Knee pain occurs among patients of all ages and lifestyles. Such pain is observed during physical activity for various reasons: from injuries or bruises to diseases and significant 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 to avoid hospitalization; treatment can only be done by a doctor.
The first manifestation of pain in the knee is usually caused by heavy loads, joint wear and deformation. This disease is felt not only during excessive stress, but also during rest, during rest, and during daily activities. In this article we will look at why the knee hurts, the main methods of diagnosis and treatment.
What is the knee joint?
The knee joint of our body bears a great burden and weight; it contributes to most injuries and strains during falls, sports and weight 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;
- end of femur and tibia,
- ship,
- nerve,
- ligaments
Each of these components is susceptible to damage, although pain is not always felt immediately. For example, with a dislocated or torn meniscus and a torn anterior cruciate ligament, mobility will be reduced, and vascular damage will cause a hematoma. Infection may begin in the capsule of the knee joint after an infectious disease. If the patient has a nerve disease, shooting pain may be felt in the knee. In addition, it can radiate into the joints 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 a rapidly developing and progressive pathology. Chronic diseases, on the other hand, are relatively sluggish and require lifelong treatment. The causes of such pain vary and the treatment, accordingly, as well.
Let's look at the main causes of pain.
Pain from injury
The cause of acute pain is injury and various traumatic actions. You can be injured from a bad fall, playing sports or uncomfortable shoes. The pain starts to feel a few days after the injury. Usually the knee has some swelling, and the victim experiences quite tolerable pain. Depending on the severity of the injury, abrasions may be present on the surface of the skin. In addition, excess body weight, abuse of bad habits, and peculiarities of profession and work increase the risk of injury.
Type of injury:
- Knee bruise.Frequent and light damage. Swelling and redness appear in the knee area, and the surface temperature rises. Even a minor injury to the knee can cause the destruction of joint tissue cells.
- Sprained.Sometimes muscles, ligaments or tendons sprain without realizing it and cause shooting and sharp pain in the knee, and the joint itself becomes unstable when stepping on the foot.
- Ligament rupture.It can appear due to a strong rotation of the foot in an unnatural direction and cause severe pain, swelling and swelling.
- Meniscus tear. Occurs due to heavy loads, blows to the knees, twisting of the legs and due to its improper position. A torn meniscus causes your leg to stop moving normally. Often occurs in athletes and is accompanied by swelling, bleeding and inability to bend the leg. There is one rule about sports: the knee may hurt, but it will be gone the next day after training. If the disease does not go away, you need to see a doctor.
- Broken joint.Due to the fracture, the soft tissue is also damaged, causing severe pain and deformity of the knee.
Unpleasant sensations in the knee are not always characterized by diseases in this department. Sometimes a herniated disc can cause pain in the knee at night. Discomfort 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 trigger the appearance of pain in the knee joint. It occurs as a result of a difference in the length of the lower leg, which may be due to congenital features or curvature of the pelvis, including due to scoliosis.
Knee disease
Any inflammation or damage to the knee structure causes discomfort, especially when moving. And the infection is not always localized in the knee itself. With general joint disease, the whole body is affected, and the knees are more damaged due to heavy stress. Also, with an injury or disease of the spine, or a fracture of the femoral neck, pain may occur in the knee joint. Let's see some of them:
- Joint painis an inflammatory process that occurs after trauma from infection or metabolic problems. If left untreated, the cartilage of the knee joint continues to wear away gradually, leading to increased pain.
- Rheumatoid arthritis– an autoimmune disease in which the body's defense cells have a negative effect on the tissue. Joints lose mobility, swelling appears, pain is always present, and manifests itself in increased stiffness.
- Joint pain– as a rule, teenagers are exposed to it, as well as people who have recently had streptococcal disease. Characterized by intermittent unpleasant sensations.
- Gonarthrosis (arthrosis).It develops in one or both knees. This disease is characterized by the occurrence of a degenerative-dystrophic process with the growth of connective tissue and bones that interfere with movement. At the beginning of the disease, discomfort begins to be felt only after walking a long distance, but as the disease progresses, pain begins to appear even after walking a short distance. Difficulty getting up from a chair, squatting, or walking up stairs. Pain does not bother you only during rest. Destruction or thinning of cartilage shock-absorbing tissue occurs. When gonarthrosis develops, irritation of the knee and deformation of the joint are observed.
- Reactive arthritis– starts a few days after intestinal infection. Severe pain combined with swelling and redness of the skin above the right or left knee usually indicates reactive arthritis.
- Bursitis– inflammation of the joint capsule, leading 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 that surrounds the knee joint and cushions friction and shock.
- Neoplasms– when they appear, the vessels are compressed, and the joint capsule changes shape, causing pain and limiting mobility.
- Osteoporosis– the tissue becomes weak, becomes more fragile, the calcium content in the bones gradually decreases.
- Osteomyelitis– inflammation of bone tissue appears in the affected area, accompanied by swelling, fever, and severe severe pain.
- Osteoarthritis– inflammation in the joint capsule is gradually localized to the head of the bone. Cartilage wears and thins, causing the head of the bone to no longer slip easily when moving the limb. Excruciating pain ensues.
- Osteoarthritis– a disease that affects all components of the joint.
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome– often occurs in young patients. During physical activity, the kneecap moves forward. This happens because of improper foot position, excessive and heavy loads with unprepared muscles.
- Osgood-Schlatter disease– knee pain when bending over, walking up stairs, squatting.
- Nerve damage and nerve tissue disorders.Shooting pains, numbness and tingling in the lower limbs, and loss of mobility appear. A pinched nerve appears as a result of inflammation, neoplasm or previous injury. Or neuritis develops - inflammation of nerves in one or more areas. Severe pain is felt, mobility and sensitivity are reduced, and limbs involuntarily contract.
- Blood supply is affected.
- Various other infectious diseases.Complications that arise contribute to the appearance of weakness and pain.
In addition to the diseases listed, others can contribute to the appearance of pain: synovitis, ligamentitis, tendinitis, gout, neuropathy, cysts and others.
Therefore, pain in the knee is always a sign of a pathological process that affects the structure of the cartilage, bone or soft tissue of the knee itself, or damage to the nerves that innervate it.
Diagnosis of knee pain
To start treatment, it is necessary to establish an accurate diagnosis from the doctor in the clinic using diagnostic measures.
The patient gets an appointment with an osteopath, orthopedic traumatologist, surgeon or rheumatologist. If necessary, after examination and examination, the patient can be sent to another specialist.
At the appointment, the doctor collects anamnesis - complaints, symptoms and problems that concern the patient, infections and chronic diseases. After this, the doctor can palpate the area of concern and ask the patient to perform various movements and tests. For example, bend and straighten your knees. This will provide initial information about the level of malaise.
To obtain additional information and determine the correct diagnosis, the patient is sent for one or more examinations:
- radiography (x-ray);
- ultrasound examination (ultrasound);
- magnetic resonance therapy (MRI);
- computed tomography (CT);
- arthroscopy (a special instrument, endoscope, inserted into the joint);
- puncture to collect synovial fluid;
- laboratory tests (general and biochemical blood tests, serological tests).
To diagnose neurological diseases, MRI and CT are used, depending on the contraindications. Some diagnoses require more specific tests.
To relieve knee pain, you can see an osteopath, physiotherapist, chiropractor or massage therapist. The osteopath will help restore the normal position of the pelvic bones and internal organs, which has a positive effect on their function, improve the nutrition of all spinal structures by activating blood circulation, and improve posture by eliminating spinal deformities.
Knee pain treatment
It is impossible to choose the best medicine for knee pain yourself. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to first know the true cause of the symptoms and determine the type of pathological disorder in the body.
Knee joint treatment is carried out comprehensively. This set of steps includes:
- medicine (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or chondroprotectors - their effectiveness lies in maintaining moisture in cartilage cells, inhibiting enzymatic action and stopping the degenerative process);
- preparations, solutions for external use;
- osteopathy;
- doing special exercises and gymnastics, physical therapy;
- physiotherapeutic techniques;
- sequence;
- vitamin complex is a drug that is shown to increase metabolic processes in the body.
Various types of physical therapy treatments can be used to treat musculoskeletal disorders that cause knee pain.
Exercise therapy classes are easy and accessible to people of any age, because individually designed programs ensure the creation of loads with the right dose. For complex therapy, local painkillers are also prescribed, for example, ointment with dimethyl sulfoxide (there are contraindications: severe diseases of the kidneys, liver, cardiovascular system, pregnancy, breastfeeding) or anti-inflammatory gel - it is immediately absorbed into the skin, penetrates into the inner layer, relieves swelling and pain.
Pain can also be eliminated using high-frequency techniques: morphological changes remain, but pain decreases and becomes easier. Also, special orthoses are often prescribed - bandages, knee pads, splints, tapes, casts and other similar devices. This allows you to transfer the load from the knee and unload it, reducing the risk of re-injury and promoting rapid recovery. Plasmolifting is rarely used - an injection of plasma obtained from the patient's own blood directly into the affected knee joint or the surrounding soft tissue.
Sometimes bone realignment procedures or surgery are performed (for example, if bone fragments need to be removed).
Doctors also prescribe 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, you should not self-medicate and attend various procedures to avoid surgical intervention (operation) and possible complications. This attitude can only worsen the situation and more serious and complex therapy will be required. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor who will establish an accurate diagnosis and prescribe efficient treatment, procedures and drugs that will have an effect. Take care of yourself and your health!