Knee joint pain: causes, treatment, why knee pain, what to do about it, how to treat

The knee joint is one of the largest and most complex. He is subjected to a heavy load every day, so it is not surprising that he occasionally stops functioning normally. If your knees hurt, their swelling is noticeable, and the pain is almost constant, then you definitely need to see a doctor. Such a pathological condition can be a signal of the development of one of the diseases that deforms the joint. Of course, it is necessary to learn to distinguish situations when a visit to the doctor is absolutely necessary. But lack of treatment or self-medication can lead to complications.

The structure of the knee joint

To better understand why your knees hurt, you need to understand their anatomy. Thus, the articulation consists of the femur, tibia and patella. The two largest bones have two protrusions: the inner and outer condyles.

All surfaces that come in contact with each other are covered with hyaline cartilage. Thanks to him, the mobility of the knee joint is ensured, as well as its cushioning properties. There is a kind of capsule around this connection of the bones, lined on the inside with a synovial layer. It is filled with synovial fluid, which nourishes the joint and ensures its mobility.

The knee joint consists of more than bone. All its elements are united by cruciate and collateral ligaments, femoral muscles, tendons. The knee cap is attached to other elements via its own ligament. 6 synovial sacs are needed to move the knee. Nutrition and innervation of the presented joint takes place through nerves and blood vessels, which are located in the soft tissues that surround the joint.

Knee joint pain: causes

If the knee starts to hurt, swelling appears, mobility is limited, and the discomfort is strong enough, consult a doctor immediately. If the destructive process has already begun, then it will be impossible to completely cure the knee. However, it will be possible to stop or slow down its progress.

Thus, we can distinguish such causes of knee joint pain:

• gonarthrosis.It occurs in almost 50% of all cases of joint damage. Pathology developed for a very long time. Among the symptoms of this disease can be distinguished the following: the knee does not hurt at rest, however, it becomes difficult for a person to climb stairs, walk for a long time, squat and get up from the Greeks. During the movement, the patient hears a crunch in the knee, his mobility decreases. Over time, due to cartilage wear, the distance between the bone surfaces decreases. In this case, osteophytes appear, nerves and blood vessels constrict, and only the knee is deformed;

• meniscopathy, as well as the formation of meniscus cysts. Usually only one knee hurts. The cause of the pathology may be a single injury or periodic joint damage. During the exacerbation, the pain is acute, pulsating, sharp, strong. In this disease, joint deformity is not threatened, but inflammation can affect the synovial sacs;
• circulatory problems (necrosis).This disrupts the nutrition of the knee. This condition is most common in adolescents. It is they who have too fast bone growth, in which their diet is somewhat difficult. If the pain in the knee joint is strong enough at the beginning, then after some time its intensity decreases. The pain is usually localized at one point and does not spread to the entire knee. Discomfort may be exacerbated by hypothermia;
• arthritis.This is an inflammatory pathology of the knee, which can be diagnosed in young people, especially women. At the same time, the knee hurts a lot, the affected area is characterized by swelling, the skin becomes red. The pain becomes more pronounced at night. The knee hurts even at rest, when the weather changes. The reason for the development of pathology is overweight, age, weakness of the immune system;
• bursitis.This is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial sacs of the knee. Characteristic symptoms of the pathology are redness of the skin in the affected area, swelling and decreased range of motion. The cavities of the synovial sacs are filled with exudate containing harmful microorganisms. The cause of the development of pathology is trauma, excessive physical activity. The knee not only hurts badly, the person develops general weakness and malaise;
• synovitisHere the inflammation affects the synovial membrane of the knee joint. At the same time, swelling and tingling appear in the area of articulation;
• periarthritis.This disease is more commonly diagnosed in women who are overweight and who are already 40 years old. At the same time, you feel discomfort when climbing stairs, when straightening your legs. The pathological process affects the tendons, ligaments and muscles, the joint capsule. The pain is painful, swelling of the limb appears;
• chondromatosis.This disease is characterized by the formation of small cartilage nodules, which are located in the shell of the articular sac. At the same time, dehydration of the joint is manifested, its mobility is limited, and squeaking is heard when moving. As the soft tissues are tightened, the patient feels severe pain;
• chondromalacia patella.Here cartilage undergoes degenerative changes: it simply dies. The reasons for this pathological condition are banal: knee injury, characteristics of some professions. At the same time, the knee hurts a lot, the discomfort becomes more pronounced with each movement. Squeaking, cracking can be heard very well in the left or right knee. The person is practically unable to stand on the affected limb;
• bone tumor.Knee pain occurs due to the growth of a neoplasm that compresses soft tissues with nerves and blood vessels;
• Baker's cyst.This is a small hernia that can occur in young people and children from 3 to 7 years old. It is so small that it cannot always be diagnosed by examination. It does not pose a threat to human health and does not pose a discomfort. However, if it grows, then the joint can hurt, especially when bending and straightening the leg. If the hernia is large, then surgery is performed to remove it;
• knee tendinitis.It is an inflammation of the tendons in the knee area, which cannot perform their functions normally. Almost everyone is affected by the disease. The pain is usually excruciating, and the affected area responds to changes in weather;

• osteochondritis of the knee.This is where the cartilage peels off the joint surface. Initially, the knee does not hurt much, but over time, its intensity increases, and inflammation joins the pathological process;
• Koenig's disease.Here part of the cartilage can separate from the bone and move inside the joint. At the same time, the movement becomes difficult, mild pain occurs. With progression, swelling of the knee joint is also observed. Treatment of pathology in adults is more difficult than in children;
• Osgood-Schlatter pathology.Ensures the formation of bumps in the knee area. The disease is most often diagnosed in boys, as well as in people who play sports. The pain is sharp, intensified by bending and straightening the leg.

These reasons are the main ones, but not the only ones. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account other factors that cause knee pain.

Diseases of other organs, as a cause of knee pain

Some pathologies that are not related to the knee joint can cause pain in it:

1. fibromyalgia.The discomfort is localized in the muscles and soft tissues, but it can also occur in nearby joints. The inflammatory process did not develop. In addition to painful pain in the knee joint, the person feels stiffness in movements, fatigue, may experience convulsions.
2. Hip dysplasia or coxarthrosis.The pain syndrome in this case extends to the entire leg.
3. Sciatic nerve neuropathy.It is trapped by the vertebrae of the lumbosacral spine. Strong throbbing pain can spread to the thigh and knee.

What systemic pathologies can cause knee pain? In addition to the reasons already described, there are other factors that contribute to the development of pain syndrome:

• gout.The presented disease occurs due to violation of uric acid metabolism in the body. It is poorly removed from it, it turns into salt deposits that accumulate in the joints. In this case, the knee can also hurt. And the pain is very sharp, sharp. Pathology is more common in men who abuse alcohol and eat improperly. In the affected area, the skin becomes red, and at night the knee joint hurts more. The duration of the attack ranges from a few days to a few weeks;
• osteoporosis.The pathology is associated with low bone density due to its improper formation. The pain in the knee joint is dull and aching, it is not so easy to remove. The bones in this pathology are very sensitive to fractures;
• rheumatoid arthritis.This is a systemic pathology, characterized by inflammation of the connective tissue. It begins its active development by reducing the body's protective functions. It is manifested by a feeling of stiffness, which a person may feel after a long stay at rest;
• osteomyelitis.The bacterial pathology shown causes quite severe pain of a dull nature. In the area of the affected joint, the skin becomes red, and the discomfort increases with each movement. The danger of this disease is that it results in the beginning of bone marrow death;
• infectious diseases.They are characterized by pain in the knee joint, which disappears after treatment with antibiotics;
• Paget's disease.In this case, the bone tissue forms irregularly, so the spine begins to deform. This pathology affects the tubular bones, which later become very fragile. Recognizing this disease is quite difficult, because the symptoms may not appear. The only thing that can indicate the presence of pathology is that the sore knee hurts at night and the heat is felt at the site of the lesion.

If knee pain is caused by systemic disease or skeletal pathology, it is not always possible to get rid of it completely. However, treatment must be carried out without error so that the disease does not develop further or at least slow down its course.

Trauma as a cause of pain syndrome

Pathological processes in this case can develop both immediately after the injury and for some time after it. We can distinguish such knee injuries:

1. Torn, torn or torn ligaments in the knee.These injuries lead to the syndrome of "progression" of articulation. In addition, the person feels severe pain, develops hemarthrosis of the joint, which becomes unstable.
2. Injury.Here the intensity of the pain syndrome is low. There are no serious consequences after the injury. The swelling, like the hematoma, usually disappears on its own in one to two weeks.
3. Bursting of the meniscus.The result is a strong blow to the front of the knee joint. After the acute period of pathology has passed, the pain syndrome usually worries the patient while climbing the stairs, which is quite difficult to implement. There is mild swelling in the knee joint.
4. Fracture.Appears when falling from a great height or when hitting hard. The pain is strong, sharp, swelling appears in the affected area, and the skin pales. The victim cannot stand on the injured leg. Creaking and cracking are heard during the fracture, and the bone can pierce the skin.
5. Tendon rupture.This injury is not common, but it leads first to acute and then to painful pain. Pain in the left or right knee increases when walking.
6. Dislocation of the knee joint.In this case, some of the components of the joint may come out of it.

Trauma can cause chronic diseases.

Most pathologies of the knee joint have similar symptoms, so they are quite difficult to recognize. That is why self-medication is not worth it, because you can make the situation even worse.

Who is in danger

Knee pain, squeaking and swelling in the affected area are more common in some people than in others. The risk group includes those persons who:

1. Presence of primary pathologies.
2. genetic predisposition.
3. Constant sports overload of the knee.
4. Overweight.
5. Injury.
6. I had knee joint surgery.
7. Insufficient development of the muscular apparatus of the knee joint.

In addition, women are more susceptible to knee diseases, as well as the elderly and the elderly.

In which cases it is necessary to consult a doctor

If a person feels that his knees hurt, then he should urgently contact a specialist in this case:

1. The patient has been in excruciating pain for more than two months, which does not allow him to sleep peacefully at night.
2. If the pain syndrome is characterized by high intensity, it appears suddenly.
3. A squeak is heard in the knee joint while walking.
4. Knees hurt every day, at certain times, under certain conditions.
5. Instability is felt in the knee joint from time to time.
6. If additional pathological signs are present: skin rash, fever, chills.
7. Painful pain appeared, which was accompanied by deformation of the joints, limiting their mobility.
8. Pain syndrome becomes a constant companion of a person.
9. Signs of the inflammatory process appeared: redness of the skin, swelling, elevated local temperature in the affected area.

These signs alone are enough to make the decision to see a doctor. By delaying the visit, the patient increases the duration and complexity of therapy, and also allows further development of the pathology.

Types of pain

Why the knees hurt, most of the reasons for the development of the pathological condition are already clear. But the nature of the pain can be different. For example, depending on the disease that caused it, the pain is of the following nature:

• sharp, sharp.Causes rupture of meniscus or ligaments, reactive arthritis, acute phase of bursitis;
• annoying, withdrawal.Bursitis or synovitis can cause it;
• sick.This type of pain is characteristic of arthrosis, gonarthrosis;
• pulsating.A person feels this with a meniscus injury or as a result of a lesion with deforming arthrosis;

• burning.It is characteristic of sciatica, as well as tuberculosis of the bones;
• stabbing.It is caused by a cyst in the synovial bursa. Stabbing pain is characteristic of osteoporosis, an old meniscus injury;
• drilling.It is caused by osteomyelitis;
• periodically.It occurs when a patient develops inflammation of a tendon or muscle;
• shooting through.Causes pinching of nerve endings.

Diagnosis of pathology and first aid

Many complain that their knees hurt and do not know what to do. But when you feel pain and squeaking in your knee joint, you definitely need to get examined and start treatment.

Diagnosis involves the use of the following procedures:

1. Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
2. Blood chemistry.
3. Puncture of bone marrow and synovial fluid.
4. Smears on the presence of bacterial microflora.
5. Arthroscopy. This procedure is used both as a diagnosis and as a treatment for joint pain. It is easy to perform and does not require a long period of rehabilitation.
6. Radiography.
7. MRI or CT.
8. ultrasound.
9. Densitometry.

Knee pain: first aid

If a person feels pain in the leg in the knee area, he must first secure the rest of the limb. Treatment at home includes taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs.

The pain can be relieved with a cold compress. Cold is used as a method of relieving pain when the cause of the pain is trauma. The limb is immobilized and placed on a hill. When there are wounds in the area of articulation, they should be treated with antiseptic. These measures are not a complete treatment. They should only be taken before visiting a doctor.

Knee pain: medical treatment

So, what to do if you hear a squeak in the wrist and feel strong discomfort? You must first find out why these symptoms occur. One of the phases of therapy is drug treatment. So, with knee pain, you can quickly eliminate severe symptoms with the help of such drugs:

• antibiotics (when the discomfort is caused by a viral infection);
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Some pathologies need to be treated with surgery. If there is fluid in the cavity of the knee joint, it must be removed. The cyst can also be treated with surgery or glucocorticosteroid blockade.

If the joints hurt due to injury, then in some cases it is necessary to reposition the bones. A tight bandage, orthosis, and even plaster are placed on the affected joint. It is necessary to treat the limb not only with the help of tablets. Often the patient is assigned to wear or use special orthopedic devices so that the load can be removed from the knee.

It is necessary to comprehensively treat systemic pathologies. Knee pain in these cases must be treated with immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids. In order to eliminate the symptoms of gonarthrosis, injections of drugs into the joint and chondroprotectors are used.

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage

If your knee joint hurts when you get up, you hear a squeak, and the discomfort bothers you even at night, physical exercises, as well as massage sessions, will help get rid of stiffness and relieve pain.

At the same time, gymnastics should be done if the person is not very ill and with the permission of a doctor. All exercises are performed slowly. You cannot make sudden movements. If your knees are very sore, then you need to move on to the simplest exercises. The weekly load can increase.

In a lying or sitting position, you can do flexion and extension of the limbs, alternating half-turns, pulling the knees to the abdomen, moving the legs to the side. After completing the set of exercises, you need to relax and then move on to the massage. This procedure is also very effective in relieving pain.

Sore knees can be kneaded and rubbed on their own, but it would be better for a specialist to do it. To get rid of most of the symptoms, it is necessary to take a massage course, one session of which does not last more than 20 minutes. Rubbing of the inner and outer, as well as the side surfaces, pressure on the patella is performed. During the procedure, you must ensure that the person is not injured.

How to treat knee joints at home?

Crunching in the knees, as well as pain that occurs at night, is an unpleasant phenomenon. Why these symptoms occur is already known. However, it is possible to alleviate pain and restore normal joint function not only with medication. You can do this at home with the help of folk remedies.

Get rid of the pathology quickly will not succeed. In this way it is necessary to treat the knee for at least two months. In addition, you need to find really effective products that have good reviews.

The following recipes may be helpful:

1. Pour 2 large spoons of five herbs into half a liter of boiling water, after which it is necessary to let it boil. The medicine should be taken twice a day in 100 ml. You can apply a decoction of kerosene on a sore knee as a compress for the night.
2. Oat decoction will help get rid of pain. To prepare it, you need to take a liter of water and a glass of grain. The mixture is boiled, after which it is left to stand overnight. During the day, it is necessary to drink 2 glasses of liquid, dividing it into several parts. It takes 2 weeks to treat the joints in this way.
3. To alleviate discomfort and improve blood circulation in the affected area, you can put a poultice of grated potatoes and horseradish, taken in equal proportions. It will help you get rid of the pain quickly. Put a bandage on the affected knee and cover with a clean cloth. Rinse it off after 15 minutes. Only 10 procedures are enough to alleviate the unpleasant symptoms.
4. The mustard compress, which is put on a sore leg at night, also received good reviews. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of mustard, mixed with the same amount of honey and soda. By morning, the compress will help alleviate severe discomfort.
5. If the knee joints hurt, a bitter pepper tincture can be used for rubbing. Fill a half-liter jar with chopped pepper, and then pour alcohol to the very top of the bowl. You must insist on the medicine for a week.

You can do a knee self-massage at home.

If you already know why the discomfort appeared, then you can choose the appropriate folk therapies that will help you eliminate them. But before that you should consult a doctor.

Prevention of pathology

In order for the knee joints to remain healthy and function for a long time, you must follow the simple recommendations of your doctor:

1. Reduce stress on the joints.
2. It is rational to combine rest and work.
3. Treat all infectious diseases in the body in a timely manner.
4. Avoid limb hypothermia.
5. After 35 years, it is recommended to start taking chondroprotectors.
6. During sports, it is necessary to protect the joints with knee pads - special orthopedic devices for fixing the joint.
7. It is important to normalize your weight.
8. Diet plays an important role in skeletal health. It is better to reduce the consumption of saturated animal fats, white bread, sweets. More fiber, vegetable oils, vegetables and fruits should be introduced into the diet. Proper nutrition will not only help alleviate discomfort, but will also improve joint functionality.