Knee pain occurs in all ages and lifestyles. Such pain is observed during physical activity for various reasons: from an injury or bruise to a significant disease and inflammation. Ignoring it can lead to serious consequences. A common question is what to do if you are in pain? At the first painful sensation, it is recommended to consult a doctor in order to prevent hospitalization, the treatment can only be performed by a doctor.
The first manifestation of knee pain is usually caused by heavy loads, joint wear and deformation. The disease can be felt not only in case of excessive stress, but also in peace, rest and during daily activities. In this article, we will consider why the knee hurts, the main methods of diagnosis and treatment.
What is the knee joint?
The knee joint of our body carries a lot of load and body weight, it causes the most injuries and stress during falls, sports and heavy lifting. The knee joint itself is one of the largest in our body.
The knee joint includes:
- the joint itself;
- muscles;
- knee cap;
- menisci;
- joint capsule;
- the ends of the femur and tibia,
- ships,
- nerves,
- tapes
All of these components are susceptible to damage, although pain is not always felt immediately. For example, with a displaced or torn meniscus and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, mobility is reduced, vascular damage causes hemorrhaging. The infection can start in the joint capsule of the knee after infectious diseases. If the patient suffers from a neurological disease, a shooting pain is felt in the knee. It can also radiate into the joint with pain in the femur, tibia and muscles.
Causes of joint pain
The nature of pain can be divided into two groups: acute and chronic. Acute pain is characterized by rapidly developing and progressive pathologies. In contrast, chronic diseases are quite slow and require lifelong treatment. The causes of such pain and, accordingly, the treatment are also different.
Let's look at the main causes of pain.
Pain from injuries
Acute pain is caused by injuries and various traumatic activities. You can be injured due to a bad fall, sports or uncomfortable shoes. Pain can be felt a few days after the injury. Usually, the knee swells slightly and victims experience quite tolerable pain. Depending on the severity of the injury, scratches may appear on the surface of the skin. In addition, being overweight, abusing bad habits, and the specifics of the profession and work increase the risk of injuries.
Types of injury:
- Knee bruise.Common and mild damage. Swelling and redness appear in the knee area, and the surface temperature rises. Even a minor knee injury can cause the destruction of joint tissue cells.
- Sprains.Sometimes a muscle, ligament or tendon sprain goes unnoticed and causes shooting and sharp pain in the knee, and the joint itself becomes unstable when stepping on the foot.
- Rupture of taste buds.It can occur due to strong twisting of the foot in an unnatural direction and causes severe pain, swelling and swelling.
- Meniscus tear.It occurs as a result of heavy loads, knee strikes, leg twists and unnatural positions. Because of a torn meniscus, his legs do not move normally. It often occurs in athletes and is accompanied by swelling, bleeding and the inability to bend the leg. There is a rule about sports: your knee may hurt, but it should be gone the next morning after training. If the illness does not go away, you should see a doctor.
- Joint fracture.The fracture also damages the soft tissues, which causes severe pain and deformity of the knee.
Discomfort in the knee is not always characterized by the disease in this department. Sometimes a herniated disc can cause pain in the knee at night. An unpleasant feeling can also occur if the knee joint is used too little and the associated muscles lose tone.
Asymmetry of the sacrum and pelvic bones can also cause pain in the knee joint. This occurs due to a difference in the length of the lower limbs, which can be the result of congenital features or curvature of the pelvis, including scoliosis.
Knee diseases
Any inflammation or damage to the structure of the knee causes discomfort, especially during movement. And the infection is not always localized in the knee itself. In the case of general joint diseases, the whole body is affected, and the knees are particularly damaged due to the high strain. In addition, injuries or diseases of the spine or a fracture of the femoral neck may cause pain in the knee joint. Let's look at some of them:
- Arthritisan inflammatory process that develops after trauma caused by infection or metabolic problems. If left untreated, the cartilage in the knee joints continues to gradually wear away, leading to increased pain.
- Rheumatoid arthritis- an autoimmune disease in which the body's defense cells negatively affect tissues. The joint loses its mobility, swelling occurs, constant pain occurs, which manifests itself as a feeling of increased stiffness.
- Rheumatism- teenagers are usually susceptible to it, as well as those who have recently suffered from streptococcal disease. It is characterized by varying discomforts.
- Gonarthrosis (arthrosis).It develops in one or both knees. This disease is characterized by the occurrence of degenerative-dystrophic processes with the growth of connective and bone tissue, which interferes with movement. At the beginning of the disease, they start to feel the discomfort only after a long walk, but as the disease progresses, the pain appears even after walking short distances. Difficulty getting up from a chair, squatting or climbing stairs. Pain doesn't just bother you when you're at rest. The shock-absorbing cartilage tissue is destroyed or thinned. When gonarthrosis develops, cracking of the knee and deformation of the joint can be observed.
- Reactive arthritis– begins a few days after an intestinal infection. Severe pain combined with skin swelling and redness above the right or left knee usually indicates reactive arthritis.
- Bursitis– inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe pain and discomfort during movement.
- periarthritis– inflammation of the tendons, muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint. Painful sensations appear with increased load on the bent leg.
- Chondropathy– destruction of the cartilage surrounding the knee joint, which dampens friction and shock.
- Neoplasms- when it appears, the blood vessels are compressed, the joint capsule is deformed, causing pain and limiting mobility.
- Osteoporosis- the tissues weaken and become more fragile, the calcium content of the bones gradually decreases.
- Osteomyelitis- inflammation of the bone tissue occurs in the affected area, which is accompanied by swelling, fever, sharp, severe pain.
- Osteoarthritis– the inflammation in the joint capsule is gradually localized to the heads of the bones. The cartilage wears out and thins, as a result of which the bone heads no longer slide easily when the limb is moved. An aching pain occurs.
- Osteoarthritis– a disease that affects all components of the joint.
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome– often occurs in young patients. During physical activity, the patella moves forward. This happens due to the wrong position of the foot, excessive and heavy load, with unprepared muscles.
- Osgood-Schlatter disease– knee pain when bending, climbing stairs, squatting.
- Nerve damage and nerve tissue disorders.Shooting pains, numbness and tingling of the lower limb, and loss of mobility occur. A pinched nerve appears due to inflammation, tumors or previous injuries. Or neuritis develops - inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. Strong pain is felt, mobility and sensitivity decrease, the limb contracts involuntarily.
- Impaired blood supply.
- Various other infectious diseases.The resulting complications contribute to the appearance of weakness and pain.
In addition to the listed diseases, others can also contribute to the appearance of pain: synovitis, ligamentitis, tendinitis, gout, neuropathy, cyst and others.
Thus, knee pain is always a sign of a pathological process that affects the cartilage, bone or soft tissue structures of the knee itself, or damage to the nerve innervating it.
Diagnosing knee pain
To start the treatment, an accurate diagnosis must be made by the doctor at the clinic using diagnostic measures.
The patient requests an appointment with an osteopathologist, orthopedic traumatologist, surgeon or rheumatologist. If necessary, after examination and examination, the patient can be referred to another specialist.
During the appointment, the doctor collects an anamnesis - complaints, symptoms and problems affecting the patient, infections and chronic diseases. After that, the doctor can feel the affected area and ask the patient to perform various movements and tests. For example, bend and straighten your knees. This will provide initial information on the degree of discomfort.
In order to obtain additional information and establish an accurate diagnosis, the patient is sent for one or more tests:
- radiography (x-ray);
- ultrasound examination (ultrasound);
- magnetic resonance therapy (MRI);
- computed tomography (CT);
- arthroscopy (a special instrument, an endoscope, is inserted into the joint);
- puncture to collect synovial fluid;
- laboratory tests (general and biochemical blood tests, serological tests).
For the diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system, MRI and CT are used, depending on the contraindications. Some diagnoses require more specific tests.
See a chiropractor, physical therapist, chiropractor, or massage therapist for knee pain relief. The osteopath helps restore the normal position of the pelvic bones and internal organs, which has a positive effect on their functioning, improves the nutrition of all spinal structures by activating blood circulation, and improves posture by eliminating spinal deformities.
Treatment of knee pain
It is impossible to choose the best medicine for knee pain on your own. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to first find the real cause of the symptoms and determine the type of pathological disorders in the body.
The knee joint is treated comprehensively. This package of measures includes the following:
- medicinal (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or chondroprotectors - their effectiveness lies in preserving the moisture of chondrocytes, inhibiting the enzymatic action and stopping the degenerative process);
- preparations, solutions for external use;
- osteopathy;
- carrying out special exercises and gymnastics, physical therapy;
- physiotherapy techniques;
- massages;
- Vitamin complexes are drugs that improve the body's metabolic processes.
Various physical therapy treatments can be used to treat musculoskeletal disorders that cause knee pain.
Gymnastics therapy classes are simple and accessible to all ages, as a personalized program ensures the creation of a precisely dosed load. In the case of complex therapy, local pain relievers are also prescribed, for example, ointment with dimethyl sulfoxide (there are contraindications: severe kidney, liver, cardiovascular diseases, pregnancy, breastfeeding) or anti-inflammatory gel - it is immediately absorbed, penetrates into the deeper layers of the skin, relievesswelling and pain.
Pain can also be eliminated with high-frequency techniques: the morphological changes remain, but the pain decreases and becomes easier. In addition, special orthoses are often prescribed - bandages, knee pads, splints, tapes, casts and other similar devices. This allows the load to be transferred from the knee and relieved, reduces the risk of re-injury and promotes rapid rehabilitation. Plasmolifting is rarely used - an injection of plasma obtained from the patient's own blood directly into the affected knee joint or into the surrounding soft tissue.
Sometimes a bone realignment procedure or surgery is performed (for example, when pieces of bone need to be removed).
The doctor also prescribes painkillers that do not have a negative effect on the articular cartilage.
Pay attention to your diet - a balanced diet can prevent inflammation.
If you have problems with your knees, do not self-medicate and take part in various procedures to avoid surgical intervention (surgery) and possible complications. This attitude can only make the situation worse, and more serious and complex therapy will be required. That's why it's important to see a doctor who can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment, procedures, and medications that work. Take care of yourself and your health!