The knee joint is one of the largest joints in the human body. It carries a lot of load because it carries almost the full weight of our body. The knee joint is often injured.
The presence of knee pain may be a sign of serious pathology. Not only does knee pain limit movement and cause discomfort, it can also lead to disability.
What is knee pain like?
Knee pain is a common complaint that can occur in people of all ages. Pain in the knee joint itself may not only be the result of an injury, but may also be a sign of serious illness (osteoarthritis, gout).
There are two types of pain: acute and chronic. Acute knee pain most often occurs as a result of injury, or as 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 degenerative dystrophic changes in joint tissue or chronic inflammatory processes. For chronic processes, knee pain is most typical.
Essentially, knee pain can be arched, painful, and accompanied by many other manifestations:
- swelling and redness in the joint area;
- joint deformities;
- limited joint movement;
- Joints tighten during exercise.
Causes of knee pain
Knee pain can be the result of aging and wear and tear of knee components. The most common causes of severe knee pain are trauma and joint damage. The most common knee injuries are:
- Fractures and bruises, most often on a fall with acute pain;
- torn ligaments or tendons;
- torn meniscus;
- Dislocation of the knee joint itself and the patella.
Conditions such as bursitis and tendinitis can occur in the context of knee injuries and injuries.
Other causes of knee pain include the presence of degenerative dystrophic changes in joint tissue as well as inflammatory processes:
- Bursitis. Bursitis is inflammation of the joint pocket that is not only painful but also swollen.
- tendonitis. Tendonitis is inflammation of one or more tendons. This inflammation occurs when the patellar tendon is damaged. They often occur in people who run, jump, ski, and bike professionally.
- Arthritis is inflammation of the joints. The most common is osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease in which all components of the joint are affected, mainly the cartilage, ligaments, joint capsule and muscles. Joint inflammation can also be infectious (septic arthritis) and autoimmune (rheumatoid arthritis).
The least common causes of knee pain include the presence of cysts and tumors that press on nearby tissue, causing knee pain.
Many factors can increase your risk of knee pain:
- overweight. Being overweight or obese puts more pressure on the knee joint, which increases the risk of osteoarthritis.
- There was a knee injury in the past.
- certain sports. Some sports put a lot of stress on the knee joint, which can increase the risk of chronic injury.
- The presence of conditions such as osteomyelitis and osteoporosis can cause bones to become brittle, increasing the risk of fractures.
knee pain when walking
Knee pain that increases with exercise is often a sign of degenerative dystrophic disease (osteoarthritis). Pain occurs due to contact during movement of the joint surfaces, which are somewhat lacking in cartilage tissue.
knee pain in extension and flexion
Pain in extension and flexion of the knee joint indicates an inflammatory process in the tendon-ligamentous tissue of the knee joint and also occurs with inflammation of the joint pocket (bursitis). Inflammation of the knee tendon-ligament device can occur when the patellar tendon is damaged. Most of the time, this pathology occurs in people who participate in sports.
A second cause of knee pain during flexion and extension is degenerative dystrophic changes in the articular cartilage tissue (osteoarthritis).
knee pain at rest
Knee pain at rest, especially at night, is often a sign of osteoarthritis. Other causes include sprains, meniscus damage, inflammation of cartilage, tendons (tendinitis), and inflammation of the capsule around the joint (bursitis).
Nocturnal knee pain increases with age and is often seen in people who are overweight.
What not to do with pain syndrome
First, you shouldn't self-medicate, but it's best to seek professional help right away. In any case, if there is a dislocation, do not attempt to straighten the joint yourself.
Avoid sudden movements and don't put a lot of load on the joint - this will only increase the pain.
diagnosis
If you have knee pain, you should consult an orthopaedic surgeon. First, a specialist asks the patient, collects complaints and conducts a thorough examination. To rule out accompanying pathology, doctors may consult with other specialists, such as a neurologist.
Instrumental diagnostic methods include X-ray examination, magnetic resonance or computed tomography (MRI/CT), and knee ultrasound.
Laboratory research methods are general and biochemical blood tests.
Knee Pain Treatment
Depending on the nature of the lesion, a specialist will develop a specific treatment plan. Often, the treatment of knee pain is complex and includes both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
Medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and analgesics. These drugs reduce inflammation and pain in the joints. A group of slow-acting drugs or chondroprotective agents are also prescribed in 3 to 6 month courses, which help reduce inflammation, joint pain, and also help slow cartilage destruction, for example, these drugs include substances containing glucosamineThe combination drug and chondroitin sulfate.
Non-drug therapies are based on physiotherapy methods: UHF, massage, physiotherapy movements, mud therapy, magnetic therapy, etc. It is also recommended to wear special orthopedic insoles or shoes individually selected by the doctor.
If conservative approaches don't work, the treatment of knee pain requires a more serious approach: a doctor may recommend a variety of surgical treatments.