Taking a closer look at your symptoms can help you identify and treat the pain.
Stiffness in your knees is also common, particularly when you wake up.
You may also notice swelling in the joints and “creaking and cracking” when you move your knees.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Obesity and Osteoarthritis
Obesity is a major risk factor for osteoarthritis.
Leptin is produced by adipose (fat) cells.
The level of its production is thus in proportion to body fat.
Trauma
One of the more serious causes of pain in both knees is trauma to your legs.
Often times, these injuries can make it difficult to bend or straighten your knees.
Other activities likegoing downstairsorsitting may also increase your soreness.
In addition, the syndrome does not show up on x-rays which helps differentiate it from arthritis.
This slower-paced onset is more common if your menisci are to blame for your bilateral knee pain.
The soreness is typically prevalent when you perform repetitive tasks like squatting,stair climbing, or walking.
It is usually treated by temporarily resting from the aggravating activity and by modifying your footwear or cycling position.
More severe cases may require formal physical therapy to modify your running or cycling technique or a cortisone injection.
It may also cause stair climbing and exercising to be quite painful.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common issue that can lead to pain in both knee joints.
A knee dislocation typically causes significant pain and swelling.
Individuals who experience this pop in of injury are usually unable to bear weight or move their legs normally.
Gout
Infrequently,goutcan also cause bilateral knee pain.
This buildup of crystals causes intense pain, warmth, redness, and swelling to develop.
While gout typically affects the big toe joint, it can also infrequently impact your knees.
Gout flare-ups can last for several days or even weeks.
The pain is usually managed with over-the-counter or prescription pain medication.
In the long term, changes to your diet or uric-acid managing medication can also prevent future gout attacks.
One of the best ways to cope with the remaining symptoms is to stay active.
Keeping your legs moving and your muscles strong will help decrease the forces placed on your knees.
This is another important factor in helping you deal with your pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
For common osteoarthritis pain, try weight loss and exercise to relieve chronic pain.
These drugs are not appropriate for everyone, so discuss the pros and cons with your healthcare provider.
If you sleep on your side, try placing a pillow or two between the knees.
Replacing both knees in one procedure is known as a bilateral total knee replacement.
Some research shows that doing both knees at once has advantages since it requires only one surgery.
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