Knee pain is a common symptom that everyone experiences at least once.It can be a one-time event and occur after injuries, overuse, or failed 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 a minor discomfort to a 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 knee pain bothers you periodically or for more than 1 or 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 the pain and select the appropriate course of treatment.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after falling to your 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 and popliteus muscle) is accompanied by the accumulation of exudate and often instability in the knee joint;
- Partial avulsion or complete rupture of ligaments as a result of a strong external force, which is 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 partially or completely detaches from the tibia;
- rupture of the cruciate ligaments, which most often occurs 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 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 knee joint, in the anterior part, which develops as a result of excessive loads and is not accompanied by any structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Painful sensations in the knees are divided into several groups based on 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 and adjacent tissues;
- pathological - a consequence of inflammation of the knee joint, dystrophic or degenerative processes in it.
By frequency
- Unique - most often they are physiological in nature, non-intensive and disappear on their own within a few minutes or hours;
- periodic: associated with regularly repeated loads, for example in professional athletes or recurrent diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - they constantly bother a person, occur most often with joint pathologies and can intensify as the disease progresses.
By time of occurrence
- It occurs only after exercise, for example, walking or squatting;
- worse after trying to step on 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 notes 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 an examination by palpation and check mobility during testing.An accurate diagnosis is made by a specialist after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, for example, x-ray or MRI:
Which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose the cause of your knee pain, see 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 neurologist may be necessary.
Treatment for knee pain
The course of treatment for knee pain depends on its causes.Minor bruises and sprains are treated with rest and the use of healing ointments and local warmers.In more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb with an orthosis or a cast: in such cases, to relieve pain, the patient is prescribed analgesics in tablets or injections.Treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively, using anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors and physiotherapy procedures.
Consequences
After an injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.As a general rule, recovery from bruises and sprains takes 1 to 2 weeks.Rehabilitation after a ligament tear 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, normal function of the joint cannot be restored.
Prevent knee pain
- Do regular warm-ups if you stand for a long time or sit in an uncomfortable position;
- avoid overloads and knee injuries;
- avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- eat more foods with vitamin D and phosphorus;
- undergo regularly scheduled medical examinations with an orthopedist and not trigger any degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.