Burning In Knee: Causes And Treatments - Healthline

Maybe your like

HealthlineSubscribeBurning in Knee

Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M.D. — Written by Scott Frothingham — Updated on May 30, 2018

Causes
At night
Treatment
Takeaway

Burning knee pain

Because the knee one of the most actively used joints in the human body, pain in this joint isn’t an uncommon complaint. Although knee pain can take many forms, burning pain in the knee can be an indicator of a variety of problems.

You can have a burning sensation that seems to encompass the full knee, but often it’s felt in a specific area — most commonly behind the knee and in front of the knee (kneecap). For some, the burning sensation is focused along the sides of the knee.

Burning in knee causes

There are several causes for burning in the knee. Where you feel the burning sensation has a lot to do with what’s causing the problem.

Burning behind the knee is often caused by:

ligament tear
cartilage tear
overuse injury
osteoarthritis

Burning in the front of the knee is often caused by an overuse injury known as runner’s knee – also referred to as chondromalacia or patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFS). As well, it could be tendonitis caused by the inflammation of the patellar tendon.

Burning on the outside of the knee is often caused by iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS).

Burning in knee at night

Some people experience increased knee pain at night. This could be caused by a number of reasons:

Blood vessels increase in diameter during sleep, putting pressure on nerves.
Thinking about your physical pain without the distractions of the day results in an increase that’s psychologically driven.
Hormone signals are reduced while you sleep, allowing more pain signals to get through to the brain.

Burning in knee treatment

Treatment for a burning knee depends on the cause.

Knee ligament tear

If a knee ligament tear is diagnosed as partial, treatment might include:

muscle-strengthening exercises
protective knee brace, to be used when exercising
limits to activity that might cause further damage

A complete knee ligament tear might have to be surgically repaired.

Knee cartilage tear (damage to the joint surface)

The first stage of cartilage tear treatment is nonsurgical and could include:

muscle-strengthening exercises like monitored physical therapy or a program of home exercise
pain relief, typically nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
steroid injections in the knee

For those whose situation doesn’t improve with more conservative treatment, the next stage is surgery. There are a number of surgical options including:

Knee chondroplasty. The damaged cartilage is smoothed to reduce joint friction.
Knee debridement. Loose pieces of cartilage are removed, and the joint is flushed with a saline solution (lavage).
Osteochondral autograft transplantation (OATS). Undamaged cartilage is taken from a non-weight-bearing area and moved to the damaged area.
Autologous chondrocyte implantation. A piece of cartilage is removed, cultivated in a lab, and put back into the knee, where it grows into healthy replacement cartilage.

Osteoarthritis in the knee

Osteoarthritis can’t be reversed, so the best that can be done is symptom management, which can include:

pain management with over-the-counter (OTC) medication such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB) and naproxen sodium (Aleve)
physical and occupational therapy
cortisone injections

Eventually, joint replacement surgery (arthroplasty) might be necessary.

Chondromalacia

Also known as runner’s knee, chondromalacia is the deterioration of the cartilage under the patella (kneecap). The initial treatment for chondromalacia includes:

ice to reduce swelling following exercise
pain relief with OTC medication
rest for the knee joint, which includes avoiding squatting and kneeling
alignment of the patella with a brace, tape, or a patellar-tracking sleeve

If the initial nonsurgical treatments fail, your doctor could suggest arthroscopic surgery to smooth unstable cartilage flaps and the trochlear groove (a groove on top of the femur).

Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFS)

For mild cases, PFS is treated with:

rest for the knee, which includes avoiding climbing stairs and kneeling
OTC pain medications
rehabilitation exercises, including those for quadriceps, hamstrings, and hip abductors
supportive braces

For more severe cases, your doctor might recommend arthroscopy, a surgical procedure to remove fragments of damaged cartilage.

Patellar tendinitis

Patellar tendinitis is a common overuse injury to the tendon that connects your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. It’s usually treated with:

rest, especially avoiding running and jumping
ice to reduce swelling
pain management via OTC pain relievers
exercise focused on the leg and thigh muscles
stretching to lengthen the knee muscle-tendon unit
patellar tendon strap to distribute force from the tendon to the strap

If conservative, noninvasive treatments aren’t effective, your doctor might recommend:

platelet-rich plasma injection
oscillating needle procedure

ITBS

ITBS is a repetitive knee strain injury experienced primarily by runners. Although at this time there is no definitive treatment for it, runners are usually advised to adhere to the following four-step program:

Stop running.
Cross-train with no-impact exercise like cycling and pool running.
Massage the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and iliotibial band.
Strengthen your core, the glutes, and the hip area.

The takeaway

Burning knee pain can indicate a problem with the joint or the soft tissues around the knee such as ligaments and tendons. If a burning pain in your knee seems to be associated with a specific area of the knee — front, back, or sides — you may be able to narrow down the potential causes of the pain.

If the pain persists or interferes with your daily activities or sleep, you should consult with your doctor.

How we reviewed this article:

SourcesHealthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We only use quality, credible sources to ensure content accuracy and integrity. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy.

Chondromalacia. (2013).https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/chondromalacia-
Knee ligament repair. (n.d.).https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/orthopaedic/knee_ligament_repair_92,P07675
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2017). Patellofemoral painsyndrome.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350797
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Osteoarthritis.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/osteoarthritis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351930
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Patellar tendinitis.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/patellar-tendinitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20376118
Tiu T, et al. (2017). Knee overuse disorders.https://now.aapmr.org/knee-overuse-disorders/

Share this article

Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M.D. — Written by Scott Frothingham — Updated on May 30, 2018

Health Conditions

Condition Spotlight

Wellness Topics

Product Reviews

Featured Programs

Featured

Lessons

Newsletters

Lifestyle Quizzes

Health News

This Just In

Top Reads

Video Series

Find Your Bezzy Community

Follow us on social media