Knee pain can be divided into three major categories:

• Acute injury: such as a broken bone, torn ligament, or meniscal tear
• Medical conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, infections
• Chronic use/overuse conditions: osteoarthritis, chondromalacia, IT band syndrome, patellar syndromes, tendinitis, and bursitis.

Other common causes of knee pain:

Acute knee injuries

Fractures: A direct blow to the bony structure can cause one of the bones in the knee to break. This is usually a very obvious and painful knee injury. Most knee fractures are not only painful but will also interfere with the proper functioning of the knee (such as kneecap fracture) or make it very painful to bear weight (such as tibial plateau fracture). Many fractures require significant force, and a thorough examination is performed to detect other injuries.

Ligament injuries: The most common injury is the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury. An ACL injury is often a sports-related injury due to a sudden stop and change in directions. The remaining ligaments (posterior cruciate ligament, lateral collateral ligament, and medial collateral ligament) are injured less frequently.

Meniscus injuries: The menisci (medial and lateral) are made of cartilage and act as shock absorbers between bones in the knee. Twisting the knee can injure the meniscus.

Dislocation: The knee joint can be dislocated, which is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Knee dislocation can compromise blood flow to the leg and have other related problems. This injury often occurs during a motor-vehicle accident when the knee hits the dashboard.

Wear comfortable footwear, especially if you’ll be on your feet for most of the day.

Lose weight: If your patient is overweight or obese, he/she putting more pressure on his/her joints and limbs, especially if one experience drastic weight gain.

Advise your patient to incorporate a healthy diet full of whole grains, fruits, and veggies to help manage his/her weight.

Tai chi: If the cause of knee pain is arthritis, studies have shown tai chi may help with pain relief and range of motion.

Movement: If the cause of pain is arthritis, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle by staying active may also reduce pain.

Essential oils: Suggest rubbing essential oils like Oil-4 D on the area to help provide relief from joint pain.

Homeopathic Treatment for different types of Knee Pain

Rhus toxicodendron

Pains – tearing pains relieved by motion, worse from sitting and worse when rising from a sitting position, or on first commencing to move; relieves when warm. Damp weather, cold and the approach of storms aggravate.

The character of the Rhus tox pains is “stiffness and soreness”, paralyzed sensation, and even stitches, sprains, wrenches, etc.

Bryonia Alba

Knees stiff and painful. Hot swelling of feet. Joints red, swollen, hot, with stitches and tearing; worse on least movement. Every spot is painful on pressure. Constant motion of left arm and leg. all the joints and joint membranes are swollen and affected. The pain experienced is unbearable and increases with motion. The inflamed joints become red and swollen.

China Officianalis

Pains in limbs and joints, sprained; worse, slight touch; relieves with hard pressure. Sensation as of a string around limb. Joints swollen; very sensitive, with dread or open air. Debility, trembling, with numb sensation. Weariness of joints; worse, mornings and when sitting.

Ledum palustre

Ledum Paul is a best choice for arthritis and gout. The great symptom is – acute, tearing pains in the joints; weakness of the limbs and numbness and coldness of the surface; Pain going from below upwards; Pain in small joints; Nodes form in them and the pains travel up the limbs. The pains are made worse from warmth. The effusion into the joints is scanty and it soon hardens and forms the nodosities.

Arnica Montana

Back pain arising from injury, from falls blows – of both recent and remote origin; sore, bruised pain in the back as after being beaten, lameness in the back, extreme sensitivity which makes it impossible to walk or stoop.

Calcarea Carbonica

It is an important medicines for Osteoarthritis especially of knee joints. There is mild swelling and pain in the deeper portion of the joint, pain generally worse in cold damp weather.

Like Rhus tox in Calcarea carb the pain is also aggravated when getting up from a sitting position and also by walking. Best for fatty and obese constitutionally and tendency to catch cold easily – patients.

Kalium Carbonicum

Kali Carb is very effective in lower back pain. The pain – get worse on walking patient have to stop and take some rest before starting to walk again. There is a desire to lie down for relief from back pain. Stiffness or excessive weakness in the back, back pain during menses or after a miscarriage.

Rhododendron

Rheumatic pains which wander from joint to joint with swelling, worse before or during thunderstorm, cold or wet or unsettled weather. Better from warm wrapping. Enlargement of joints not due to gouty deposits but – Arthritic nodes.

Cimicifuga

When there are spasms in the large muscle groups. Body feels sore and bruised all over, jerking and twitching of the muscles. The spine feels sensitive, and there is pain especially in the back, neck and shoulders.

Kalmia Latifolia

Kalmia have wandering pains, and it is especially useful in pains affecting the chest i.e. the cost chondral articulation. It has also tearing pain in legs, without swelling; neuralgic type of pain. The pain from the chest portion shoot down into the stomach and abdomen (could be cardiac pain). Sometimes the pain from chest traverse downwards in arm. The pain is always attended or succeeded by numbness of the part.

Hypericum Perforatum

Hypericum Perforatum is most significant medicine for coccyx pain (coccydynia) arising from a fall over the coccyx.

Colchicum Autumnale

Great remedy for gout. The typical case calling for colchicum is where the swelling is red or pale, with extreme tenderness to touch, a tendency to shift about from joint to joint, and pains worse on the slightest motion. The smaller joints, fingers, toes, wrist and ankles, are affected; the pains are very violent, patient can not bear to have the parts touched or to have anyone near him, worse towards evening,  a red big toe joint – Inflamed

If the general symptoms of great prostration of the muscular system and abdominal bloating be present colchicum is the remedy.

Cobaltum

Cobaltum should be advised where pain in the back is worse in the sitting position. The pain radiates from the lower back down the legs and feet. Weakness in the legs, Walking may relieve the back pain.

Phosphorus

Prolonged sitting leads to back pain. Weakness in the back may also be felt. Burning sensation in the spine is another feature that may attend. Irritates, inflamed and degenerates mucous membranes. Ascending sensory and motor paralysis from ends of fingers and toes. Stitching pain. Post-diphtheritic paralysis, with formication of hands and feet. Joints suddenly give way.

Causticum

Back pain which has soreness, weakness and stiffness in the muscles that is worse from over exertion. Pain is also worse when the weather is dry and tends to be better in rainy weather.

The muscles in the legs feel contracted, tight and sore, with restlessness at night. The forearms are weak, even though they are also stiff. These patients feel better in a warm bed or warm shower.

Abrotanum

Limbs – Inability to move. Marasmus of lower extremities, Soreness and lameness; worse mornings. Chilblains itch; frostbitten limbs. Gout in wrists and ankles. Inflammatory rheumatism before swelling begins; metastatic rheumatism, metastasis of rheumatism from joints to heart; to spine etc.

Berberis Vulgaris

pains in the arms, Pains in the shoulder, Cramps like pains, acute pains radiates to the hand and to the fingers – Aching, digging, violent pains in the back of the hand, with sensation of heaviness. Urticarial spot on the back of the hand. Small warts in the fleshy part of the hand, under the thumb.-Sensation in the extremity of the finger, as if caused by subcutaneous ulceration. Flat wart on the finger. Redness of the hands, with itching.

Neuralgic pain under nails; tender to touch, paralysis in the knees while walking, Stitches between metatarsal bones, burning pains in the toes.