Knee pain is a common symptom that every person experiences at least once.It can be one-time 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 cutting pain.Often, pain is accompanied by additional symptoms - swelling of soft tissues, local increase in skin temperature, redness and swelling.If pain in the knee region bothers you periodically or for more than 1 to 2 days, do not ignore the symptom and seek help from a doctor.An orthopedist or traumatologist will make a diagnosis, determine the causes of pain and select appropriate treatment.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after falling to the knee or blows, in which exudate accumulates outside or inside the joint capsule, and the skin quickly acquires a characteristic blue-red hue;
- sprain caused by excessive tension - with damage to muscles, ligaments, synovial bag, popliteal muscle - is accompanied by accumulation of exudate and often instability in the knee joint;
- partial avulsion or complete rupture of ligaments as a result of strong external force, which is accompanied by prolonged loss of stability and significant functional limitations in the limb
- Meniscus rupture 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, occurring more frequently during braking movements;
- primary osteoarthritis - pathological wear of the articular cartilage, which loses elasticity and causes increased friction in the joint and constant pain in the knee region;
- rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which immune system cells attack the synovial membrane, gradually destroying the articular cartilage and connective tissue;
- patellofemoral pain syndrome is pain in the knee joint, in the anterior part, which develops as a result of excessive loads and is not accompanied by structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Painful sensations in the knees are divided into several groups according to the following criteria:
Due to the occurrence
- Physiological - the body's natural reaction to long periods of 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 in it.
By frequency
- Single - most often they are physiological in nature, not intensive and disappear on their own within a few minutes or hours;
- periodic - associated with regularly repeated exercise, for example in professional athletes or recurrent diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - constantly bother the person, occur more often with joint pathologies and can intensify as the disease progresses.
By time of occurrence
- Occurring only after exercise, for example, when walking or squatting;
- worse after trying to step;
- constantly disturbing, regardless of physical activity and stress on the injured leg.
Diagnostic methods
When a patient complains of knee pain, the doctor writes down the symptoms, specifies when the pain started, what injuries and other factors preceded its development.To narrow down the list of suspected joint injuries and diseases, he performs an examination with palpation and checks mobility during the examinations.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, see a rheumatologist or orthopedist.If the pain syndrome was preceded by injury, make an appointment with a traumatologist.Depending on the accompanying symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and a neurologist may be required.
Knee pain treatment
The course of treatment for sore knees depends on its causes.Small bruises and sprains are treated with rest and the use of local heating and healing ointments.For more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb with an orthosis or plaster: in these cases, to get rid of the pain, the patient is prescribed painkillers in tablets or injections.The treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively, using anti-inflammatories, chondroprotectors and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Consequences
After injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.As a rule, recovery from bruises and sprains takes 1 to 2 weeks.Rehabilitation after ligament ruptures 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 provoke their gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility.Often the changes are irreversible, and if treatment is not started on time, the normal functioning of the joint cannot be restored.
Preventing knee pain
- Warm up regularly if you spend a lot of time standing or sitting 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 carry out medical examinations scheduled with an orthopedist and do not trigger degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.