The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body.Systematic loads cause every person to experience dull, aching, or sharp, and sometimes unbearable joint pain at least once in their life.It can occur when walking and moving the knee, and can also be a constant concern.The nature of pain in the knee joint and the sources of its occurrence are very diverse.
Structure of the knee joint
As the largest joint element in the human body, the knee joint is constantly subject to sports injuries.Bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, meniscus and periarticular capsules - if these parts are injured, they will certainly create pain in the knee.
The composition of the bones of the knee joint includes:
- shin (tibia).This is the main weight-bearing bone connected to the lower part of the femur;
- the femur (femur), which is the longest and strongest bone and is connected to the kneecap and tibia;
- the patella, located at the bottom of the thigh.Together with the femur it forms the patellofemoral joint.
The junction of the femoral notch and the kneecap contains cartilage, which allows these bones to maintain a healthy state of motion relative to each other, eliminating friction and pain in the knee.
The muscles of the knee joint include the muscles of the back of the thigh and the quadriceps muscle:
- The group of muscles of the posterior femoral surface consists of four heads located in its anterior part.These are the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius.They are attached to the joint by tendons.By contracting the quadriceps muscle, the lower leg is extended and the leg is straightened.
- The muscle group of the posterior femoral surface consists of three muscles, the contraction of which contributes to the flexion of the lower leg.These are the biceps, semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles.
There are two main types of cartilage in the knee joint:
- Hyaline cartilage promotes less friction because it is strong and flexible.
- The medial and lateral menisci are cartilaginous structures that act as “airbags” to provide cushioning between the bones in contact.
The knee joint includes ligaments in the form of fibers consisting of connective tissue.
Ligaments connect bones to each other:
- The tibia and femur are connected by the cruciate anterior ligament.It helps prevent the tibia from moving forward relative to the femur.
- The role of the cruciate posterior ligament is to prevent posterior movement of the tibia relative to the femur.
- On the outside of the knee is the external collateral ligament.It connects the fibula and femur and helps limit force and stabilize the knee joint.
- The inner lower edge of the femur is connected to the upper inner edge of the tibia by the collateral internal ligament, which stabilizes the joint and prevents unwanted movements.
Tendons attach muscles to bones.
Tendons are divided into the following types:
- At the back of the knee joint are the tendons of the hamstring muscles.
- The quadriceps tendons are attached to the top of the cup.
- The lower region of the kneecap is attached to the top of the tibia through the hamstring tendon.
The nature of the pain depending on the location
Pathological changes in the joint are directly dependent on the location of the pain.Pain, as an indicator, signals discomfort and changes in the joint.
Namely:
- with arthritis, acute bursitis, meniscal rupture, severe excruciating pain occurs;
- with initial bursitis and synovitis - tolerable but constant pain;
- gonarthrosis and arthrosis are accompanied by pinching pain;
- with degenerative arthrosis with joint deformation - vibrating pain;
- with bone tuberculosis and damage to the sciatic nerve, the pain is acute;
- injuries to the menisci, osteoporosis, inflammation of the synovial bursa are accompanied by stinging pain in the knee joint;
- inflammation in the tendons and muscle tissue of the joint causes cramping pain;
- when the nerve roots are damaged, shooting pain occurs.
Causes of pain in the knee joint
Medical statistics show that knee pain syndrome is caused by the presence of an inflammatory process in the knee.
Sources can be very different:
- 50% of pain conditions are associated with arthrosis, as a result of which hyaline cartilage is slowly destroyed.Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic, worsening only in the second stage.Due to the growth of osteophytes and their impact on the nerves in the joint, unpleasant sensations may appear.
- Often a joint can be affected by arthritis, both as an independent disease and as a complication in the form of rheumatism and arthrosis.Arthritis is characterized by severe pain, swelling and redness of the knee.
- Pain can occur with osteochondritis, when the articular cartilage becomes inflamed as a result of degenerative arthrosis or mechanical trauma.
- The result of obesity is often periarthritis, which affects tendons, muscles, and sometimes the lining of the joint.The disease is accompanied by nagging pain.
- With bursitis, inflammation of the synovial capsule occurs due to injury or complications of other diseases of the knee joint.
- With chondromatosis, nodules form in the area of hyaline cartilage, which subsequently spread throughout the entire joint.Soft tissues with a huge number of nerve cells are pinched, and pain occurs.
- Pain may appear with cellulite if foci of other concomitant diseases (purulent arthritis, soft tissue abscess) are located close to the fatty tissue under the skin.
- With dermatitis, damage to the epidermis occurs as a result of eczema, erysipelas, allergic reactions, and psoriasis.
- Synovitis is characterized by damage to the joint capsule as a result of chronic pathological changes.This disease develops in older people over the age of fifty-five.At a young age, the disease can occur due to severe injuries.
- Pain occurs due to osteomelitis, which is characterized by bacterial inflammation of the bone marrow.The disease can result from complications during operations or from open injuries.
What to do if your knee joint hurts badly
Having identified the causes of joint pain, it is necessary to begin treatment of the pathology.The most effective treatment is medication, since conservative therapy can help with the onset of destructive changes in the body.If you do not see a doctor in a timely manner, you have to resort to surgical intervention.
Often, knee pain begins suddenly, and a person does not know how to behave in such a situation.If it is not possible to promptly contact a specialist, it is necessary to take urgent measures to relieve pain and swelling.
What activities will help with this:
- it is necessary to suspend any activity, lie down with a pillow under your knee;
- for swelling, you need to use cold compresses (ice, cold objects) for 15-20 minutes 4-5 times a day;
- If two days have passed after the treatment procedures and the pain has decreased significantly, you can begin exercises to restore joint flexibility.A short massage (5-10 minutes) is possible;
- to combat pain after an impact on the knee, you need to loosely wrap it with an elastic bandage (or use a knee brace) to maintain the correctness of the parts of the joint;
- Even if you overcome the pain for several weeks after the injury, you must treat the injured limb with caution, move less, and give up vigorous activity.
To relieve pain in the knee joint, you can proceed to conservative treatment.The most common drugs recommended by doctors are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of gels, ointments and tablets.
Conservative treatment is often supplemented with physiotherapeutic procedures.Manual therapy is very effective, with the help of which you can cure damage to ligaments, meniscus, and arthrosis in the initial stages.
In cases where conservative treatment of the knee joint is impossible, experts recommend surgical intervention.Ligament rupture, meniscus, fractures - such injuries are restored with the help of serious operations.
Diagnostics
Early diagnosis allows for successful treatment of knee joint diseases and eliminates the risk of developing serious processes.An initial consultation with a therapist will help in determining the direction of examination and referral to a specialist.
Pain sensations are studied in several directions:
- In surgery.CT, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, blood test for the presence of rheumatoid factor, puncture of the hyaline cartilage of the knee joint are used.
- In traumatology.An examination is organized using x-rays, ultrasound, MRI, and a biopsy of fluid in the synovial bursa.
- In rheumatology.General laboratory tests are carried out in the form of a blood test for the presence of rheumatoid protein, hematology, and uric acid levels.DNA testing is used.
- In psychiatry and neurology.Ultrasound allows you to diagnose pinched muscles and nerves.For so-called somatic pain in patients with mental disorders, a special examination is prescribed for the presence of a mental illness.
Treatment of knee joint diseases
Folk remedies
You can turn to traditional medicine after an accurate diagnosis, and be sure to consult with your doctor.It is impossible to completely cure diseases of the knee joint using traditional methods, but traditional medicine will help in relieving pain and inflammation, and can also act as maintenance therapy.
Rubbing and ointments are considered effective folk remedies:
- egg yolk ointment.The yolk is ground together with a spoon of turpentine and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.Helps relieve joint pain and inflammation;
- 300 g of horse chestnut kernels are crushed and placed in a bottle of vodka.This mixture is infused for two weeks (it is necessary to alternately shake the infusion).
Used for rubbing before bedtime.Knee joints are also treated with compresses.
For this type of treatment, medicinal plants and vegetables are used:
- Rinse 7-8 burdock leaves thoroughly, wipe dry, fold and press with a bowl of boiling water to release healing phytoncides.Then place the steamed leaves on a knee that has been previously greased with vegetable oil, wrap it in cling film, and cover it with gauze or a soft cloth.The compress is kept for several hours.
- Peel the raw potato tubers, grate them on a coarse grater, and heat them a little in a water bath.Place the puree in a natural fabric bag.The bag is placed on the knee and left overnight.Treatment is carried out within a week.You should remember to prepare new contents of the bag every day.
- To relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process in the knee, celandine is used.It is necessary to thoroughly soak the linen fabric with the juice of the plant, wrap it around the knee and cover it with film.The compress should be kept for about 50 minutes, after which the knee should be treated with sunflower oil.The weekly procedure must be carried out three times with 10-day breaks.
Traditional medicine
Diseases of the knee joint have many common manifestations in the form of long-lasting pain, difficulty moving, swelling, deformation and inflammation of the knee.Arthritis, arthrosis, and bursitis are characterized by inflammatory processes and swelling of the knee joint, often with an increase in body temperature.
Arthritis and arthrosis are treated with the use of anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs.During therapy, a prerequisite is the normalization of metabolism and the removal of salts with the help of a number of medications, as well as the establishment of an optimal acid-base balance.When treating arthritis and arthrosis, you must follow the specialist’s instructions to achieve sustainable positive dynamics.
Treatment of tendonitis and bursitis is aimed at anti-inflammatory therapy and creating a resting position for the affected limb.In order to eliminate pain, a puncture of the joint capsule is performed to remove accumulated fluid and administer antibiotics.In severe cases, surgery is indicated.
Therapeutic measures for dystrophic lesions of the knee joint (meniscopathy, tendinopathy, chondropathy) are aimed at relieving knee pain, treating and restoring healthy joint functions.But even in this case, if there is no therapeutic effect, surgery is prescribed.
Preventive measures
Prevention of diseases of the knee joint allows you to avoid wear, injury, inflammation, helps to maintain their health and protect them from complications.Effectively organized preventive measures help prevent pain and inflammatory processes and prevent the development of the disease.
What measures need to be taken to protect against knee joint diseases:
- follow safety rules to avoid knee injury;
- correctly dose physical activity;
- maintain normal body weight;
- observe diet and fluid intake;
- fight any infections in a timely manner;
- contact a specialist in time to treat joint disease.
If there is a systemic disease that affects the functioning of the knee joint, the most optimal preventive measure will be its timely and adequate treatment.Only in this way can destructive processes in joint tissues be prevented.With complex therapy of diseases of the knee joint, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises and other therapeutic and health technologies, as well as following the correct diet and physical activity, it is possible to ensure the healthy functioning of the joints and reliably ensure the joy of movement and an active, fulfilling life.