The knee joint is one of the largest joints in the human body. It is exposed to a large load, as it takes almost the entire weight of our body. The knee joint is often injured.
The presence of knee pain can be a sign of a serious pathology. Pain in the knee joint not only limits movement and causes discomfort, but can also lead to disability.
What is knee pain?
Knee pain is a common complaint and can occur at any age. Pain in the knee joint itself can be not only the result of an injury, but also a sign of a serious disease (osteoarthritis, gout).
There are two types of pain: acute and chronic. Acute knee pain most often occurs as a result of an injury or is a sign of an acute inflammatory process.
Chronic knee pain is characterized by a gradual increase in pain. The main cause of chronic pain is the development of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the tissues of the joint or a chronic inflammatory process. In the case of a chronic process, the most characteristic is the presence of aching pain in the knee joint.
Pain in the knee joint can be arching in nature, painful, and can be accompanied by a number of other manifestations:
- Swelling and redness in the joint area;
- joint deformity;
- Limitation of movements in the joint;
- Crackling in the joint during movement.
Causes of knee pain
Knee pain can be caused by aging and wear and tear on the components of the knee joint. The most common cause of sharp pain in the knee is trauma and damage to the joint. The most common knee injuries are:
- Fractures and bruises, which most often occur during a fall and are accompanied by acute pain;
- Tearing of ligaments or tendons;
- meniscus tear;
- Displacement of both the knee joint and the patella.
Diseases such as bursitis and tendinitis can develop as a result of injuries and damage to the knee joint.
Other causes of knee joint pain include the presence of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the tissues of the joint, as well as inflammatory processes:
- Bursitis. Bursitis is inflammation of the joint bag, which is accompanied not only by pain, but also by swelling.
- Tendinitis. Tendonitis is inflammation of one or more tendons. This inflammation can occur when the tendons of the patella are damaged. They occur very often in people who are professionally engaged in running, jumping, skiing, as well as cyclists.
- Arthritis is inflammation of a joint. The most common is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which all components of the joint are affected, primarily cartilage, ligaments, capsules and muscles. Arthritis can be infectious (septic arthritis) or autoimmune (rheumatoid arthritis).
Less common causes of knee pain include the presence of cysts and tumors that compress nearby tissues, causing pain in the knee joint.
Several factors can increase your risk of knee pain:
- Overweight. Being overweight or obese puts more stress on the knee joints, which increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
- The presence of knee joint injuries in the past.
- certain sports. Some sports put a lot of stress on the knee joint, which increases the risk of chronic injuries.
- The presence of diseases such as osteomyelitis and osteoporosis, which lead to brittle bones, thereby increasing the risk of fractures.
Knee pain when walking
Pain in the knee joint that increases with movement is most often a sign of degenerative-dystrophic diseases (osteoarthritis). Pain occurs as a result of contact during movement of the joint surfaces, which are free of cartilage tissue to some extent.
Pain in the knee when extending and bending
Pain in the knee during stretching and bending indicates an inflammatory process in the tendon-ligament apparatus of the knee joint, and also occurs with inflammation of the joint bag (bursitis). Inflammation of the tendon-ligament apparatus of the knee joint can occur when the tendon of the patella is damaged. Most often, this pathology occurs in people participating in sports.
The second cause of pain in the knee joint during bending and stretching is the degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue of the joint (osteoarthritis).
Knee pain at rest
Resting knee pain, especially at night, is most often a sign of osteoarthritis. Other causes include sprain, meniscus, cartilage damage, inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis), inflammation of the periarticular sac (bursitis).
Nighttime knee pain increases with age and is often seen in overweight people.
What not to do with pain syndrome
First of all, you should not self-medicate, but it is better to immediately seek help from a specialist. In no case, if there is a dislocation, do not try to straighten the joint yourself.
Avoid sudden movements, do not create a large load on the joint - this can only increase the pain.
Diagnostics
If you feel pain in the knee joint, consult an orthopedic doctor. First of all, the specialist questions the patient, collects complaints and conducts a thorough examination. In order to rule out simultaneous pathologies, the doctor may prescribe a consultation with other specialists, such as a neurologist.
Instrumental diagnostic methods include X-rays, magnetic resonance or computed tomography (MRI / CT) and ultrasound of the knee joints.
Laboratory research methods are general and biochemical blood tests.
Treatment of knee pain
Depending on the nature of the lesion, the specialist prescribes a specific treatment plan. Treatment of knee pain is often complex and includes both drug and non-drug therapies.
Drug therapy includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain relievers. These drugs reduce inflammation and pain in the joints. A group of slow-acting drugs or chondroprotectors are also prescribed in courses of 3-6 months, which help reduce inflammation, joint pain, and also slow down the destruction of cartilage, for example, these drugs include combined drugs containing glucosamine. and chondroitin sulfate.
Non-drug therapy is based on physiotherapy methods: UHF, massage, physiotherapy exercises, mud therapy, magnet therapy and others. In addition, it is recommended to wear special orthopedic insoles or shoes individually selected by the doctor.
If conservative methods are ineffective, the treatment of knee pain requires a more serious approach: the doctor may recommend various surgical treatment methods.