Knee pain is a common symptom that every person experiences at least once.It can be of a one-time nature and can occur after injuries, overloads or unsuccessful movements.Less commonly, it is pathological and is caused by inflammatory, degenerative and dystrophic processes in the knee joint, knee ligaments, adjacent bones or surrounding soft tissues.
The intensity and type of pain can vary: from mild discomfort to debilitating, aching, burning, stabbing or cutting pain.Pain is often accompanied by additional symptoms – swelling of soft tissues, local increase in skin temperature, redness and swelling.If you experience pain in the knee area regularly or for more than 1-2 days, do not ignore the symptom and consult a doctor.An orthopedist or traumatologist carries out a diagnosis, determines the causes of pain and selects the appropriate treatment method.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after knee falls or blows, in which exudate accumulates outside or in the joint capsule and the skin quickly acquires a characteristic reddish-blue hue;
- Sprains caused by excessive tension - with damage to the muscles, ligaments, bursa and back of the knee - are accompanied by the accumulation of exudate and often instability of the knee joint;
- Partial or complete rupture of the ligament as a result of strong external forces, which is accompanied by a prolonged loss of stability and significant functional limitations of the extremity
- A meniscus tear is the result of simultaneous flexion and twisting of the knee when the meniscus is partially or completely torn from the tibia;
- Tear of the cruciate ligaments, which most often occurs during braking movements;
- primary arthrosis – 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 and gradually destroy articular cartilage and connective tissue.
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain in the front of the knee joint that occurs due to excessive strain and is not accompanied by structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Pain sensations in the knees are divided into several groups according to the following criteria:
Because of the incident
- Physiological – the body's natural response to prolonged standing, sitting, or 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 in it.
By frequency
- One-off - they are usually physiological in nature, not intense and disappear on their own within a few minutes or hours;
- periodic – associated with regularly recurring stress, for example in professional athletes or recurring diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - they constantly bother a person, most often occur in joint diseases and can worsen as the disease progresses.
By time of occurrence
- Only occurs after physical activity, for example when walking or squatting;
- worse after attempting to step on foot;
- constantly annoying, regardless of physical activity and load on the injured leg.
Diagnostic methods
If a patient complains of pain in the knees, the doctor notes the symptoms, indicates when the pain began, what injuries and other factors preceded its development.To narrow down the list of suspected lesions and diseases of the joints, he conducts an examination with palpation and checks mobility during tests.A specialist makes an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, for example radiography or magnetic resonance imaging:
Which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose the cause of your 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 accompanying symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and a 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.For more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb with an orthosis or a cast.In such cases, the patient is prescribed painkillers in the form of tablets or injections to relieve pain.The treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively with anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Consequences
After an injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.Typically, recovery from bruises and sprains takes up to 1-2 weeks.Rehabilitation after ligament tears takes longer;The worst prognosis for a meniscus rupture is that instability of the knee joint may persist for a long period of time.
Joint diseases without timely treatment lead to their gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility.Often the changes are irreversible and if treatment is not started in a timely manner, the normal function of the joint cannot be restored.
Prevent knee pain
- Do regular warm-up exercises when standing for long periods of time or sitting in an uncomfortable position.
- Avoid overuse and knee injuries;
- Avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- eat more foods with vitamin D and phosphorus;
- undergo regular orthopedic examinations as scheduled and do not trigger any degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.