At some point in your life, you may experience knee pain. At least one in three people over the age of 45 report knee pain, and it's a common reason people see their doctor or go to the emergency room. Knee pain can be caused by injury or other medical conditions, such as arthritis, gout, infection, or a number of other causes. But the question is, "When should you see a doctor?"
If you have had an accident and complex fracture (bone sticking out under or through the skin) or have a marked deformity of the foot or knee, you are unable to support the weight of your knee, you have severe knee swelling, anxious pain, redness, tenderness, and swelling of the knee, which may indicate an infection, you should consult a knee specialist. There may be other reasons also to consult a knee pain specialist.
Treatment for knee pain includes rest, freezing, elevating the affected knee, and sometimes using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), and naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), to reduce pain and inflammation. These drugs can cause side effects if taken for a long time or in excess of the recommended dose.
Also, there is a limit to how much pain you can control, and taking both at the same time doesn't necessarily result in more relief, but can increase the risk of side effects. If you don't notice any improvement within three to seven days, you should see your physician or a specialist in sports medicine or orthopedics.