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What causes knee pain at night – What can you do to treat it?

Do you find it hard to fall asleep - or do you wake up in the middle of the night because your knee is hurting? In this article, you can read about the different causes the pain may have and what you can do to relieve it. With a few easy steps, you can break the vicious circle of sleepless nights.

Injurymap's app can help you treat your pain

Knee pain at night can take its toll on your quality of sleep and subsequently your quality of life. Lack of sleep can make the pain seem worse, which in turn makes it even harder to get a good night’s sleep. And that may quickly turn into a vicious circle.

At Injurymap we wish to help relieve pain in the knee during the night by giving you an overview of the different causes and what to do if you experience knee pain.

Knee pain is very common. People of all ages and at all levels of physical activity will be afflicted by it at some point for a shorter or longer period.

However, it is most common for people over the age of 50, since the knee is subject to a considerable amount of wear and tear over the course of a life.

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body, since it is where the femur (thighbone), patellar (kneecap), fibula and tibia (the two bones in your lover leg). On top of that, the knee consists of four ligaments, two menisci, several tendons, and cartilage.

This makes the knee susceptible to many types of injuries which – just like autoimmune and joint diseases in the knee – can make it difficult to keep up with daily activities.


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What causes knee pain at night?

There are several causes to nightly knee pain, many of which can be treated with exercise, pain-relieving habits, and over-the-counter pain medication.

Knowing the cause of the pain makes it easier to determine the best way to treat and relieve the pain. Here are the most common causes. You may also find relevant information in these articles about Osteoarthritis of the knee, Jumper’s knee and 10 Common Sources of Knee Pain

Knee Anatomy

1. Arthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common cause of knee pain at night among people over the age of 50. In fact, when examining the knee with radiography, up to 70 percent of people with chronic knee pain will show evidence of osteoarthritis, according to research published in British Medical Journal.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disorder, which means that cartilage is worn down. When the cartilage is gone, the bare bones rub against each other, which can be very painful. Osteoarthritis is chronic and cannot be healed completely, though it is possible to slow down the degeneration.

Knee pain

Other treatment options for knee pain at night

Medication

NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug, e.g. Ibuprofen): Taking an over-the-counter pain medication of the type NSAID, may also help ease pain and calm down inflammation.
There is a risk to this type of medication, as it is associated with stomach ulcers, heart or kidney trouble. Therefore, you must talk to your doctor about taking this type of medication

Topical analgesic: Topical analgesics often come in the form of a gel, cream, spray and patches that you apply directly onto your knee. They help reduce pain and inflammation by soaking through the skin directly to the knee joint.

When to see a doctor

If the pain does not subside or it gets worse, you should see your doctor. Knee pain can eventually interfere with your daily activities, making it hard for you to make it through the day without help from others.

Your doctor will be able to assess your pain and prescribe other medications or treatments if needed.


Other treatments include


  • Steroid injections in the joint
  • Injections of hyaluronic acid supplements, which lubricate the knee joints and result in smoother motion
  • biologic response modifiers, which can help prevent your immune system from causing joint inflammation, in autoimmune joint diseases
  • disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which can specifically help with rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune causes of arthritis


Surgery of the arthritic knee

For those who have advanced arthritis in the knee, and for whom non-surgical methods have been tried without luck, joint replacement surgery may be the ultimate solution. This is often only considered when the ability to walk is a stake.

Surgical treatments include:
+ Restructuring damaged joint: This procedure includes smoothing or reshaping bone surfaces (osteotomy).
+ Replacing the joint: With this procedure, the damaged knee joint is removed and replaced with a new plastic or metal joint.

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