Of all the joints in the human body, knee pain is the most common complaint. The knee joint has a complex structure that takes a lot of load during various physical activities, so there are many reasons why you may experience pain. Knee pain, even if it happens occasionally and goes away on its own, should go unnoticed.
Causes of knee pain
- Gonarthrosis, or dryness of the knee joint. This disease is caused by excessive stress, trauma, overweight, metabolic disorders. The pain is often bothersome during and after physical activity, including walking up stairs, running, squatting, and subsides with rest. Pain is associated with a crackling sound in the joints, followed by swelling, distortion of the contours of the knee, and limited and painful movement. Often, and in young people, there is what is called patellar luxation (femur-femur), when the joint between the kneecap and the articular surface of the femur wears down.
- Damage to the menisci. The knee joint has two cartilage structures - the inner cartilage and the outer cartilage, which helps to better absorb shock. The inner cartilage suffers more often. It is important to know what meniscus injuries and degeneration are. The first occurs when turning strongly, when immobilizing the leg, jumping, falling. Acute pain, swelling of the joint develops rapidly, blood accumulates in its cavity, as a result of which swelling appears on the kneecap. The knee may not be fully extended, or the victim may feel a pinch or "jump" of a foreign body in the joint. Degenerative meniscal fractures occur mainly in older adults with stenosis of the foreskin. They can occur simply while walking, when trying to sit in a low chair, or when carrying a heavy object. The pain increases gradually, accompanied by swelling, bursitis (inflammation in the joint socket). Meniscus injuries also cause pain when rotating the lower leg (clinical tests performed by doctors are based on this), and when walking down stairs.
- Injury to the ligament apparatus. Injuries are more frequent or associated with meniscal tears. The knee joint has external and internal ligaments, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and patellar ligaments. The lateral ligaments are more commonly affected when there is a strong deviation of the leg outward or inward from the axis of the limb. The anterior cruciate ligament is injured due to shin sprains and bumps. The ligament of the kneecap breaks during a traumatic dislocation. Injury to the ligamentous apparatus is characterized by pain, which is aggravated by walking and supporting the leg. In addition, with significant injuries, instability of the knee joint occurs in one plane or another.
- Arthritis. Knee arthritis is infectious or non-infectious. The person feels pain that is constant and increases with exertion. The joint is swollen, enlarged, hot to the touch, red skin. General body temperature may also increase.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease that affects many joints, usually the knee. The pain in this case is of an inflammatory nature, that is, the patient complains of it at rest, especially after the night. Exercise improves blood flow and relieves pain. Pain accompanied by stiffness persists (more than half an hour). There are also other signs of arthritis: swelling, redness, increased temperature of the skin on it.
- Tumor of the knee joint. Pain is not a permanent symptom of a tumor. With minor formations, it may not be there, as are other signs. But, if the tumor grows, affecting all the new structures of the joint, the patient begins to complain of pain. They are not associated with physical activity, being more often disturbed in the second half of the night and morning.
- Bone disease. These are lesions of the joint surface. In the knee joint, Koenig's disease can develop - a degenerative bone disease of the inner part of the thigh, while the destroyed cartilage and its fragments can lie freely in the joint cavity, leading to inflammatory processes and joint obstruction. Sensation of pain with exertion, with the development of the disease and at rest.
The treatment
Pain is just a symptom of an illness. Its nature, localization, dependence on stress, time of day help, along with other symptoms, for a preliminary diagnosis.
Treatment should be aimed primarily at eliminating a particular disease or, if this is not possible, achieving long-term remission (exacerbation-free period), preventing progression.
Treatments can be conservative or surgical.
First of all, symptomatic analgesic therapy is a class of drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used as intravenous, intramuscular, tablets, capsules, rectal suppositories, and topically (ointment, gel, cream, aerosol).
For many diseases, the doctor can prescribe physical therapy treatment: physical therapy, dry hot compress or bath, half rubbing alcohol, gentle exercises, wearing bandages. or orthopedic.
Such therapy, along with medication, improves blood flow, reduces inflammation, and relieves pain. If the pain is related to mechanical causes (a torn meniscus blocking the joint, free cartilage) or conservative treatment is not effective, surgical techniques are used: arthroscopic manipulation, osteotomy, replacement of the knee with an artificial one, closure of the joint (arthrodesis).
If you have knee pain, you should consult an orthopedist or traumatologist (if an injury has occurred).