In the musculoskeletal system, the knee joint plays a key role in ensuring bipedal locomotion and the implementation of locomotor functions. While walking, running or jumping, he is exposed to powerful and multidirectional static and dynamic loads. Therefore, various traumatic or pathological changes in one or more components of this most complex joint often occur.
The first sign of a malfunctioning is the appearance of periodic or persistent pain. Sometimes it is enough to temporarily minimize the load and the symptoms are eliminated. But if this does not help, the condition only worsens, and the knee hurts almost constantly, then it is imperative to consult a surgeon, traumatologist or vertebrologist.
Knee joint structure
This is the most heavily loaded and complex in structure articulation of the human skeleton. Accordingly, it is equipped with the most powerful ligamentous apparatus of two intra-articular and five extra-articular ligaments, which provide mobility, connection and stabilization of the position of parts of the knee joint - the patella, tibia, fibula and femur.
The patella from above is connected to the tendons of the quadriceps muscle of the thigh, and from below it is attached by its own ligament to the tibia. The joint is enclosed in a joint capsule.
Free movement relative to each other, cushioning and even load distribution ensure:
- Hyaline coating of rubbing surfaces.
- Two supporting cartilages (meniscus).
- Three synovial bags with fluid.
- Fatty body.
The popliteal, gastrocnemius and hind femoral muscles take part in the work of the knee.
Causes of knee pain
A large number of structural elements of the knee joint and a complex interaction mechanism make it difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis.
Often this requires a whole range of analyzes and diagnostic measures.
Trauma
Such violations of the normal functioning of the joint occur as a result of injuries from falls and bruises, constant excessive stress, due to hereditary or acquired degenerative changes. There are about two hundred different traumatic knee pathologies. The following are signs of the most common injuries.
Knee fracture
Depending on the cause, there are two types of fracture - from external influences (strong blow or fall) and from constant intense stress (stress fracture). In the first case, acute pain immediately arises, which does not go away with time. Swelling or severe swelling and bruising quickly appears. The leg completely or partially loses its support functions, abnormal mobility appears in the joint. When you try to bend the knee, the pain sensations increase sharply, and a crunching sound can be heard.
Trauma is sometimes complicated by damage to the menisci, joint and synovial bursae, rupture of ligaments and tendons. This is often accompanied by pain in the side of the knee on the inside.
In the second case, bone destruction occurs gradually. First, the knee hurts the knee when flexing and extending, or under load. In the absence of treatment, it begins to seriously disturb even in a motionless state. Over time, a complete fracture of one or more elements of the joint may occur.
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Dislocated knee
In this case, an abnormal change in the relative position of the parts of the joint occurs, which takes on an unnatural shape. At the first moment, the painful sensations do not differ much from the fracture. If there are no severe injuries, then they can gradually decrease after properly provided assistance or a change in the position of the leg.
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Sprained or ruptured tendons and ligaments
Such injuries often accompany fractures and complete dislocations. In this case, partial or complete destruction of ligaments, tendons, or muscle fibers at the junction occurs. Mobility is partially limited or completely blocked.
Depending on the severity, burning pain in the knee joint occurs at the time of injury, or painful sensations appear after a while (with minor sprains). There are clicks and a characteristic crunch when moving. Feelings of a sinking leg and joint instability may occur.
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Bursitis
From constant excessive exertion during sports, hard physical labor, inflammation of one or more synovial bags occurs. As a result, the affected area turns red, there is a local increase in temperature and swelling.
This disease is characterized by throbbing, shooting or aching pains that intensify at night and after a long stay of the leg in a motionless position.
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Meniscus tear
The intensity and localization of pain depends on the degree and location of damage (internal or external meniscus). There is weakness in the muscles of the front of the thigh or acute soreness of the patella. Sharp pain occurs at the time of injury or only "shoots" when moving. Flexion-extension of the knee is difficult. Complete blockage of the joint may occur.
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Diseases of the joints
Traumatic injuries are not the only cause of knee pain. This may be the beginning of the development of various diseases due to a decrease in immunity, an unbalanced diet, or the impact of external negative factors.
Even psychosomatics is seen as a cause of pain. For example, homeopath and psychologist Valery Sinelnikov attributes the occurrence of such pathologies to a person's too critical attitude to himself.
The signs of the most common and dangerous diseases are listed below.
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Rheumatism
2-3 weeks after an acute illness of the upper respiratory tract, severe pain appears in the joint, which makes movement very difficult. The knee turns red and there is a local rise in temperature, and then a general one - up to 39-40 degrees. The danger is represented by relapses of rheumatism, which lead to heart damage.
Reactive arthritis
This is aseptic inflammation of the joint as a result of an inadequate response of the immune system to the penetration of any infection into the body. At the first stage, the symptoms are manifested by an upset of the gastrointestinal tract, acute respiratory infections or difficulty urinating. Only after 3-4 weeks the knees begin to hurt and swell. The eyes become inflamed, and problems in the genitourinary sphere intensify. Transmitted venereal infections are often the cause of the disease. Therefore, people aged 20-40 are at risk.
Reiter's syndrome
The development of pathology is similar to reactive arthritis and also has an autoimmune character.
First, symptoms of a disorder of the genitourinary system appear - cystitis, prostatitis, or other similar disorders. Painful sensations arise in one joint, it turns red and swells. The lesion can then spread to other joints and lead to the development of polyarthritis.
Osteoarthritis
The disease occurs as a result of wear and deformation of the cartilage. Mostly older people suffer from it. This is a sluggish type of arthritis or arthrosis, which proceeds in a less acute form and develops much more slowly, but also spreads to bone tissue. Therefore, it often leads to disability.
Baker's cyst
A fluid-filled neoplasm develops in the popliteal fossa, which sometimes grows up to 10 cm in diameter. At first, only discomfort and slight painful sensations appear during exercise.
Sometimes the cyst spontaneously resolves.
If the growth process continues, then the pain under the knee becomes constant and spreads to the entire joint. When bending the leg and squatting, it is greatly aggravated. The joint swells and mobility is limited. A further increase in the size of the tumor can lead to compression of the veins and provoke the development of varicose veins, thrombophlebitis or thrombosis.
Osteochondritis dissecans (Köning's disease)
This is aseptic necrosis of cartilage and bone tissue in the femoral condyles. For a long period of time, the pathology does not have pronounced signs - pain appears only during exercise and disappears in a calm state.
The continuing loosening of tissues causes the onset of the inflammatory process, the appearance of puffiness and severe pain. Then the cartilage completely degrades, the necrotic fragment enters the joint capsule and blocks the joint.
The whole process, from the first symptoms to obvious manifestations, can take up to 10 years.
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Osgood-Schlatter disease
Intensive training and periodic injuries during the period of rapid bone growth (10-18 years of age) can provoke the onset of aseptic destruction and necrosis of bone tissue in the area of the tibia tuberosity. Degradation develops gradually. Initially, slight pain occurs on movement and intensifies with intense exertion.
The progression of the disease leads to its intensification and regular cutting manifestations in the front of the knee, which swells over the tuberosity. At the same time, there is no deterioration in the general condition, and almost always the symptoms disappear after the end of the growth period.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Another autoimmune disease with an undiagnosed pathogenesis. Symmetrical joint lesions (right and left knee) are characteristic. At the same time, its various components are affected - ligaments, tendons, synovial bags.
The first symptoms appear in the form of restriction of movement after a night's sleep, which disappear after 1-2 hours of activity. Then there are rheumatoid nodules, swelling and redness around the knee, aching pain. Pathology is often complemented by a periodic increase in heart rate and weakness.
Gout (gouty arthritis)
This is inflammation of the joint due to the destructive effect of uric acid accumulating in it due to disruption of the normal functioning of the kidneys. First of all, the thumbs become inflamed, the skin turns red and the knee swells. Over time, the pain intensifies, and gouty nodules appear inside the joint, which leads to its deformation and loss of performance.
Who is at risk
No one is immune from injury and illness, but certain activities and lifestyles affect the likelihood of knee pain. This is facilitated by:
- Congenital or acquired due to injury or disease degenerative changes.
- Sports activities with excessive uncontrolled stress on the knee joints.
- Underdeveloped muscles and lack of coordination skills.
- Falls, bruises and other external influences of a destructive nature.
- Old injuries and the consequences of surgery.
- Senile age-related changes in the structures of the joints and bones.
- Overweight, kidney failure, diabetes.
Varieties of pain
Despite the huge number of different diseases and injuries of the knee, there are not many options for pain. Each of them is characteristic for a certain degree of severity and type of joint damage.
Pains are:
- Sharp and sharp - with severe destruction of the surrounding tissues, ligaments, tendons and bones (severe sprains, dislocations, breaks and fractures).
- Aching and pulling are characteristic of inflammatory processes of intra-articular and joint capsules and degenerative changes in bone tissue (gonarthrosis, arthrosis).
- Burning and shooting - from pinching of a nerve with fractures and dislocations, or from the development of a tumor formation (Baker's cyst).
- Pulsating and stitching - with degradation of the menisci and deformation of the joints.
- Periodic - as a rule, at the initial stage of mild pathologies.
Pain in children
The number of bruises and falls received in childhood is often significantly higher than that of an adult in a lifetime (unless he is engaged in extreme sports or dangerous work). Nevertheless, the child most often gets off with bruises and abrasions. This is helped by light weight and small stature.
Of course, injuries or diseases of the joints also occur. Sometimes serious. In these cases, it is important to quickly determine the degree of damage - just a bruise or there is a suspicion of a violation of the integrity of the knee components. In the latter case, you must immediately consult a doctor.
Pain during exercise
Doing physical exercise or hard work is painful. When playing sports, getting results is simply impossible without overcoming pain. Therefore, it is always necessary to control the load, plan training, taking into account the fitness and characteristics of the organism.
Body control, good coordination and technique of performing techniques of a particular sport allow minimizing the negative effect of pain during loads and preventing injury.
Flexion pain
Such pathologies have different causes: inflammatory processes, the consequences of dislocations and sprains. This often occurs from insufficient elasticity of the ligaments, weakness and poor stretching of the muscles of the thigh and lower leg. To eliminate such problems, Sergei Bubnovsky created an effective system of simulators and special exercises that help restore mobility and get rid of pain.
Pain at night
Such phenomena may be the result of an elementary overload from a long stay on your feet, or the beginning of the development of any pathology. It is necessary to carefully analyze the symptoms and try to eliminate the causes of the occurrence.
If this fails, then you should consult a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.
What to do if your knee suddenly hurts
A sudden and sharp pain almost always signals a serious malfunction in the joint due to the failure of one or more components. In this case, it is necessary to provide qualified first aid and deliver the victim to the emergency room. Never allow him to step on the injured leg. Even if the severity of pain immediately disappeared, an examination by a traumatologist is still required.
What to do if your knee hurts all the time
In any case, a complete examination by an appropriate medical specialist is necessary. Depending on the cause and severity of pain, it can be a surgeon, traumatologist, vertebrologist or rheumatologist.
First aid
With severe sharp pain, the joint is immobilized first. With a cold compress and taking an analgesic, pain is relieved.
If the fracture is open, it may be necessary to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet. Then the victim must be delivered to the emergency room as quickly as possible.
For minor injuries, a tight bandage may be sufficient and a subsequent visit to a doctor.
In what cases it is imperative to consult a doctor
Self-treatment is acceptable for minor injuries and little disturbing symptoms, which are easily eliminated by reducing the load and using cooling and absorbing ointments.
Sudden and acute pains will certainly require medical attention.Even if the pain is insignificant, but has not diminished for several weeks, then it is necessary to undergo diagnostics to find out the cause of the discomfort. Severe consequences are threatened by the simultaneous occurrence of pain in the lower back and knee. The appearance of additional symptoms such as abnormal sensations in the joint (crunching and instability of the joint), hypothermia, skin redness, edema, bruising and general malaise require urgent medical attention.
In no case should it be postponed until later. After all, even a constant slight pain under the knee behind can be a consequence of the development of diabetes.
Which doctor to contact
When there is no certainty about the cause of pain, it is best to contact a therapist or traumatologist for the initial examination, who will diagnose and refer to the appropriate narrow specialist.
Medicines
Do not start using medications without a doctor's recommendation.
For the treatment of pathologies of the knee joint, orally used:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Analgesics and combined drugs.
- Chondroprotectors (some of the most effective are Teraflex and Chondroitin).
- Corticosteroid medications. Various ointments, gels and aerosols of similar action are used externally.
But they are all slowly absorbed or negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract. In case of problems with digestion or low effectiveness of tablets, intramuscular or intraarticular injections are prescribed.
To relieve inflammation and restore the cartilaginous tissue of the knee joint, chondroprotector Alflutop is often used, in the form of injections into the affected area. They quickly reduce fever and pain, and do not cause side effects of Artrosan injection.
In addition to the above, the knee joint is immobilized with a plaster cast, orthosis or a tight bandage.
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Therapeutic gymnastics and massage
Rehabilitation after minor injuries is allowed to be carried out independently - to engage in physiotherapy exercises and rub the knees. In other cases, all procedures should be started only as directed by a doctor.
The intensity and amplitude of the exercise should increase gradually, as pain decreases and the muscles strengthen. Professionally performed massage procedures help to restore joint mobility and elasticity of muscles and ligaments faster.
Home methods
Folk remedies have been used since ancient times to relieve pain and eliminate joint pathologies. On the Internet you can find a huge number of all kinds of recipes from "wise" grandmothers and "hereditary" healers. But they must be treated with caution so as not to harm health by unverified means of charlatans and outright PR specialists of sites.
At the same time, it is necessary to ensure an adequate combination of folk methods and traditional medicine and not wait for miraculous deliverances. Homemade tinctures, rubbing and ointments can reduce pain and inflammation, relieve swelling, improve joint mobility, muscle and vascular tone. But not all problems are solved by these methods, especially with advanced diseases and severe injuries.
Prevention of pathology
Almost no one is able to avoid injury to the knee and no one is immune from the occurrence of joint disease. You can save health, reduce the likelihood and severity of the consequences if you follow simple rules:
- Lead an active lifestyle and keep fit at all times.
- Use a balanced diet and an intuitive nutrition system that fully satisfies all the needs of the body and does not allow oversaturation with unnecessary calories and substances.
- Carry out hardening procedures - pouring cold water, rubbing with snow.
- Use the healing properties of the Russian bath or sauna regularly.
- Give up bad habits - smoking, alcohol abuse.
- Heal injuries and illnesses in a timely manner and until recovery.
It is not so difficult to follow these recommendations (there would be a desire), and then this most important organ will provide many years of full-fledged life, will work flawlessly on the most difficult and interesting walking routes.
