Knee pain is a common symptom that everyone experiences at least once.It can be a one-time occurrence and occurs after injury, overload or unsuccessful movement.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 aching, burning, throbbing or cutting pain.Often, the pain is accompanied by additional symptoms - soft tissue swelling, increased local skin temperature, redness and swelling.If pain in the knee area bothers you periodically or lasts more than 1-2 days, do not ignore this symptom and seek help from a doctor.An orthopedist or traumatologist will conduct a diagnosis, determine the cause of pain and choose the appropriate treatment course.
Causes of knee pain
- Bruises after bending the knee or being beaten, in which exudate accumulates outside or in the joint capsule, and the skin quickly turns a characteristic red-blue color;
- sprain due to excessive stress - accompanied by damage to the muscles, ligaments, bursae, popliteus muscles - accompanied by the accumulation of exudate and often instability in the knee joint;
- partial or complete rupture of the ligament due to the impact of strong external forces, accompanied by prolonged instability and significant functional limitation in the limb
- A meniscus tear results from simultaneous bending and twisting of the knee, when the meniscus is partially or completely torn from the tibia;
- rupture of the cruciate ligament, which most often occurs during braking;
- primary osteoarthritis - pathological wear and tear of articular cartilage, which causes loss of elasticity and causes increased friction in the joints 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 anterior part, that develops due to excessive loads and is not accompanied by any structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Pain in the knee is divided into several groups according to the following criteria:
Due to appearance
- Physiological - the body's natural reaction when standing, sitting for a long time or in an uncomfortable position;
- trauma - the result of damage to the knee joint and adjacent tissues;
- pathology - the consequences of knee arthritis, dystrophic or degenerative processes in it.
By frequency
- One-time - most often they are physiological in nature, not intense and disappear on their own within a few minutes or hours;
- periodic - relating to frequent repetitive loads, for example, in professional athletes or relapsing diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- chronic - they constantly bother a person, most often occur with pathologies of the joints and can intensify as the disease progresses.
According to when it happened
- Occurs only after exercise, such as when walking or squatting;
- worse after trying to step on the foot;
- constantly disturbed, regardless of physical activity and stress on the injured leg.
Diagnostic method
When a patient complains of pain in the knee, the doctor records the symptoms, indicating when the pain began, what injuries and other factors led to its development.To limit the list of suspected joint injuries and diseases, he conducts an examination by palpation and checks mobility during the test.A specialist makes an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics, for example, X-rays or MRI scans:
Which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose the cause of your knee pain, see a rheumatologist or orthopedist.If pain syndrome occurs before an injury, make an appointment to see a trauma doctor.Depending on accompanying symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and neurologist may be necessary.
Knee pain treatment
The treatment for knee pain depends on its 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 cast: in such cases, to relieve pain, the patient is prescribed painkillers in the form of tablets or injections.Treatment of joint diseases is carried out comprehensively using anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physiotherapeutic procedures.
Consequence
After trauma, prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.As a rule, recovery from bruises and sprains takes up to 1-2 weeks.Rehabilitation after ligament rupture takes longer;The most unfavorable prognosis for a meniscus fracture is that instability of the knee joint may persist over a long period of time.
If joint diseases are not treated promptly, they will gradually be destroyed, deformed and lose mobility.Usually the changes are irreversible and if treatment is not started on time, normal joint function cannot be restored.
Prevent knee pain
- Perform regular warm-ups if you stand for long periods or sit in an uncomfortable position;
- avoid overload and knee injuries;
- Avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- eat plenty of foods with vitamin D and phosphorus;
- regularly undergo scheduled medical examinations with an orthopedist and do not cause any degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.