If you are a person who seldom trips and falls, it is unlikely and odd that your knee gave away, all of a sudden and you fell or were just about to, but you managed to save yourself the embarrassment. This is not a common thing to happen, especially when it tends to happen way too often, what you could be suffering from might be a buckling knee.

What is a buckling knee?

When one or both your knees give out, making your knee instable or weak, it is called buckling knee. It might often be accompanied by pain, but it is mainly just instability.

What are its symptoms?

• Knee weakness on placing weight
• Pain surrounding the knee
• Difficulty standing or walking properly
• Knee Swelling or inflammation
• Cracking or popping sound from the knee when being stretched or flexed

What are the causes of knee buckling?

• Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: The kneecap rubs against the thigh bone instead of gliding smoothly, causing damage to the knee and pain.
• Meniscal Injury: Forceful twisting of the knee, especially by one’s full weight, can lead to a torn meniscus.
• Knee Arthritis: Inflammation of one or more of the joints.
• Repeated Kneecap Dislocation (Patellar Subluxation)
• Nerve damage
• Plica syndrome: Inflammation of the medial plica, which is a fold in the middle of the membrane that covers your knee joint.
• Multiple sclerosis: People who suffer from multiple sclerosis often report having knee buckling as a symptom.

How to deal with it?

Knee buckling ranges from a mild annoyance to a serious health hazard, depending on what’s causing it.

• RICE technique: the Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevate. Try to rest your knee and apply either a hot or cold compress.
• Medication: If the pain is intense, NSAID can be taken for relief.
• Supportive Device:Knee braces, to facilitate movement while the tissues are healing, cane to not let you fall.
• You may need physical therapy
• Surgery

It can be embarrassing, to have a knee that doesn’t really stay stable, and can make you lose your balance anytime. In such conditions, medical intervention is necessary. To understand the condition better, you can Book a Consult with Dr. Madhu Thumu.

About the Doctor

Dr. Madhu Thumu is one of the most famous and patient Orthopedic Surgeon In Hyderabad practicing for the last 12 years, and has gained a lot of good-will from every single patient he has treated. Along with his exceptional skills in Joint Replacement Surgeries, he is also good at personal counseling, which has helped many people grow out of their worries.