Sakit lutut (knee pain) can often be treated at home and usually starts to feel better within a few days. After an injury, common causes are sprains and strains, tendonitis and torn ligaments or cartilage; without an injury, osteoarthritis is the most common cause, especially with age. For short-term pain, rest the knee, use an ice pack and take paracetamol or ibuprofen gel or tablets. For long-term osteoarthritis pain, exercise and weight management are the core treatments, while glucosamine has no strong evidence of benefit. Get urgent advice if your knee is badly swollen, cannot bear weight, locks or gives way, or is hot and red with a fever.
What causes sakit lutut (knee pain)?
Knee pain can be a symptom of many different conditions. The NHS groups the common causes into pain after an injury and pain with no obvious injury. These tables can give you an idea, but do not self-diagnose; see a doctor if you are worried.
Knee pain after an injury
| Knee symptoms | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| Pain after overstretching, overusing or twisting, often during exercise | Sprain or strain |
| Pain between your kneecap and shin, often caused by repetitive running or jumping | Tendonitis |
| Knee feels unstable, gives way when you try to stand, you cannot straighten it, and you may have heard a popping sound during the injury | Torn ligament, tendon or meniscus, or cartilage damage |
| Kneecap changes shape after a collision or a sudden change in direction | Dislocated kneecap |
Knee pain with no obvious injury
| Knee symptoms | Possible cause |
|---|---|
| Pain and stiffness in both knees, mild swelling, more common in older people | Osteoarthritis |
| Warm and red; kneeling or bending makes the pain and swelling worse | Bursitis |
| Swelling, warmth and bruising, more likely while taking blood thinners (anticoagulants) | Bleeding in the joint |
| Hot and red, with sudden attacks of very bad pain | Gout or septic arthritis (a joint infection) |
| Teenagers and young adults with pain and swelling below the kneecap | Osgood-Schlatter disease |
Gout most often affects the big toe but can also affect the knee; see our guide to gout and asid urik.
Sakit lutut kanan or kiri: does the side matter?
Many people search for sakit lutut kanan (right knee pain) or sakit lutut kiri (left knee pain). Which side hurts does not usually point to a particular cause. What matters more is how it started and the other symptoms:
- Pain in one knee after a twist, fall or sport suggests an injury such as a sprain, a torn ligament or meniscus, or a dislocated kneecap.
- A single hot, red, swollen knee can be gout, bursitis or a joint infection.
- According to the NHS, osteoarthritis usually affects both knees over time, unless it was caused by an injury or another condition affecting only 1 knee.
Is it osteoarthritis of the knee?
Osteoarthritis is a condition that causes joints to become painful and stiff, and it most often affects the knees, hips and small joints of the hands. In osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage on the ends of the bones breaks down, causing pain, swelling and problems moving the joint. According to the NHS, symptoms of knee osteoarthritis include:
- pain that is often worst when you walk, particularly up or down hills or stairs;
- stiffness, especially after not moving the joint for a while;
- a grating or crackling sound or feeling when you move the knee;
- the knee sometimes "giving way" or being hard to straighten;
- mild swelling and tenderness.
Risk factors include getting older, a previous joint injury, a family history, being a woman, other joint conditions such as gout or rheumatoid arthritis, and obesity, which puts extra strain on weight-bearing joints such as the knees. A doctor may suspect osteoarthritis if you are 45 or older, your joint pain gets worse the more you use the joint, and any morning stiffness lasts less than 30 minutes. X-rays are not usually needed. Morning stiffness that lasts much longer can be a sign of rheumatoid arthritis instead.
Osteoarthritis cannot be cured, but it does not necessarily get worse over time and can sometimes gradually improve.
Lutut bengkak: why is my knee swollen?
A swollen knee (lutut bengkak) can have several causes, according to the NHS:
- osteoarthritis: usually mild swelling with stiffness;
- bursitis: a warm, red knee that hurts more when kneeling or bending;
- gout or septic arthritis: a hot, red knee with sudden, very bad pain;
- bleeding in the joint: swelling, warmth and bruising, more likely if you take blood thinners;
- an injury, such as a sprain or a torn ligament.
Get urgent advice if your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape, or if it is red or hot and you have a high temperature. For swelling of the whole leg or ankle rather than the knee joint, see our guide to kaki bengkak.
How can you ease knee pain at home?
According to the NHS, if you have knee pain, try these things at first:
- put as little weight as possible on your knee, for example avoid standing for a long time;
- use an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a tea towel on your knee for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours;
- use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen gel or tablets.
You should start to feel better within a few days. For long-term osteoarthritis pain, hot or cold packs can also relieve pain for some people.
Ubat sakit lutut: which medicines and treatments help?
The right ubat sakit lutut depends on the cause, and a doctor may prescribe medicine or physiotherapy, or refer you for a scan or specialist treatment. For osteoarthritis of the knee, the NHS describes these options:
| Treatment | What to know |
|---|---|
| Topical NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory gels or creams) | Applied to the joint; some are available without prescription and can be particularly effective for knee osteoarthritis, easing pain and swelling |
| NSAID tablets | May be needed if gels do not help; not suitable for everyone (for example people with asthma, a stomach ulcer, angina, or a past heart attack or stroke), and usually given with a stomach-protecting medicine |
| Paracetamol | Can be used for short-term pain, but many people find it does not work very well for osteoarthritis |
| Capsaicin cream | Made from chillies; may be prescribed for knee osteoarthritis if NSAID gels have not worked; can take up to a month to work fully |
| Steroid injection | Injected into the joint when other treatments have not worked; can ease pain for several weeks or months |
| Supports and walking aids | Shock-absorbing shoes, insoles, leg braces or supports, or a walking stick held on the opposite side to the painful knee |
| Surgery | For a small number of people when other treatments have not helped, such as knee replacement or an osteotomy to realign the knee |
Opioid painkillers such as codeine are only usually prescribed short term because of side effects. NICE guidelines also advise against arthroscopic washing out or "cleaning up" of the knee (arthroscopic lavage or debridement) for osteoarthritis.
Does glucosamine help knee pain?
Glucosamine is one of the most popular supplements for knee pain, but the evidence is weak. The UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) advises doctors not to offer glucosamine to manage osteoarthritis, and to explain that there is no strong evidence of benefit.
If you choose to try a supplement, tell your doctor or pharmacist, especially if you take other medicines, and do not use it in place of exercise, weight management or treatment your doctor recommends. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Can exercise and weight loss help knee pain?
According to NICE, the core treatments for osteoarthritis are therapeutic exercise and weight management (if appropriate), along with information and support.
- Exercise: the NHS describes exercise as one of the most important treatments for osteoarthritis, whatever your age or fitness. It should combine muscle-strengthening exercises with exercises for general fitness. Pain may increase at first, but regular, consistent exercise usually reduces pain and improves function. A doctor or physiotherapist can give you a plan, as doing too much too quickly may damage your joints.
- Weight: being overweight or obese often makes osteoarthritis worse by putting extra strain on the knees. For people living with overweight or obesity, NICE advises that weight loss will improve quality of life and physical function, and reduce pain. Our Malaysian food calories guide can help with everyday food choices.
- Daily habits: keep a good posture, avoid staying in one position for too long, and wear suitable, supportive footwear.
To stay generally healthy, the NHS suggests at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, such as cycling or fast walking, every week, plus strength exercises on 2 or more days. For back pain, see our guide to sakit pinggang.
When should you see a doctor?
See a doctor if knee pain does not improve within a few weeks, or if you have persistent symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Get urgent medical advice, according to the NHS, if:
- your knee is very painful;
- you cannot move your knee or put any weight on it;
- your knee is badly swollen or has changed shape;
- your knee locks, gives way or clicks painfully (painless clicking is normal);
- you have a very high temperature (or feel hot, cold or shivery) and redness or heat around your knee, which can be a sign of infection.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What causes sakit lutut (knee pain)?
Knee pain after an injury is often caused by a sprain or strain, tendonitis, a torn ligament, tendon or meniscus, or a dislocated kneecap. Knee pain without an obvious injury is often caused by osteoarthritis, especially in older people, and less often by bursitis, gout, a joint infection (septic arthritis) or bleeding in the joint. Teenagers and young adults with pain and swelling below the kneecap may have Osgood-Schlatter disease.
What is the best ubat sakit lutut?
There is no single best medicine; it depends on the cause. For short-term knee pain, the NHS suggests paracetamol or ibuprofen gel or tablets, plus an ice pack and resting the knee. For osteoarthritis of the knee, anti-inflammatory gels or creams (topical NSAIDs) can be particularly effective, and a doctor may consider tablets, capsaicin cream or a steroid injection. Exercise and, if needed, weight loss are the core long-term treatments.
Why does only my right or left knee hurt (sakit lutut kanan or kiri)?
The side itself does not usually point to a particular cause. Pain in one knee is common after an injury such as a sprain or a torn ligament, or with conditions such as gout, bursitis or infection that affect one joint. Osteoarthritis of the knee usually affects both knees over time, unless it followed an injury or another condition affecting only one knee.
Why is my knee swollen (lutut bengkak)?
Mild swelling can happen with osteoarthritis. A knee that is warm, red and worse when kneeling may be bursitis. A hot, red knee with sudden severe pain may be gout or a joint infection. Swelling, warmth and bruising can be bleeding in the joint, which is more likely if you take blood thinners. Get urgent advice if your knee is badly swollen, has changed shape, or is red and hot with a fever.
Does glucosamine help knee pain?
There is no strong evidence that it does. UK NICE guidelines advise doctors not to offer glucosamine to manage osteoarthritis and to explain that there is no strong evidence of benefit. Exercise, weight management if needed, and pain relief such as topical anti-inflammatory gels have better evidence. Supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Should I rest or exercise with knee pain?
For a few days after knee pain starts, put as little weight as possible on the knee. For long-term pain from osteoarthritis, exercise is one of the most important treatments. Joint pain may increase at first when you start exercising, but regular, consistent exercise that strengthens the muscles around the knee usually improves pain and function. A physiotherapist can give you a safe plan.
When is knee pain an emergency?
Get urgent medical advice if your knee is very painful, you cannot move it or put any weight on it, it is badly swollen or has changed shape, it locks, gives way or clicks painfully, or you have a very high temperature with redness or heat around the knee, which can be a sign of infection. See a doctor if knee pain does not improve within a few weeks.
Disclaimer
This article is for general information only and is not a substitute for advice, diagnosis or treatment from a doctor or physiotherapist. Health supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
