The knee joint is one of the largest joints in the human body. It is subject to a great load, as it assumes 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 restricts movement and causes discomfort, it can also lead to disability.
How is knee pain?
Knee pain is a common complaint and can occur in people of all ages. Pain in the knee joint itself can be not only the result of an injury, but also a sign of a serious condition (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. For a chronic process, the most characteristic is the presence of pain in the knee joint.
By nature, pain in the knee joint can be arched, painful, and also accompanied by various other manifestations:
- Swelling and redness in the joint area;
- joint deformity;
- Limitation of movement in the joint;
- The presence of a crisis in the joint during movement.
Causes of knee pain
Knee pain can be a 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 occur most often during falls and are accompanied by sharp pain;
- Torn ligaments or tendons;
- meniscus tear;
- Dislocations of the knee joint itself and the patella.
Against the background of knee joint injuries and damage, diseases such as bursitis and tendonitis 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 joint 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 patella tendons are damaged. They often occur in people who are professionally involved in running, jumping, skiing, as well as cyclists.
- Arthritis is inflammation of the joint. The most common is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which all 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 your risk of knee pain:
- Overweight. Being overweight or obese puts more stress on your knee joints, which increases your 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, increase the risk of fractures.
Knee pain when walking
Pain in the knee joint, which increases with movement, is most often a sign of degenerative-dystrophic diseases (osteoarthritis). Pain occurs due to contact during movement of joint surfaces, which are to some extent devoid of cartilaginous tissue.
Knee pain during extension and flexion
Knee pain during extension and flexion indicates an inflammatory process in the tendon-ligament apparatus of the knee joint, and also occurs with inflammation of the joint bursa (bursitis). Inflammation in the tendon-ligament apparatus of the knee joint can occur when the patella tendon is damaged. Most often, this pathology occurs in people involved in sports.
The second cause of knee joint pain during flexion and extension is degenerative-dystrophic changes in the cartilage tissue of the joint (osteoarthritis).
Knee pain at rest
Knee pain at rest, especially at night, is most 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 people who are overweight.
What not to do with pain syndrome
First of all, you should not self-medicate, but it is better to immediately seek the help of a specialist. In no case, if there is a dislocation, do not try to straighten the joint.
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 asks the patient, collects complaints and carries out a thorough examination. To exclude concomitant pathologies, the doctor may prescribe a consultation with other specialists, for example, a neurologist.
Instrumental diagnostic methods include examination of X-rays, 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. Knee pain management is often complex and includes both drug and non-drug therapies.
Drug therapy includes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics. These medications reduce inflammation and pain in the joint. A group of slow-acting or chondroprotective drugs are also prescribed in courses of 3 to 6 months, which help to reduce inflammation, joint pain and also help to delay cartilage destruction, for example, these drugs include combination drugs that contain substances glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
Non-drug therapy is based on physiotherapeutic methods: UHF, massage, physiotherapy exercises, mud therapy, magnetic therapy and others. It is also recommended to use special orthopedic insoles or shoes selected individually by the doctor.
If conservative methods are ineffective, treating knee pain requires a more serious approach: the doctor may recommend various surgical methods of treatment.