Knee pain treatment in Bath

Whether getting out of bed first thing in the morning, walking downstairs, or driving your car, your knees play a vital role in your ability to perform important everyday tasks.

As a weight-bearing joint, you use your knee(s) countless times every day for a wide range of activities and movements. In healthy knees, movement is smooth, easy, and painless. It is usually only when a problem occurs in your knee (or both knees) that you become acutely aware of their role in your movement.

At our Bath Clinic, we treat people with knee pain based in Bath, Bristol, Somerset, and further afield. If you would like to find out more about our orthopaedic services, you can call us or book an appointment with one of our specialists online.

The number of people in Bath with knee pain

Studies show that knee pain is experienced by nearly one in five people over 16 years of age in the UK¹.

With the total population of Bath and North-East Somerset in 2020 at 196,400², it is clear just how many people living in or near Bath may be struggling with some level of knee pain. We asked one of our knee specialists at Bath Clinic to comment on these numbers. Here’s what they said:

“It can be easy to look at statistics like these and forget that each number represents a person living in the South West whose life is being affected (often significantly so) by their knee pain. You may very well know some of them – or even be one of them yourself! If so, you’ll be aware of just how limiting and debilitating knee pain can be.

Fortunately, there are effective treatments for knee pain. Most people will not need surgery to be able to get out of pain and back to better, easier movement in their knee once more.”

Mr Damian Clark, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

As your knee joint is involved in so many movements, anything that causes pain in it can have a significant impact on your ability to perform everyday tasks.

People will experience different types of knee pain depending on what is causing the pain and the severity of the damage. Common words our consultants hear at Bath Clinic to describe knee pain include throbbing, aching, sharp, and stabbing.

Some people will complain of constant knee pain, while others find that it only happens after exercise or during the night. Knee pain may be accompanied by pain in your hip. In other cases, your knee may appear physically normal, but in others cases it might be swollen and red.

Whether the pain is in your left or right knee, on the inside or outside of the knee, or directly under the kneecap (patella) itself, there can be many causes. Everybody will experience and describe their pain in a slightly different way, and getting the right treatment depends on the correct diagnosis.

If any part of your knee is damaged, whether that be your menisci, ligament, cartilage, or bone, it can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. The main causes of knee pain include:

Damage to your knee

The knee has four main ligaments, and damage to any of them can cause severe pain and instability in your joint. A fast twist while making a sudden turn with your foot planted on the ground can easily damage the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Damage may happen because of acute trauma, such as a hard blow or violent twist of your knee. The severity of damage can vary, ranging from a mild sprain or strain to a fracture or dislocation.

Damage to a meniscus can occur at almost any age. Generally, older people will have degenerative problems which cause a meniscal tear.

Wear and tear

Wear and tear in the knee occurs naturally as we age, but some conditions can accelerate this process. A common cause of knee pain is osteoarthritis, which causes the smooth lining (articular cartilage) on the ends of your bones to wear down more quickly than normal. The friction in the joint this causes as your bones move and rub against one another leads to knee pain.

Bursitis of the knee

The knee contains several bursae, fluid-filled sacs that help to cushion the joint from excessive shock and impact. If a bursa is damaged by injury or inflammation, it may cause pain and/or swelling in the knee.

Whatever the cause of your knee pain, fast access to treatment is available at Bath Clinic. Just a short drive from the centre of Bath, we have the largest group of dedicated knee specialists in the country, so you can be confident you’re in safe hands.

Treatments may be non-surgical or surgical. Most people will not need surgery to treat their problem, benefitting instead from treatments like physiotherapy, pain relief, anti-inflammatory medication, or steroid joint injections. Some people find that the use of ice or heat therapy can also help relieve their knee pain.

If surgery is needed, our knee pain specialists and orthopaedic consultants at Bath Clinic offer a comprehensive range of treatments, including (but not limited to):

• Total knee replacement (TKR)
• Partial knee replacement (PKR)
• ACL reconstruction
• Meniscus repair
• Osteotomy
• Patella correction

With fast, simple access to an experienced consultant knee surgeon, it is not surprising that so many of the GPs, physiotherapists, sports physiotherapists, and osteopaths in Bath and the surrounding areas refer their patients with knee pain directly to us.

Knee pain can be distressing to live with, limiting your mobility, your function, and your ability to do the things you love. Our team of knee specialists can help treat the cause(s) of your pain, getting you back on your feet and doing the things you love.

If you would like to find out more about our orthopaedic services, you can call our friendly advisory team to find out more.

 

References and further reading

^{1 Knee pain assessment, NICE}

^{2 Total resident population, LG Inform}