Pain in the knee joint: causes, treatment, why the knee hurts, what to do about it, how to treat it

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 periodically it ceases to function normally. If the knees hurt, their swelling is noticeable and the pain is almost constant, then you should definitely consult a doctor. Such a pathological condition may be a signal of the development of one of the diseases that deforms the joint. Naturally, it is necessary to learn to resolve situations when a visit to the doctor is very necessary. But lack of treatment or self-medication can lead to complications.

Knee joint structure

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

All surfaces that come into contact are covered with hyaline cartilage. Thanks to it, the mobility of the knee joint is ensured, its amortization properties. Around this connection of the 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 ensured.

The knee joint is made up of more than just bones. All its elements are united by cross and collateral ligaments, thigh muscles, tendons. The knee cap is attached to other elements via its own ligature. You need 6 synovial bags to move the knee. The presented joint is nourished and innervated by nerves and blood vessels located in the soft tissues surrounding the joint.

Pain in the knee joint: Causes

If the knee starts to ache, swelling appears, mobility is limited and the discomfort is severe enough, you should consult a doctor immediately. If the destructive process has already begun, then it will be impossible to fully cure the knee. However, it will be possible to stop or slow its progression.

So we can identify the following causes of knee joint pain:

• Gonarthrosis.This occurs in almost 50% of all cases of joint damage. The pathology develops over a very long time. Symptoms of this disease can be distinguished as follows: the knee does not hurt during rest, although the person has difficulty climbing stairs, long walks, kneeling and rising. During the movement the patient notices a convulsion in the knee, decreases its mobility. Over time, due to cartilage wear, 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;

• Meniscopathy, As well as the formation of meniscal cysts. Most often only one knee hurts. The cause of the pathology can be a single injury or periodic damage to the joint. The pain during exacerbation is sharp, excruciating, sharp, strong. With this disease, joint deformity is not threatened, but inflammation can affect the synovial sacs;
• Circulatory problems (necrosis).This disrupts the knee feeding. Most often, this condition is found in adults. It is they who have very fast bone growth in which their nutrition is somewhat difficult. If at first the pain in the knee joint is strong enough, then after a certain period of time its intensity decreases. The pain is usually localized at one point and does not extend to the entire knee. Discomfort may be exacerbated by hypothermia;
• Arthritis.It is an inflammatory pathology of the knee that can be diagnosed in young people, especially women. At the same time, the knee is very sore, the injured area is characterized by swelling, the skin is red. At night the pain becomes more pronounced. The knee hurts even at rest when the weather changes. The reason for the development of pathology is excess body weight, old age, weakness of the immune system;
• Bursitis.This is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial sacs of the knee. Characteristic symptoms of pathology are redness of the skin at the injured area, swelling, and decreased range of motion. The cavities of the synovial sacs are filled with exudate containing harmful microorganisms. The reason for the development of pathology is trauma, excessive physical activity. The knee not only hurts a lot, the person develops general weakness and weakness;
• SynovitisInflammation here damages the synovial membrane of the knee joint. At the same time, there is swelling and burning pain in the joint area;
• Periarthritis.This disease is more commonly diagnosed in women who are overweight and who are already 40 years old. At the same time, discomfort is felt when climbing stairs, straightening the leg. The pathological process affects the tendons, ligaments and muscles, the joint capsule. The pain hurts, there is swelling on the limb;
• Chondromatosis.This disease is characterized by the formation of small nodules of cartilage that are located in the shell of the articular sac. At the same time there is dehydration of the joint, its mobility is limited, convulsions are heard during movement. Once the soft tissues are folded, the patient feels severe pain;
• Chondromalacia patella.Here the cartilage undergoes degenerative changes: it simply dies. The causes of this pathological condition are banal: knee injury, peculiarities of some professions. At the same time, the knee hurts a lot, the discomfort becomes more pronounced with any movement. The left or right knee sounds very crunchy, crunchy. The person is virtually unable to stand on the injured limb;
• Bone tumor.Knee pain occurs due to the growth of a neoplasm that compresses soft tissues with nerves and blood vessels;
• Baker cyst.This is a small hernia that can occur in young people and in children aged 3 to 7 years. It is so small that it is not always possible to diagnose it on examination. It does not pose a threat to human health and does not pose an inconvenience. However, if it grows, then the joint may ache, 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 that is unable to perform its functions normally. Almost everyone suffers from this disease. The pain is usually aching and the affected area responds to changes in the weather;

• Osteochondritis of the knee.This is where the cartilage falls off the articular 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 part of the cartilage can separate from the bone and move inside the joint. At the same time there is difficulty in movement, there is a slight pain. With progression, swelling of the knee joint is also observed. Pathology is more difficult to treat in adults than in children;
• Osgood-Schlatter pathology.It ensures the formation of bumps on the knees. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in boys, as well as people involved in sports. The pain is sharp, intensified by bending and straightening the leg.

These reasons are the main ones, but not the only ones. It is therefore necessary to consider other factors, due to the influence of which there is pain in the knee area.

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 to the muscles and soft tissues, but may be given to nearby joints. The inflammatory process does not develop. In addition to excruciating pain in the knee joint, a person feels stiffness of movements, fatigue, may experience cramps.
2. Thigh joint dysplasia or coxarthrosis.The pain syndrome in this case extends to the entire foot.
3. Sciatic nerve neuropathy.It is folded by the lumbar-sacral spine. Severe pulsating pain may spread to the thigh and knee.

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

• Gout.The presented disease occurs due to a disorder of uric acid metabolism in the body. It is poorly removed from it, turning 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, eating incorrectly. The skin in the injured area becomes 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 improper formation. Knee joint pain is dull and painful, its removal is not so easy. The bones of this pathology are very susceptible to fractures;
• Rheumatoid arthritis.It is a systemic pathology characterized by inflammation of the connective tissue. It begins its active development by reducing the body's protective functions. Manifested by a feeling of stiffness that a person feels after a long stay in a state of rest;
• Osteomyelitis.The presented bacterial pathology causes quite strong pains of a dull nature. The skin around the injured joint becomes red and discomfort increases with any movement. The danger of this disease is that it results in the onset of bone marrow death;
• Infectious diseases.They are characterized by pain in the knee joint that disappears after a course of antibiotic therapy;
• Paget's disease.In this case the bone tissue is formed incorrectly, so the spine starts to deform. This pathology damages the tubular bones, which subsequently become very fragile. It is quite difficult to diagnose this disease as the symptoms may not appear. The only thing that can indicate the presence of pathology is that the aching knee hurts at night while the heat is felt at the site of the injury.

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

Trauma as a cause of pain syndrome

Abnormal processes in this case can develop both after the injury and after a certain period. We can identify such injuries of the knee joint:

1. Torn, torn or torn ligaments in the knee.These injuries cause the "advance" syndrome of the joint. In addition, the person feels severe pain, develops hemarthrosis of the joint, which becomes unstable.
2. Trauma.Here the intensity of the pain syndrome is low. There are no serious consequences after the injury. The swelling, like the hematoma, usually goes away on its own in one to two weeks.
3. Meniscus rupture.This causes a strong blow to the anterior region of the knee joint. After going through an acute period of pathology, the pain syndrome usually bothers the patient while climbing the stairs, which is quite difficult to accomplish. There is a small swelling around the knee joint.
4. Fracture.Occurs when falling from great heights or during a strong shock effect. The pain is strong, sharp, swelling appears on the injured area, the skin becomes pale. The victim is unable to stand on the injured leg. During a fracture, cracking and creaking are heard and the bone may break through the skin.
5. Rupture of the tendon.This injury is not common, but causes first severe and then excruciating pain. Pain in the left or right knee increases during walking.
6. Knee joint dislocation.In this case, some of the components of the joint may come out of it.

Trauma can lead to chronic disease.

Most knee joint pathologies have similar symptoms, so they are quite difficult to diagnose. So self-medication is not worth it as it can make the situation worse.

Who is at risk

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

1. Existence of primary pathologies.
2. Genetic predisposition.
3. Permanent sports reset of the knee.
4. Excess body weight.
5. Trauma.
6. I had surgery on my knee joint.
7. Insufficiently good development of the muscular apparatus of the knee joint.

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

In what cases it is necessary to consult a doctor

If a person feels that the knees hurt, then you should immediately contact a specialist in this case:

1. The patient has been experiencing 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. Convulsions are heard in the knee joint while walking.
4. Elbows ache daily and at certain times, under certain conditions.
5. Instability is felt in the knee joint from time to time.
6. If there are additional pathological signs: skin rash, fever, fever.
7. There was a sharp pain accompanied by deformation of the joints, restriction of their mobility.
8. Pain syndrome becomes a constant companion of a person.
9. Signs of inflammatory process appeared: redness of the skin, swelling, increase in local temperature in the affected area.

Already these signs are enough to make the decision to visit a doctor. Delaying the visit increases the patient's duration and complexity of therapy, as well as allows for the further development of pathology.

Different 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, according to the disease it causes, the pain is of the following nature:

• Sharp, sharp.Causes rupture of meniscus or ligaments, reactive arthritis, acute phase of bursitis;
• Boring, attractive.Bursitis or synovitis can provoke it;
• it hurts.This type of pain is characterized by arthrosis, gonarthrosis;
• Pulsating.The person feels this as a result of meniscus injury or deforming arthritic injury;

• Burning.Characterized by sciatic nerve as well as bone tuberculosis;
• Blow.It is caused by a cyst in the synovial bursa. And sharp pain is characteristic of osteoporosis, an old lesion of the meniscus;
• Drilling.It is caused by osteomyelitis;
• Periodic.Occurs when the patient develops inflammation of the tendons or muscles;
• Shoot through.This causes the nerve endings to stretch.

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 cramps in the knee joint, you should definitely get examined and start treatment.

Diagnosis involves the use of such procedures:

1. Blood and urine laboratory tests.
2. Blood chemistry.
3. Puncture of bone marrow and synovial fluid.
4. Smear for the presence of bacterial microflora.
5. Arthroscopy. This procedure is used for both diagnosis and treatment of joint pain. This is easy to do 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 or soreness in the leg area around the knee, first of all, he should provide the rest of the limb. Home treatment includes taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs.

Pain relief can be relieved with a cold compress. Cold is used as an analgesic method when the cause of the 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 cure. They should be taken only before a visit to the doctor.

Knee pain: medical treatment

So what to do if a joint cramp is heard and a strong discomfort is felt? You must first find out why these symptoms occur. One of the stages of therapy is drug treatment. So, with knee joint pain, you can quickly remove the severe symptoms with the help of such drugs:

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

Some pathologies require surgical treatment. If there is fluid in the knee joint cavity, it should be removed. The cyst can also be treated surgically or with glucocorticosteroid blockade.

If the joints hurt due to injury, then in some cases it is necessary to move the bones. A tight bandage, orthosis, and even plaster are applied to the affected joint. Treatment of the limb is necessary not only with the help of pills. Often the patient is instructed to wear or use special orthopedic devices to remove the load from the knee.

It is necessary to treat systemic pathologies in a complex way. In these cases knee pain should be treated with immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, glucocorticosteroids. Injections of drugs into the joint, chondroprotectors are used to eliminate the symptoms of gonarthrosis.

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage

If the knee joint hurts while standing, cramps are heard and discomfort bothers you even at night, physical exercises as well as massage sessions can help you to remove the heaviness and pain.

At the same time, gymnastics should be done unless the person is very sore and with the permission of a doctor. All exercises are performed slowly. You can not make sudden movements. If your knees hurt a lot, then you should switch to the simplest exercises. The weekly load may increase.

In a supine or sitting position you can do flexion and extension of the limbs, alternating half-turn, pulling the knees towards the stomach, moving the sides of the legs. After completing the set of exercises, you should relax, and then switch to massage. This procedure is also very effective in relieving pain.

A sore knee can be crushed on its own, but it will be better if it is done by a specialist. To get rid of most of the symptoms it is necessary to conduct a course of massage procedures, one session of which lasts no more than 20 minutes. Internal and external as well as lateral surfaces are glued, pressure is applied to the patella. During the procedure you should ensure that the person is not hurt.

How to treat knee joints at home?

Cramps in the knees, as well as pain that occurs at night, are an unpleasant event. Why these symptoms occur is already known. However, relieving pain and restoring normal joint function is possible not only with medication. You can do this at home, with the help of folk remedies.

Getting rid of the pathology quickly will not work. This way the knee should be treated 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 tablespoons of cynic herb, after which it should be allowed to boil. Drink the drug should be 100 ml twice a day. You can apply a cynic decoction on a sore knee as a compress for the night.
2. Oatmeal decoction can help you get rid of pain. To prepare it you need to take a liter of water and a glass of cereal. The mixture is boiled, after which it is left to boil overnight. During the day you should use 2 glasses of liquid, divide into several parts. Treatment of joints in this way takes 2 weeks.
3. To relieve discomfort and improve blood circulation to the injured area, you can compress grated potatoes and horseradish obtained in equal proportions. This will help you get rid of the pain quickly. Apply the compress on the injured knee and cover with a clean cloth. Rinse after 15 minutes. Only 10 procedures are enough to remove the unpleasant symptoms.
4. Mustard compress, which is applied to sore feet at night, also received good reviews. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of mustard, mix the same amount of honey and soda. For the morning, a compress will help relieve the strong discomfort.
5. If the knee joints hurt, bitter pepper tincture can be used as a dressing. Fill a half-liter jar with chopped peppers, then pour the alcohol on top of the container. You must insist on the remedy within a week.

You can do knee self-massage at home.

If you already know why the discomfort arose, then you can choose the appropriate folk therapies that will help in their removal. But before that you should consult a doctor.

Prevention of pathology

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

1. Reduce joint stress.
2. It is rational to combine rest and work.
3. Treat any infectious disease in the body in a timely manner.
4. Avoid hypothermia of the limbs.
5. After 35 years it is advisable to start taking chondroprotectors.
6. During sports, it is necessary to protect the joints with knee pads - special orthopedic devices to strengthen 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 included in the diet. Proper nutrition will not only help relieve discomfort but also improve joint function.