Knee pain from all the joints in the human body is the most common complaint of people. The knee joint is complex, carrying a large load during different types of physical activity, so there can be many causes of pain. Knee pain, although occasional and spontaneous, should not be ignored.
Causes of Knee Pain
- Gonarthrosis or osteoarthritis of the knee joint. This disease is caused by excessive stress, trauma, overweight, metabolic disorders. The pain is usually bothersome during and after physical activity, including climbing stairs, running, and squatting, and gradually disappears with rest. Painful sensations are associated with a painful crisis in the joints, followed by swelling, deformity of the knee contours, limited movement and pain. Often and in young people, patellofemoral (femoral-patellar) arthrosis wears out at the junction between the patella and the articular surface of the femur.
- Damage to the meniscus. There are two cartilaginous formations in the knee joint - the inner and outer menisci, which provide better absorption of shock. The inner meniscus suffers more often. It is important to know the difference between traumatic meniscus injuries and degenerative ones. The first occurs with a sharp turn of the body, when the foot is stabilized, jumps, falls. The pain is sharp, the swelling of the joint develops rapidly, blood collects in its cavity, so a swelling appears on the patella. The knee may not be fully extended, or the victim may experience a feeling of "throwing" a foreign object into the joint. Degenerative meniscus hernias occur mainly in older people with gonarthrosis. They can occur simply while walking, trying to sit in a low seat, or carrying weights. The pain gradually increases, accompanied by swelling, synovitis (inflammatory fluid in the articular cavity). Meniscus injuries also cause pain when the lower leg rotates (based on clinical tests performed by a doctor) when descending stairs.
- Damage to the garden apparatus. Trauma is more common or associated with a meniscus hernia. The knee joint has external and internal lateral ligaments, anterior and posterior transverse ligaments, and the patella has its own ligaments. Lateral ligaments are more often affected when the lower leg bends outward or inward from the axis of circumference. The cruciate ligaments are damaged by bending the lower leg and hitting it. During traumatic dislocation, the patella's own ligament is broken. Injuries to the ligamentous apparatus are characterized by pain, aggravated by walking, foot support. In addition, with significant damage, instability of the knee joint occurs in one plane or another.
- Arthritis. Inflammation of the knee joint of an infectious or non-infectious nature. The person is experiencing constant increasing pain. The joint swells, grows, becomes hot to the touch, and the skin becomes red. General body temperature may also rise.
- Rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease that affects many joints, often the knees. In this case, the pain has an inflammatory nature, ie. The patient complains at rest, especially after the night. Exercise improves blood flow and relieves pain. The pain is accompanied by stiffness for a long time (more than half an hour). There are other signs of joint inflammation: swelling, redness, increased skin temperature above.
- Tumors of the knee joint. Pain is not a permanent symptom of tumors. With small formations, it may not be there like other symptoms. However, if the tumor grows and affects all the new structures of the joint, the patient begins to complain of pain. They are not related to physical activity, but more often 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 thigh, when the cartilage is destroyed and its fragments can be freely located in the joint space, causing an inflammatory process and blockage of the joint. The pain is felt during tension, during the development of the disease and at rest.
Treatment
Pain is just a symptom of a disease. Its nature, localization, stress dependence, time of day, along with other symptoms, help to make an initial diagnosis.
Treatment should be aimed primarily at eliminating a particular disease, or, if this is not possible, to achieve long-term remission (non-exacerbated period), to prevent its development.
Treatments can be conservative or surgical.
Treatment of symptomatic pain is primarily a group of drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. They are used in the form of intravenous, intramuscular injection, tablets, capsules, rectal suppositories and topically (ointment, gel, cream, aerosol).
For many diseases, the doctor may prescribe physical therapy: physiotherapy procedures, dry heat or baths, semi-alcoholic compresses, gentle therapeutic exercises, wearing a bandage or orthosis.
Such therapy, along with medication, helps to improve blood flow, eliminate inflammation, and reduce pain. If the pain is due to mechanical reasons (part of the torn meniscus that blocks the joint, loose cartilage body) or if conservative therapy does not work, surgical methods are used: arthroscopy, joint debridement, osteotomy, replacement of the knee joint. artificial, joint closure (arthrodesis).
If you feel pain in the knee, you should consult an orthopedist or traumatologist (if an injury has occurred).