Knee pain is a common symptom that every person experiences at least once.It can be temporary in nature and can occur after injuries, overloads or unsuccessful movements.Less commonly, it is a pathology caused by inflammatory, degenerative and dystrophic processes in the knee joint, knee ligaments, adjacent bones or surrounding soft tissues.
The intensity and nature of pain can be different: from minor discomfort to debilitating pain, burning, sharp or cutting pain.Often, pain is accompanied by additional symptoms - swelling of soft tissues, local increase in skin temperature, redness and swelling.If pain in the knee area bothers you from time to time or for more than 1-2 days, do not ignore the symptom and seek help from a doctor.An orthopedist or traumatologist will make a diagnosis, determine the causes of pain and choose the appropriate course of treatment.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after falling on the knees or blows, when the exudate accumulates outside or inside the joint capsule, and the skin quickly acquires a characteristic red-blue color;
- sprain caused by excessive tension - with damage to muscles, ligaments, synovial bursa, popliteal muscles - is accompanied by accumulation of exudate and frequent instability in the knee joint;
- partial or complete rupture of ligaments due to a strong external force accompanied by prolonged loss of stability and significant functional limitations of the limb
- A meniscal tear is the result of simultaneous bending and twisting of the knee when the meniscus is partially or completely torn from the tibia;
- rupture of cruciate ligaments occurs most often during braking;
- primary osteoarthritis - pathological wear of the articular cartilage, which loses its elasticity and causes increased friction in the joint and constant pain in the knee area;
- rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the synovial membrane, gradually destroying articular cartilage and connective tissue;
- patellofemoral pain syndrome is a pain that develops as a result of excessive loading in the knee joint, in the front part, and is not accompanied by any structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Painful sensations in the knees are divided into several groups according to the following criteria:
Because it happened
- Physiological - the body's natural reaction to standing, sitting or being in an uncomfortable position for a long time;
- traumatic - the result of damage to the knee joint itself and adjacent tissues;
- pathology - inflammation of the knee joint, the result of dystrophic or degenerative processes.
By frequency
- One-time - often they are physiological in nature, not intense and disappear by themselves within a few minutes or hours;
- periodic - associated with regularly repeated loads, for example, in professional athletes or in recurrent diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - they constantly bother a person, most often occur with pathologies of the joints, and can intensify as the disease progresses.
By the time of occurrence
- Occurs only after exercise, such as walking or squatting;
- worse after trying to step;
- It is constantly bothering the injured leg regardless of physical activity and stress.
Diagnostic methods
When a patient complains of pain in the knees, the doctor writes down the symptoms, indicating when the pain began, what injuries and other factors preceded the development.To narrow down the list of suspected lesions and diseases of the joints, he conducts a palpation examination and checks mobility during tests.The specialist makes an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, for example, X-ray or magnetic resonance imaging:
Which doctor should I see?
Consult a rheumatologist or orthopedist to determine the cause of knee pain.If the pain syndrome was preceded by an injury, make an appointment with a traumatologist.Depending on the accompanying symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and neurologist may be required.
Treatment of knee pain
The course of treatment for painful knees depends on their causes.Minor bruises and sprains are treated with rest and local heating and the use of healing ointments.For more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb using an orthosis or cast: in such cases, the patient is prescribed analgesics in the form of tablets or injections to relieve pain.Treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively, using anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Results
The prognosis after injury depends on the severity of the injury.As a rule, the recovery of bruises and sprains lasts up to 1-2 weeks.After ligament rupture, rehabilitation takes longer;The most unfavorable prognosis for a meniscus fracture is the long-term instability of the knee joint.
Joint diseases that are not treated in time lead to their gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility.Often, the changes are irreversible, and if treatment is not started in time, the joint's normal activity cannot be restored.
Prevention of knee pain
- If you stand for a long time or sit in an uncomfortable position, do regular warm-up exercises;
- avoid overuse and knee injuries;
- avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- Eat more foods with vitamin D and phosphorus;
- regularly undergo planned medical examinations with an orthopedist and do not trigger any degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.