Of all the joints in the human body, knee pain is the most common complaint of humans. The knee joint is complex, it can withstand a lot of load during different types of physical activity, so there can be many reasons for pain in it. Knee pain, even if it occurs occasionally and disappears on its own, should not go unnoticed.
Causes of knee pain
- Gonarthrosis or arthrosis of the knee joint. This disease is caused by excessive stress, trauma, overweight, metabolic disorders. The pain usually torments during and after physical activity, including walking up stairs, running, squatting, and gradually subsides at rest. Painful sensations are combined with painful creaking in the joints, followed by swelling, deformation of the knee contours, limitation and pain during movement. Often, even in young people, there is the so-called patellofemoral (femoral-patellar) arthrosis, when the joint between the patella and the articular surface of the femur wears out.
- Meniscus damage. The knee joint has two cartilaginous formations - the inner and outer menisci, which ensure better shock absorption. The inner meniscus suffers more often. It is important to know which traumatic meniscus injuries are different from degenerative ones. The first occurs with a sudden rotation of the body, when the leg is fixed, jumps, falls. The pain is acute, swelling of the joint develops quickly, blood accumulates in its cavity, which causes swelling above the patella. The knee may not be fully extended or the victim may have a feeling of swearing, "jumping" of a foreign body in the joint. Degenerative ruptures of the meniscus occur mainly in the elderly with gonarthrosis. They can occur simply when you walk, when you try to sit in a low seat or carry weight. The pain gradually increases, followed by swelling, synovitis (inflammatory fluid in the joint cavity). Injuries to the meniscus also cause pain when the lower leg is rotated (clinical trials conducted by a doctor are based on that), when descending stairs.
- Ligament damage. Trauma is more common than or associated with meniscus tears. The knee joint has external and internal lateral ligaments, anterior and posterior cruciate ligaments, and its own patellar ligament. Lateral ligaments are more often affected when there is a violent deviation of the lower leg outwards or inwards from the axis of the extremities. Crossed ligaments are damaged by twisting the lower leg, hitting it. The patella's own ligament ruptures during traumatic dislocation. Injuries to the ligament apparatus are characterized by pain, increased walking, and support of the legs. In addition, with significant damage, instability of the knee joint occurs in one or the other plane.
- Arthritis. Inflammation of the knee joint of infectious or non-infectious nature. The person experiences constant pain that increases with exertion. The joint is swollen, enlarged, hot to the touch, the skin is red. General body temperature may also rise.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease that affects many joints, often the knees. The pain in this case is inflammatory in nature, ie. the patient complains of this at rest, especially after the night. Movement improves blood flow and relieves pain. The pain is accompanied by prolonged (more than half an hour) stiffness. There are other signs of joint inflammation: swelling, redness, fever above it.
- Tumors of the knee joint. Pain is not a permanent symptom of a tumor. In small formations, it may not be present, as well as 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 related to physical activity, they are more often disturbed in the second half of the night and in the morning.
- Osteochondropathy. These are lesions of the articular surfaces. Koenig's disease can develop in the knee joint - osteochondropathy of the inner condyle of the upper leg, while the cartilage is destroyed, and its fragments can be freely placed in the joint cavity, which leads to inflammation and blockage of the joint. Pain is felt on exertion, and with the development of the disease at rest.
Treatment
Pain is just a symptom of the disease. Its nature, localization, stress dependence, time of day help, among other symptoms, to make a preliminary diagnosis.
Treatment should be primarily aimed at eliminating a particular disease or, if this is not possible, achieving long-term remission (period without exacerbations), preventing progression.
Treatment methods can be conservative or surgical.
Symptomatic pain therapy is, above all, such a group of drugs as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used in the form of intravenous, intramuscular injections, tablets, capsules, rectal suppositories and topically (ointments, gels, creams, aerosols).
For many diseases, the doctor may prescribe physical methods of treatment: physiotherapy procedures, dry heat or baths, semi-alcoholic compresses, therapeutic exercises in a gentle regimen, wearing a bandage or orthosis.
Such therapy, in addition to medication, helps to improve blood flow, alleviate inflammation and reduce pain. If the pain is related to mechanical reasons (part of the torn meniscus that blocks the joint, free cartilage body) or conservative therapy has no effect, surgical techniques are used: debridement of the joint with arthroscopy, osteotomy, replacement of the knee joint with artificial, joint closure (arthrodesis).
If you experience knee pain, consult an orthopedist or traumatologist (if an injury has occurred).