while standing, then it’s important that you know how to relieve the pain and avoid getting the swelling and joint damage that come with arthritis. If you’re like most people, your weight is on your feet. This puts a lot of pressure on your knees, which causes them to hurt when they start to swell from arthritis or wear from Osteoarthritis. The main issue with this is that as time goes on, they won’t get better as quickly as they should because of the swelling and joint damage caused by standing for so long over time.
How do I know if my knee pain is serious?
If your knee pain is only a minor ache or if you can’t remember having any serious pain, then it’s probably nothing to worry about. But, if you have a burning, stabbing, constant ache in your knee that won’t go away or get better, then you need to see a doctor. Also, if the pain is hard for you to ignore and it keeps you from doing daily activities like simple things like walking from one end of the room to the other without wincing in pain from your knee hurting from standing on it so long in one spot without moving and staying still in one spot for so long in one spot without movement is also another sign that your problem might be more than just an ache.
Can you get knee pain from standing?
If you stand for hours on end without any movement, then you’re at risk of developing knee pain from standing because of the pressure being placed on your knees. When your knees are in contact with hard surfaces, they can easily ache or hurt when they get too much pressure over time.
Why is my knee aching without injury?
You should know that sometimes your knee can start to hurt without any injury or strain. The reasons behind this are not fully known, but studies say that it may be due to underlying medical conditions like gout, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc. It’s important to see a doctor if you experience knee pain even after properly warming up and stretching before your exercise routine.
When should I worry about my knee pain?
If your knee pain impacts your daily activities, then you should start to be concerned about your knee pain. Also, if you’re unable to move around at all because of the pain in your knees when standing, then you should be more concerned about it.
Should you exercise with knee pain?
Many people with knee pain that causes them to limp or limp when they walk exercise. Exercising is important for general health to prevent obesity, heart disease, cancer, dementia, and osteoporosis. However, you can continue exercising if your knee pain doesn’t give you any trouble while you do your daily activities.