Knee pain is a common symptom that everyone experiences at least once.It can be of a one-time nature and can occur after injuries, overloads or unsuccessful movements.It is less often pathological, caused by inflammatory, degenerative and dystrophic processes in the knee joint, knee ligaments, adjacent bones or surrounding soft tissues.
The intensity and nature of the pain can vary: from minor discomfort to debilitating, aching, burning, sharp or cutting pain.Pain is often accompanied by additional symptoms - swelling of soft tissues, local increase in skin temperature, redness and swelling.If knee pain bothers you regularly or for more than 1-2 days, do not ignore the symptom and seek help from your doctor.The orthopedist or traumatologist diagnoses, determines the causes of the pain and selects the appropriate treatment method.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after a fall or blow on the knee, in which exudate accumulates outside or in the joint capsule, and the skin quickly acquires a characteristic reddish-blue tint;
- a sprain caused by excessive tension - with damage to muscles, ligaments, joint bursa, popliteal muscle - is associated with accumulation of exudate and often instability of the knee joint;
- Partial avulsion or complete rupture of ligaments due to a strong external force, resulting in permanent loss of limb stability and significant functional limitations
- A meniscus 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 the cruciate ligaments, most often during braking;
- primary osteoarthritis - pathological wear and tear 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 joint membrane, gradually destroying the joint cartilage and connective tissue;
- patellofemoral pain syndrome in the knee joint, pain in the front part that develops as a result of excessive load and is not accompanied by any structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Painful sensations in the knee can be divided into several groups according to the following criteria:
Because of the occurrence
- Physiological - the body's natural reaction to prolonged standing, sitting or an uncomfortable position;
- traumatic - the result of damage to the knee joint itself and adjacent tissues;
- pathological - the consequence of inflammation of the knee joint, dystrophic or degenerative processes in it.
By frequency
- One-time - most often they are physiological in nature, not intense and pass by themselves within a few minutes or hours;
- intermittent - associated with regularly repeated loads, for example, in professional athletes or recurrent diseases, for example, rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - they constantly bother a person, most often occur with joint pathologies, and can increase as the disease progresses.
By date of occurrence
- Occurs only after exercise, such as walking or squatting;
- worse after standing;
- constantly disturbing, regardless of physical activity and stress on the injured leg.
Diagnostic methods
When the patient complains of knee pain, the doctor writes down the symptoms, determines when the pain started, what injuries and other factors preceded its development.In order to limit the list of suspected joint changes and diseases, he conducts an examination by palpation and checks the mobility during the examinations.The specialist makes an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, such as radiography or magnetic resonance imaging:
Which doctor should I see?
To diagnose the cause of your knee pain, see a rheumatologist or orthopedic specialist.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 necessary.
Treatment of knee pain
The course of treatment for painful knees depends on the cause.Minor bruises and sprains are treated with rest and the use of local warming and healing ointments.In case of more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb with the help of an orthosis or cast: in such cases, in order to eliminate the pain, the patient is prescribed painkillers in the form of tablets or injections.Treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively, using anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physiotherapy procedures.
Consequences
After injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.Recovery from bruises and sprains usually takes 1-2 weeks.Rehabilitation after ligament tears takes longer;the most unfavorable prognosis of a meniscus tear is that the instability of the knee joint may persist for a long time.
Without timely treatment, joint diseases cause gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility.The changes are often irreversible, and if the treatment is not started in time, the normal functioning of the joint cannot be restored.
Prevention of knee pain
- Do a regular warm-up if you stand for a long time or sit in an uncomfortable position;
- avoid overuse and knee injuries;
- avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- eat more foods containing vitamin D and phosphorus;
- they undergo regular orthopedic medical examinations and do not cause degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.