Knee joint pain: causes, treatment, why knees hurt, what to do, how to treat

The knee joint is one of the largest and most complex. Every day it is subjected to a huge load, so it is not surprising that it periodically stops working normally. If your knees hurt, swelling is noticeable, and the pain is almost constant, you should definitely see a doctor. Such a pathological condition can be a sign of the development of one of the diseases that deform the joint. Of course, it is necessary to learn to distinguish situations in which a visit to the doctor is very necessary. But lack of treatment or self-treatment 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 joint is composed of the femur, tibia and patella. The two largest bones have two ridges each: 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, its depreciation properties are guaranteed. Around this connection of bones is a kind of capsule, lined on the inside with a synovial layer. It is filled with synovial fluid, thanks to which the joint is nourished and its mobility is guaranteed.

The knee joint is made up of more than just bones. All its elements are joined by cruciate and collateral ligaments, femoral muscles, tendons. The kneecap is connected to other elements through its own ligament. For the knee to move, 6 synovial pouches are needed. The nutrition and innervation of the presented joint is carried out through nerves and blood vessels, which are located in the soft tissues that surround the joint.

Pain in the knee joint: causes

If your knee starts to hurt, swelling appears, mobility is limited, and the discomfort is severe enough, you should immediately see a doctor. If the destructive process has already started, it will be impossible to completely heal the knee. However, it will be possible to stop or slow down its progression.

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

• gonarthrosis.It occurs in almost 50% of all cases of joint injury. The pathology develops for a long time. Among the symptoms of this disease, the following can be distinguished: 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. During the movement, the patient hears a pop in the knee, his mobility decreases. Over time, due to wear and tear on the cartilage, the distance between the bone surfaces decreases. In this case, osteophytes appear, the nerves and blood vessels are compressed, and the knee itself is deformed;

• meniscus, as well as the formation of meniscus cysts. Most of the time, only one knee hurts. The cause of the pathology can be a single injury or periodic damage to the joint. During an exacerbation, the pain is sharp, throbbing, sharp, intense. With this disease, deformation of the joint does not threaten, but inflammation can affect the synovial bags;
• circulatory problems (necrosis).This interrupts knee nutrition. Most often, this condition occurs in teenagers. It is they who have very rapid bone growth, in which their nutrition is a little difficult. If at first the pain in the knee joint is strong enough, after a while its intensity decreases. The pain is usually localized to one point and does not spread to the entire knee. Discomfort may be aggravated by hypothermia;
• arthritis.This is an inflammatory condition 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 turns red. Pain at night becomes more pronounced. The knee hurts even at rest, when the weather changes. The reason for the development of the pathology is excessive body weight, old age, weakness of the immune system;
• bursitis.This is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial bags of the knee. The 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, which contains harmful microorganisms. The cause of the development of pathology is trauma, excessive physical activity. The knee not only hurts a lot, the person develops general weakness and malaise;
• synovitisHere the inflammation affects the synovial membrane of the knee joint. At the same time, swelling and burning pain appear in the joint area;
• periarthritis.This disease is most often diagnosed in women who have a large body weight and are in their 40s. At the same time, discomfort is felt when climbing stairs, when straightening the leg. The pathological process affects the tendons, ligaments and muscles, the joint capsule. Pain is aching, swelling appears in the limb;
• chondromatosis.This disease is characterized by the formation of small nodules of cartilage, located in the shell of the joint bag. At the same time, dehydration of the joint manifests itself, its mobility is limited, a noise is heard when moving. As the soft tissues are compressed, the patient experiences intense pain;
• chondromalacia patella.Here the cartilage undergoes degenerative changes: it simply dies. The reasons for this pathological condition are trivial: knee injury, characteristics of some professions. At the same time, the knee hurts a lot, the discomfort becomes more pronounced with any movement. In the left or right knee, a popping, popping is very well heard. A person practically cannot stand on the affected limb;
• bone tumor.Knee pain arises due to the growth of a neoplasm that compresses the soft tissues with nerves and blood vessels;
• Baker's cyst. This is a small hernia that can occur in young people and children aged 3 to 7 years. It is so small that it cannot always be diagnosed on examination. It does not pose a threat to human health and does not present discomfort. However, if it grows, the joint may hurt, especially when bending and straightening the leg. If the hernia is large, an operation is performed to remove it;
• knee tendinitis.This 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 aching and the affected area reacts to changes in the weather;

• knee osteochondritis.This is where the cartilage detaches from the joint surface. At first, the knee does not hurt much, but over time its intensity increases and inflammation joins the pathological process;
• Koenig's disease.Here, some of the cartilage can separate from the bone and move within the joint. At the same time, the movement becomes difficult, there is a slight pain. With progression, swelling of the knee joint is also observed. Treatment of the pathology in adults is more difficult than in children;
• Osgood-Schlatter pathology.It predicts the formation of bumps in the knee area. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in boys, as well as in people involved in sports. The pain is sharp, aggravated by bending and straightening the leg.

These reasons are the main ones, but not the only ones. Therefore, it is necessary to consider other factors, due to the influence that there is knee pain.

Diseases of other organs, such as the cause of knee pain

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

1. Fibromyalgia.The discomfort is located in the muscles and soft tissues, but it can be given to the joints located nearby. The inflammatory process does not develop. In addition to pain in the knee joint, a person feels stiffness in movement, fatigue, may experience seizures.
2. Dysplasia or coxarthrosis of the hip joint.The pain syndrome in this case extends to the entire leg.
3. Sciatic nerve neuropathy.It is compressed by the vertebrae of the lumbosacral spine. Severe throbbing pain can radiate to the thigh and knee.

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

• drop.The presented disease occurs due to a violation of uric acid metabolism in the body. It is badly removed from it, it turns into salt deposits that accumulate in the joints. In this case, the knee may also hurt. And the pain is very sharp, sharp. More often, the pathology occurs in men who abuse alcohol, eat improperly. In the affected area, the skin turns red, and at night, the knee joint hurts more. The duration of the attack varies from a few days to several weeks;
• osteoporosis.The pathology is associated with low bone density due to its inadequate formation. Knee joint pain is dull and painful, it is not so easy to remove. The bones in this pathology are highly susceptible to fractures;
• rheumatoid arthritis.This is a systemic pathology, characterized by inflammation of the connective tissue. Its active development begins with a decrease in the protective functions of the body. Manifested by a feeling of stiffness, which a person may feel after a long stay in a state of rest;
• osteomyelitis.The bacterial pathology presented causes quite severe pains of an annoying nature. In the area of the affected joint, the skin turns red and the discomfort increases with any movement. The danger of this disease is that its consequence is the onset of bone marrow death;
• infectious diseases.They are characterized by pain in the knee joint, which disappears after a course of antibiotic treatment;
• Paget's disease.In this case, bone tissue is formed incorrectly, so the spine begins to deform. With this pathology, it is the tubular bones that are affected, which later become very fragile. Recognizing this disease is quite difficult as symptoms may not appear. The only thing that can indicate the presence of pathology is that the painful knee hurts at night, and heat is felt at the site of the injury.

If the knee pain was caused by a systemic disease or skeletal pathology, it is not always possible to completely get rid of it. However, treatment must be carried out flawlessly so that the disease does not develop or at least slows down its course.

Trauma as a cause of pain syndrome

Pathological processes in this case can develop immediately after the injury and some time later. We can distinguish such injuries of the knee joint:

1. Torn, torn or torn ligaments in the knee.These injuries lead to the onset of joint "advancement" syndrome. In addition, a person experiences severe pain, develops hemarthrosis of the joint, which becomes unstable.
2. Wound.Here the intensity of the pain syndrome is low. There are no serious consequences after the injury. The swelling, like the bruising, usually goes away on its own in one to two weeks.
3. Meniscus tear.This results in a strong blow to the anterior region of the knee joint. After the acute period of the pathology, the pain syndrome often worries the patient when climbing stairs, which is quite difficult to implement. There is slight swelling in the knee joint area.
4. Fracture.Appears when falling from a great height or a strong shock effect. The pain is sharp, sharp, swelling appears in the affected area, and the skin turns pale. The victim cannot stand on the injured leg. During a fracture, a popping sound is heard, and the bone can break through the skin.
5. Tendon rupture.This injury is not common, but it leads to acute pain first and then pain. When walking, pain in left or right knee increases.
6. Knee joint dislocation.In this case, some of the constituent parts of the joint may come out of it.

Trauma can cause chronic illness.

Most knee joint pathologies have similar symptoms, so it can be quite difficult to recognize them. That's why self-medication is not worth it, as you can make the situation even worse.

who is at risk

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

1. The presence of primary pathologies.
2. genetic predisposition.
3. Constant sporting overload of the knee.
4. Excessive body weight.
5. Wound.
6. I had knee joint surgery.
7. Insufficiently good development of the muscular apparatus of the knee joint.

In addition, women are more susceptible to knee diseases, as are people of advanced and advanced age.

In which cases it is necessary to consult a doctor

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

1. For more than two months, the patient has been experiencing painful pain, 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 crisis is heard in the knee joint when walking.
4. Knees hurt daily and at a certain time under certain conditions.
5. In the knee joint, instability is felt from time to time.
6. If there are additional pathological signs: rash, fever, fever.
7. Aching pain appeared, which is accompanied by deformation of the joints, limitation of their mobility.
8. Pain syndrome becomes a constant companion of a person.
9. Signs of an inflammatory process appeared: redness of the skin, swelling, increased local temperature in the affected area.

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

varieties of pain

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

• sharp, sharp.Causes torn meniscus or ligaments, reactive arthritis, acute stage bursitis;
• dull, pulling.Bursitis or synovitis can cause it;
• sore.This type of pain is characteristic of arthrosis, gonarthrosis;
• pulsating.A person feels this with an injury to the menisci or as a result of an injury with arthrosis deformans;

• Burning.It is characteristic of pinching of the sciatic nerve, as well as tuberculosis of the bones;
• stabbing.It is caused by a cyst in the synovial bursa. And the searing pain is characteristic of osteoporosis, an old injury to the menisci;
• drilling.It is caused by osteomyelitis;
• journal.It appears when the patient develops inflammation of the tendons or muscles;
• shooting.Causes compression of nerve endings.

Pathology diagnosis and first aid

Many people complain that their knees hurt and they don't know what to do. But when you feel pain and tightness in your knee joint, you should definitely undergo an examination and start treatment.

Diagnosis involves the use of such procedures:

1. Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
2. Blood chemistry.
3. Bone marrow and synovial fluid puncture.
4. Smears for the presence of bacterial microflora.
5. arthroscopy. This procedure is used both as a diagnosis and as a treatment for joint pain. It's easy to do and doesn't need a long rehabilitation period.
6. X-ray.
7. magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography.
8. ultrasound.
9. Densitometry.

Knee pain: first aid

If a person feels pain or pulling in the leg in the knee region, first of all, he must secure the rest of the limb. Home treatment involves the use of pain relievers or anti-inflammatories.

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

Knee pain: medical treatment

So what to do if a flare is heard in the joint and severe discomfort is felt? First you need to find out why these symptoms appear. One of the stages of therapy is drug treatment. So, with pain in the knee joint, you can quickly remove severe symptoms with the help of such drugs:

• antibiotics (when the discomfort is caused by a viral infection);
• non-steroidal 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 through surgery or glucocorticosteroid blockade.

If the joints hurt due to injuries, in some cases it is necessary to reposition the bones. A tight bandage, orthosis, and even a plaster cast are applied to the affected joint. It is necessary to treat a member not only with the help of pills. 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 treat systemic pathologies in a complex way. Knee pain in these cases should be treated with immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids. To eliminate the symptoms of gonarthrosis, drug injections into the joint, chondroprotectors, are used.

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage

If the knee joint hurts when standing up, there is a popping sound and discomfort bothers you even at night, physical exercises as well as massage sessions will help to get rid of stiffness and relieve pain.

At the same time, gymnastics should be done if the person is not too painful and with the permission of the doctor. All exercises are performed slowly. You cannot make sudden movements. If your knees are very sore, you will need to switch to simpler exercises. The weekly load can be increased.

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

Sore knees can be kneaded, rubbed on their own, but it would be better if a specialist did this. To get rid of most symptoms, you need to carry out a course of massage procedures, the session of which lasts no more than 20 minutes. By rubbing the inner and outer surfaces, as well as lateral ones, pressure is applied to the patella. During the procedure, you need to ensure that the person is not injured.

How to treat knee joints at home?

A crisis in the knees, like the pain that appears at night, is an unpleasant phenomenon. Why these symptoms appear is already known. However, it is possible to relieve pain and restore normal joint functionality not just with medication. You can do this at home with the help of folk remedies.

Quickly getting rid of the pathology will not work. Therefore, you need to treat your knee for at least two months. Also, you need to find really effective products that have good reviews.

The following recipes may be helpful:

1. In half a liter of boiling water, pour 2 large spoons of cinquefoil grass, after which you need to let it ferment. Drink the drug should be twice a day to 100 ml. You can apply a decoction of cinquefoil to a sore knee as an overnight compress.
2. An oatmeal decoction will help get rid of pain. To prepare it, you need to take a liter of water and a glass of grains. The mixture is boiled, after which it is left to infuse overnight. During the day you need to use 2 glasses of liquid, dividing it into several parts. It takes 2 weeks to treat joints this way.
3. To relieve discomfort and improve blood circulation in the affected area, you can apply a compress of grated potato and horseradish, taken in equal proportions. This will help to quickly get rid of the pain. Apply a compress to the affected knee and cover with a clean cloth. Wash it off after 15 minutes. To relieve unpleasant symptoms, only 10 procedures are enough.
4. A mustard compress, which is applied to the painful leg at night, has also received good reviews. To prepare it, a tablespoon of mustard is taken, mixed with the same amount of honey and soda. In the morning, the compress will help relieve severe discomfort.
5. If the knee joints hurt, bitter pepper tincture can be used for rubbing. A half-liter jar should be filled with chopped pepper, then pour the alcohol on top of the container. You need to insist on the medicine for a week.

You can do self-massage of your knee at home.

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

pathology prevention

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

1. Reduce joint stress.
2. It is rational to combine rest and work.
3. Timely treat any infectious diseases in the body.
4. Avoid hypothermia of the extremities.
5. After 35 years, it is advisable to start taking chondroprotectors.
6. During sports, it is necessary to protect the joints with knee braces - special orthopedic devices for fixing the joint.
7. It is important to normalize your weight.
8. Nutrition 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, it will also improve joint functionality.