Knee pain is a common symptom that every person experiences at least once.It can be occasional in nature and occur after injuries, overloads or unsuccessful movements.Less commonly, it is 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 mild discomfort to debilitating, burning, sharp, or stabbing pain.Often the pain is accompanied by further symptoms: swelling of the soft tissues, local increase in skin temperature, redness and swelling.If pain in the knee area bothers you periodically or for more than 1-2 days, do not ignore the symptom and seek help from a doctor.An orthopedist or traumatologist will conduct a diagnosis, determine the causes of pain and select the appropriate course of treatment.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after falls to the knees or blows, in which exudate accumulates outside or inside the joint capsule and the skin quickly acquires a characteristic reddish-blue tint;
- sprain caused by excessive tension - with damage to the muscles, ligaments, synovial bursa, popliteal muscle - is accompanied by the accumulation of exudate and often instability in the knee joint;
- partial avulsion or complete rupture of the ligaments due to a strong external force, accompanied by a prolonged loss of stability and significant functional limitations in the limb
- A meniscus tear is a consequence of simultaneous flexion and twisting of the knee, when the meniscus is partially or completely torn from the tibia;
- rupture of the cruciate ligaments, which occurs most often during braking movements;
- primary arthrosis - pathological wear of the articular cartilage, which loses 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 joint cartilage and connective tissue;
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain in the knee joint, in the front, that develops due to excessive loads 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:
Due to the event
- Physiological: The body's natural reaction to long periods spent standing, sitting, or in an uncomfortable position;
- traumatic - the result of damage to the knee joint itself and adjacent tissues;
- pathological - a consequence of inflammation of the knee joint, dystrophic or degenerative processes contained in it.
By frequency
- One-off: very often they are physiological in nature, non-intensive and disappear on their own in 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 disturb a person, most often occur with pathologies of the joint and can intensify as the disease progresses.
By time it occurred
- It occurs only after exercise, such as when walking or squatting;
- worse after trying to step on your foot;
- constantly disturbing, regardless of physical activity and stress on the injured leg.
Diagnostic methods
When a patient complains of pain in the knees, the doctor writes down the symptoms, specifies when the pain began, what injuries and other factors preceded its development.To narrow down the list of suspected joint injuries and diseases, perform a palpatory exam and check mobility during tests.A specialist makes an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, for example, x-ray or MRI:
Which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose the cause of knee pain, consult a rheumatologist or orthopedist.If the pain syndrome was preceded by an injury, make an appointment with a traumatologist.Depending on the associated symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and neurologist may be necessary.
Treatment for knee pain
The course of treatment for painful knees depends on their causes.Minor bruises and sprains are treated with rest and the use of local warming and healing ointments.For more serious injuries it may be necessary to immobilize the limb using an orthosis or a cast: in these cases, to eliminate the pain, the patient is prescribed analgesics in tablets or injections.Treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively, with the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Consequences
After injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.As a rule, recovery from bruises and sprains takes up to 1-2 weeks.Rehabilitation after torn ligaments takes longer;the most unfavorable prognosis for a meniscus fracture is that instability of the knee joint may persist for a long time.
Joint diseases without timely treatment cause their gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility.Often the changes are irreversible and if treatment is not started in time it is not possible to restore the normal functioning of the joint.
Prevent knee pain
- Warm up regularly if you stand for a long time or sit in an uncomfortable position;
- avoid overload and knee injuries;
- avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- eat more foods with vitamin D and phosphorus;
- regularly undergo medical examinations scheduled by the orthopedist and do not trigger degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.