Arthritis, sprained or strained ligaments, tears, or tendinitis are common causes of knee and leg pain, to name a few. However, many people are unaware that the flow of blood to your knee might be to blame as well. Perhaps that blood flow isn’t as efficient as it used to be.

Normally, blood is pumped from our heart to the rest of our body. In our legs, we have valves in our vessels to help recycle blood back to the heart and keep circulation flowing. This is actually where knee pain can start to occur. Over time those vessels can stretch, and the valves can’t work as efficiently. As a result, blood and waste products begin to pool in our legs. Then they accumulate. Since our knees are at the center of everything our legs do, they often take the brunt of that poor circulation. Considering how much strain our knees are under, it’s easy to see how pain can develop.