There are seven main reasons why you might experience knee pain and swelling:

1. Bursitis or ‘preacher’s knee’. Falling or excessive bending and kneeling (like when you’re cleaning or laying carpet) can irritate and rupture a small sac on top of your knee cap called a bursa.
2. A dislocated kneecap. If you suddenly change direction when your leg is planted on the ground, your knee cap can slide out of position.
3. Iliotibial (IT) band syndrome. Running excessively downhill can overstretch your IT band – a piece of tissue that runs from your hip to your knee.
4. Loose cartilage. An injury can cause cartilage to break loose and get stuck in your knee joint. You might experience more of a ‘catching’ sensation rather than pain when this happens.
5. Osgood-Schlatter disease. When you’re young and your knee joint is still developing you can develop this condition from overdoing it during exercise. You’ll notice a painful bump below your knee.
6. Patellar tendinitis or “jumper’s knee”. The tendon that connects your kneecap to your shin bone can become inflamed from excessive exercising or jumping.
7. Osteoarthritis. This the main cause of knee pain after the age of 50.

Plus, if an old knee injury wasn’t properly treated in the early stages, it can potentially flare up and become painful again.

Elastoplast offers a range of products to help you relieve pain in your knees.
If you’ve sustained an acute knee injury contact a qualified physician immediately. While you’re waiting follow the RICER protocol: 

• Rest – keep your knee as still as possible
• Ice – apply a cold Elastoplast Hot/Cold Pack for 20 minutes at a time
• Compress – gently strap your sore knee with some Elastoplast Sport Rigid Strapping Tape and overwrap the tape with an Elastoplast Sport Elastic Adhesive Bandage.
• Elevate – lie down and elevate your leg on a soft surface if it’s not too painful to move
• Refer – contact a qualified physician for professional advice, accurate diagnosis and treatment

Exercising with caution and protecting your knee is the best way to avoid any of the above causes of knee pain and injury. Follow these tips to lower your risk of injury:

• Wear knee pads if you’re going to be kneeling for long periods of time
• Change direction using the balls of your feet, rather than twisting your knees
• Wear an Elastoplast Sport Adjustable Knee Support. It provides warmth and support for weak and injured knees during exercise. For extra firm support try an Elastoplast Adjustable Knee Stabiliser Brace.