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You can find out what is causing your knee pain by having a thorough evaluation. You may see an orthopedist or a sports medicine doctor. They treat bone, muscle, and joint problems. Your doctor will work with you to find the cause of your knee pain and design a treatment plan for you.

Many treatments can help reduce pain and swelling in your knee. Your healthcare provider or physical therapist may suggest one or more of the treatments suggested here.

Some procedures may be done using arthroscopy, a method that uses tiny incisions and special instruments to look and work inside the knee joint. Other procedures need open surgery. The kneecap can be realigned to improve its tracking. To do this, soft tissue may be cut, tightened, or moved.

Surgery may be used when pain severely limits your activities. Or it may be done when a rehab program or other nonsurgical treatments are not helping enough. Some procedures may be done using arthroscopy, which uses tiny incisions and special instruments to look and work inside the knee joint.

Your doctor can tell you where your surgery will be done. You will also be told the type of anesthesia you’ll be given during surgery to stay pain-free during the procedure.

Arthritis often affects the big toe joint, causing pain and stiffness. Untreated, it can damage cartilage and destroy the joint. Treatment choices include nonsurgical methods, but surgery may be needed if these fail.

A bone spur (an extra bone growth) can make walking and wearing shoes painful. There are several nonsurgical treatments for bone spurs. But if these aren't effective, surgery can be considered.

With hammertoes, one or more toes curl or bend abnormally. This can be caused by an inherited muscle problem, an abnormal bone length, or poor foot mechanics. There are many nonsurgical treatments for hammertoes, but if these are not effective, you may want to consider surgery.

To help the bone heal properly, you may need to wear a cast. If you do, always keep it dry. Your doctor will tell you whether you can bear weight on your foot while it heals. They may also prescribe a surgical shoe for you to wear.