The knee joint is one of the largest joints in the human body. It is subjected to a great load, since it assumes almost all the weight of our body. The knee joint is often injured.
The presence of pain in the knee can be a symptom of a serious pathology. Pain in the knee joint not only restricts movement and causes discomfort, it can also cause disability.
How is knee pain?
Knee pain is a common complaint and can occur in people of all ages. Pain in the knee joint 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 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. For a chronic process, the most characteristic is the presence of stabbing pain in the knee joint.
By nature, pain in the knee joint can be arching, aching, and also accompanied by a number of other manifestations:
- Swelling and redness in the joint area;
- joint deformity;
- Limitation of movements in the joint;
- The presence of a crunch in the joint during movement.
Causes of knee pain
Knee pain can be the result of aging and wear and tear on the components of the knee joint. The most common cause of acute knee pain is trauma and damage to the joint. The most common knee injuries are:
- Fractures and bruises, which most often occur during falls and are accompanied by acute pain;
- torn ligaments or tendons;
- meniscus tear;
- Dislocations of both the knee joint itself and the patella.
Against the background of injuries to the knee joint and damage, diseases such as bursitis and tendinitis can develop.
Other causes of pain in the knee joint include the presence of degenerative-dystrophic changes in the tissues of the joint, as well as inflammatory processes:
- Bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation of the articular bag, which is accompanied not only by pain, but also by swelling.
- Tendinitis. Tendinitis is an inflammation of one or more tendons. This inflammation can occur when the patellar tendons are damaged. Most often they occur in people who are professionally engaged in running, jumping, skiing and cycling.
- Arthritis is inflammation of the joint. The most common is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which all the components of the joint are affected, mainly cartilage, ligaments, capsules and muscles. Joint inflammation can also be infectious (septic arthritis) and 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 the risk of knee pain:
- Over weight. Being overweight or obese puts more pressure on the knee joints, which increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
- The presence of injuries of the knee joint in the past.
- certain sports. Some sports put a lot of pressure 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, increase the risk of fractures.
knee pain when walking
Pain in the knee joint, which increases with movement, is often a sign of degenerative dystrophic diseases (osteoarthritis). Pain occurs due to contact during movement of the articular surfaces, which to some extent lack cartilage tissue.
Knee pain during extension and flexion.
Pain in the knee during extension and flexion indicates an inflammatory process in the tendon-ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint, and also occurs with inflammation of the articular bag (bursitis). Inflammation in the tendon-ligamentous apparatus of the knee joint can occur when the patellar tendon is damaged. Most often, this pathology occurs in people involved in sports.
The second cause of pain in the knee joint during flexion and extension is degenerative dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue of the joint (osteoarthritis).
knee pain at rest
Aching knee pain at rest, especially at night, is often a sign of osteoarthritis. Other causes include sprains, damage to the meniscus, cartilage, inflammation of the tendons (tenditis), inflammation of the periarticular sac (bursitis).
Knee pain at night 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.
Diagnosis
If you have knee joint pain, you should see an orthopedic doctor. First of all, the specialist questions the patient, collects complaints and conducts a full examination. To exclude concomitant pathologies, the doctor may prescribe a consultation with other specialists, for example, a neurologist.
Instrumental diagnostic methods include X-ray examination, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography (MRI / CT), and ultrasound of the knee joints.
Laboratory research methods are general and biochemical blood tests.
Knee pain treatment
Depending on the nature of the injury, the specialist prescribes a specific treatment plan. Treatment of knee pain is often complex and includes pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies.
Drug therapy includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and pain relievers. These medications reduce inflammation and pain in the joint. A group of slow-acting or chondroprotective drugs are also prescribed in cycles of 3 to 6 months, which help reduce inflammation, joint pain, and also help slow the destruction of cartilage, for example, these drugs include combination drugs that contain glucosamine substances. and chondroitin sulfate.
Non-pharmacological therapy is based on physiotherapeutic methods: UHF, massages, physiotherapy exercises, mud therapy, magnetotherapy and others. It is also recommended to use special orthopedic shoes or insoles selected individually by the doctor.
If conservative methods are not effective, the treatment of knee pain requires a more serious approach - the doctor may recommend various surgical methods of treatment.