In our century, diseases of the musculoskeletal system take the lead among diseases. This is not surprising, humanity has improved the quality of life, there are fewer movements, or vice versa, excessive physical exertion and unhealthy diet lead to such diseases.
If there is a sensation of pain in the knees when walking, going up or down stairs, then this is a symptom that accompanies diseases of the knee joints. In this case, it is advisable to consult a doctor, because joint diseases cannot be cured, it is easier to prevent them and slow down the progression of pathological processes.
Knee pain when walking up stairs - causes
Healthy knee joints are important for any person, when they do not hurt, then they provide free movement and normal functioning.
Discomfort in the knees makes movement stiff, and sometimes it is even impossible to get to your feet. The knee joints take on the entire weight of the human body and if there is an increase in weight, they will be the first to feel it.
People who go in for sports who are forced to lift loads are also at risk, they are more likely to suffer from diseases of the locomotor system. It is believed that the knees are the most traumatic joint. With age-related changes, they are the first to be affected.
Knee pathologies
Pain symptoms felt when walking or other exertion in the knee joints means that a person may have the following pathologies during examination:
- Gonarthrosis.
- Bursitis.
- Rheumatoid arthritis.
- Inflammation of the tendons of the knees.
- Gout.
- Ligament rupture.
- Synovitis.
- Arthritis.
- Infectious and inflammatory process.
- Trauma with damage to the meniscus.
All these diseases are accompanied not only by pain, but also by other symptoms, such as:
- crunches in the knee joints during flexion and extension;
- swelling of the knee joints;
- redness;
- increased temperature in the affected area;
- deterioration in leg mobility.
At the first discomfort in the knees, you should consult a doctor. Neglected diseases of the musculoskeletal system cannot be treated with medications, in such cases, surgical intervention is used.
Trauma
The following knee injuries exist:
- Bruises.
- Hemorrhage of the articular cavity.
- Damage to the meniscus, patella, quadriceps femoris.
- Violation of the joint capsule, tendon-ligamentous apparatus.
- Intra-articular bone fractures.
Any injury to the knees requires timely seeking help, there is no need to hope that everything will go away by itself. Yes, the pain can go away, but after a while it will definitely return, but with much bigger problems.
Damage to the meniscus
The meniscus is made up of cartilage and acts as a shock absorber for the knee joints. When moving, it contracts, restricts the mobility of the node and reduces friction. Regular flexion and extension puts a lot of stress on a person's knee joints and can lead to injury.
In particular, the elderly are at risk, and those who are involved in sports, dancing, and other physical activities. Children and adolescents also have problems with the meniscus, but this is in exceptional cases, the cartilage tissue at this age is elastic and well stretched.
Any awkward movement can damage the knee meniscus. When the knee joint is healthy, movements are easy and painless. Cartilage lining fixes it, which excludes excessive knee extension.
If a person feels:
- aching pain;
- crunch, clicks in the knee;
- swelling;
- joint displacement.
These are the signs because of which the visit to the doctor should not be postponed.
Meniscus therapy is as follows:
- Removal of inflammation by intra-articular injections.
- Taking medications.
- Cartilage restoration using hyaluronic acid, chondoprotectors.
- Manual therapy.
- Physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises.
In case of damage to the meniscus, the patient should wear an elastic bandage or bandage. Surgical intervention is used in a severe case of damage, the doctor's task here is to preserve the organ and restore its work.
Bursitis
In this disease, inflammatory processes begin in the synovial bag, exudate is formed in it, which accumulates in the joint cavity. The clinical manifestation of bursitis depends on the nature of the inflammation, which is acute or chronic.
Symptoms suggestive of bursitis:
- pain in the affected joint, aggravated by walking;
- joint swelling;
- increased temperature of the affected joint.
Ultimately, in this case, it is impossible to perform movements.
Bursitis develops against the background of the following reasons:
- Damage to the bursa.
- Infections.
- Metabolic disorders occurring in the body.
- Exposure to tissues of toxic substances.
- Allergic susceptibility of the body.
Sometimes it happens that the immune system in diffuse diseases affects its own connective tissues.
Arthritis
Arthritis refers to the generic term for various joint pathologies.
When affected by this disease, a person begins:
- the development of chronic inflammation;
- impaired mobility;
- deformation of the joints.
The course of the disease is acute and chronic, a considerable percentage of patients with arthritis become disabled.
Types of arthritis:
- Pyogenic. It is caused by an infection that develops in the body.
- Rheumatoid. It comes from a breakdown of the immune system, from which it "attacks" its own organs and tissues.
- Juvenile or youthful. Its development is still unknown, it mainly develops in adolescents under 16 years of age.
With arthritis, the joints are mainly affected, so complaints will concern their stiffness in movements.
Arthritis develops due to the course of such diseases:
- tuberculosis;
- brucellosis;
- gout;
- joint injuries;
- hepatitis A;
- cytopenic purpura;
- rheumatism;
- psoriasis;
- lymphogranulomatosis;
- lupus erythematosus;
- hemachromatosis.
To establish an accurate diagnosis, a study is required.
Overweight
Excess weight creates a problem not only for the internal organs, but also for all joints, suffers:
- Spine.
- Hip, knee joints.
Excess weight increases the load and contributes to the rapid development of degenerative-dystrophic changes, due to which the cartilage tissue lends itself to negative effects.
If you miss the treatment process, you will have to resort to surgery, which does not always lead to a positive result.
Decreased calcium content
Let not immediately, but a lack of calcium leads to the destruction of bone tissue. Therefore, it is important to monitor the diet, it must necessarily include foods that are good for the bones. There are vitamin complexes, which include calcium, but its use must be prescribed by a doctor.
First aid for pain
If the knee joints start to hurt, then you can try to eliminate the unpleasant symptom with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or ointments with a warming or analgesic effect. However, do not dismiss the problem, it may be the first bell before the onset of a serious illness.
Diagnosis and treatment of knee pain when walking up stairs
When knee joints hurt when moving, then these can be signals of various diseases, such as:
- rheumatoid arthritis;
- arthrosis;
- osteoarthritis;
- bursitis;
- chondrocalcinosis;
- ankylosing spondylitis.
The symptoms of these diseases are almost the same, therefore, it is possible to more accurately determine the disease during a medical examination. If the problem with the joints has not gone far, then therapy can be carried out on an outpatient basis, more severe cases are treated in a hospital or by surgery.
Drug treatment
Knee joint therapy is performed with the following medications:
- NSAIDs.
- Vasodilator drugs.
- Muscle relaxants.
- Steroid hormones
- Hondoprotectors.
Each disease has its own peculiarity, therefore, treatment should be carried out under the guidance of a specialist.
Exercise and massage
Of course, everyone knows that movement is life, you need to choose a set of exercises from your doctor or physiotherapist, which should be performed for a particular disease.
Massaging the knee joints helps in treatment, you can visit a specialist or do it yourself.
Preventive measures
First of all, you need to take care of:
- proper diet;
- moderate physical activity;
- if there are extra pounds, then you must definitely try to lose them.
The knee joints are as important an organ as anything related to the human body. Any failure has its consequences, and diseases of the musculoskeletal system restrict movement and, accordingly, affect the quality of life.
Do not endure pain and do not hope for "maybe it will pass." During the detected disease, it allows you to take the necessary measures, and even if it does not cure, it can prevent unwanted consequences.
