Any athlete, professional or amateur, would hate to get an injury preventing them from continuing their training. But injuries during physical activity are much more common than we would like to admit.

Injuries sustained during physical activity affect hundreds of thousands of people annually, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There is a preponderance of knee injuries among these. Knee injuries, fortunately, rarely call for surgical intervention. You should still consult a specialist for knee injuries and be alert for any indications that your injury may be more severe than you realize. Here are some possible signs:

• Your Knee Is Swollen

Suppose your knee swells up right after you get hurt or even soon after. You may have suffered a significant injury. Swelling is often caused by blood accumulation. No more bleeding, but still some swelling. Hemarthrosis is the medical term for blood inside a joint. Knee pain is often severe because of the inflammation when blood gets into the joint.

The suspicion that there is blood in your knee joint is usually a sign that you have suffered a severe injury. Something inside the knee frequently tears, causing bleeding. ACL tears and patella dislocations account for almost 70% of swelling knees in athletes who report hearing a snap while running or turning.

In these situations: crutches, ice, and elevation can all help. It is recommended that an X-ray be taken to assess the damage to the knee joint. There are hardly any fractures, but they do happen. You probably won’t need a brace unless you only need extra support and comfort after a minor knee injury.

• Locked knee

A “locked knee” occurs when an injured person’s leg cannot be fully extended. Simply put, someone with a locked knee can’t fully extend their leg. The occurrence of a locked knee might be attributable to several different factors. Because of edema and inflammation, some individuals may be unable to straighten their knees fully. Others have mechanical locking due to a torn meniscus that has migrated to the center of the joint.

The meniscus is in an impossible-to-repair position. The inability to bend the knee, especially for athletes, is a significant problem. These bucket-handle meniscus tears can cause severe knee discomfort when turning. A tear in the meniscus, known as a “bucket handle tear,” is the most prevalent cause of a locked knee.

• Your Knee May Have Popped or Feels Unsteady

Non-contact twisting injuries account for most ACL ruptures and patella dislocations. In most cases, people report feeling a pop while making a sudden turn or twist. It’s possible that you tore your ACL if you heard or felt a sudden pop when you twisted or rotated to avoid another player. Kneecap dislocations, or patellar dislocations, are another possible cause of popping.

There is a good possibility that your knee is severely injured if you hear or feel a loud pop. Non-contact situations account for the vast majority of ACL injuries and patella dislocations. Seek medical attention if you experience knee instability or pain. If your knee seems unstable, it’s probably due to a problem with the ligaments holding the joint together, and if you keep using it usually, the condition could get worse.

• Weakness While Straightening Your Knee

If you injure your knee and, even a few days later, you still have trouble straightening it, you may have ruptured a tendon. Patella dislocations, tears in the patellar tendon, and tears in the quadriceps tendons are all common injuries that lead to weakness. Although injuries to the patella tendon and quadriceps tendon are relatively rare in youth and collegiate sports, they occur occasionally.

The knee will feel unstable after damage to one of these vast, vital tendons. You may feel like your knee is about to give up under your weight. A professional medical needs to examine you as soon as possible to identify the nature of your injuries.

• Difficulty Walking

Many injuries to the knee can make walking unpleasant and difficult. Injuries to the knee can make it difficult, if not impossible, for a person to walk. You’ll likely need crutches and regular assistance getting on and off the pitch. Before seeing an Orthopaedic Surgeon, anyone who needs crutches should assume they have a significant knee injury. If the athlete cannot bear weight on the knee, an X-ray may be necessary to rule out a fracture.

Other Signs of a Severe Knee Injury

• Sensitivity Reduction in the Knee

While discomfort is a common symptom of knee problems, its absence may indicate something more serious. If you’re experiencing pain in your leg or knee that doesn’t worsen when you apply pressure to the area, you may suffer from sciatica or something unrelated to your knee.

• Long-Term Discomfort or Pain

A doctor can assist if you’ve tried to tough it out, but the pain won’t go away. The general rule is that athletes should see a doctor if they experience pain for more than 48 hours, and adults should see a specialist if their symptoms don’t improve after three weeks.

• Experiencing Pain That Interferes With Your Life

As soon as your symptoms start interfering with your daily life, most doctors would advise you to make an appointment. See a doctor if knee discomfort makes everyday activities like driving, running, or standing at work unpleasant.

• Disturbing Pain at Night

As a result of their pain, many people with knee problems have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep. Get some rest if knee pain is keeping you awake.

• Restricted Mobility

You could experience internal swelling in your knee after sustaining an injury. Leg edema can limit your ability to extend or bend your knee fully. Reduced mobility lasting more than 24 hours warrants medical attention.

Conclusion

If your knee hurts, don’t put off getting it checked out. Seek medical attention if you encounter any of the symptoms above. It’s best to see a primary care physician first if your symptoms are mild or infrequent. Whether or not you need to see a specialist is something they can advise you on.

If you are an athlete, you should see a knee specialist if your symptoms have recently changed or are particularly severe. Alternatively, you can utilize gummies called JointRestore to help maintain healthy joints.

Consumers looking for relief from knee discomfort often turn to JointRestore Gummies. This formula has many potent ingredients because of its primary function, which is to reduce inflammation. JointRestore Gummies allow their users to avoid invasive medical procedures and instead rely on the healing properties of natural ingredients.