The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body.Systemic loads cause every person to experience dull, aching, sharp and sometimes excruciating joint pain at least once in their life.It can happen when you walk and move the knee, and it can also be a constant discomfort.The nature of pain in the knee joint and the sources of its occurrence are very different.
The 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 knee pain.
The composition of the bones of the knee joint includes:
- shin (tibia).This is the main weight-bearing bone attached to the lower part of the femur;
- femur (femur), which is the longest and strongest bone and is connected to the kneecap and tibia;
- patella, located at the bottom of the thigh.Together with the femur it forms the patellofemoral joint.
The junction of the femur and 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 back surface of the femur consists of four heads located in its front part.These are rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis and vastus intermedius.They are attached to the joints by tendons.By contracting the quadriceps muscle, the lower leg is extended and the leg straightened.
- The group of muscles of the back surface of the femur consists of three muscles, the contraction of which contributes to the bending 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 causes less friction because it is strong and flexible.
- The medial and lateral menisci are cartilaginous structures that act as "air cushions" to provide cushioning between the bones in contact.
The knee joint includes ligaments in the form of fibers composed of connective tissue.
Ligaments connect bones to each other:
- The tibia and femur are connected by the anterior cruciate ligament.It helps prevent the tibia from moving forward relative to the femur.
- The role of the posterior cruciate 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 lower inner edge of the femur is connected to the upper inner edge of the tibia by means of the internal collateral ligament, which stabilizes the joint and prevents unwanted movements.
Tendons join 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 upper part of the tibia through the cartilage tendon.
The nature of the pain depending on the location
Pathological changes in the joints directly depend on the location of the pain.Pain, as an indicator, signals discomfort and changes in the joint.
Namely:
- with arthritis, acute bursitis, rupture of the meniscus, severe excruciating pains appear;
- with initial bursitis and synovitis - tolerable but persistent pain;
- gonarthrosis and arthrosis are accompanied by tightening pain;
- with degenerative arthrosis with joint deformation - vibrating pain;
- with bone tuberculosis and damage to the sciatic nerve, the pain is acute;
- meniscus injuries, osteoporosis, inflammation of the synovial bursa are accompanied by stabbing pain in the knee joint;
- inflammation in the tendons and muscle tissue of the joint causes cramping pain;
- when nerve roots are damaged, shooting pain appears.
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.
The 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, it worsens only in the second stage.Due to the growth of osteophytes and their influence 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 articular cartilage becomes inflamed as a result of degenerative arthrosis or mechanical trauma.
- The result of obesity is often periarthritis, which affects the tendons, muscles and sometimes the lining of the joint.The disease is accompanied by annoying pain.
- With bursitis, inflammation of the synovial capsule occurs due to damage or complications of other diseases of the knee joint.
- With chondromatosis, nodules form in the area of hyaline cartilage, which then spread throughout the joint.Soft tissues with a large number of nerve cells are pinched and pain appears.
- Pain can appear with cellulite if foci of other accompanying diseases (purulent arthritis, soft tissue abscess) are located near 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 the elderly over the age of fifty-five.At a young age, the disease can occur due to serious injuries.
- The pain occurs due to osteomyelitis, 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 the knee joint hurts a lot
Once you have identified the causes of joint pain, it is necessary to start treating the pathology.The most effective treatment is medication, as conservative therapy can help initiate destructive changes in the body.If you do not go to the doctor at the right time, you should go 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 immediately 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 the knee;
- for swelling, you should 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 start exercises to restore the flexibility of the joints.A short massage (5-10 minutes) is possible;
- to combat pain after a knee strike, you should wrap it loosely with an elastic bandage (or use a knee brace) to maintain the correctness of the joint parts;
- Even if you overcome the pain for several weeks after the injury, you should treat the injured limb with care, move less and give up vigorous activity.
To relieve pain in the knee joint, you can continue with 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 injuries of 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.
Diagnosing
Early diagnosis allows successful treatment of knee joint diseases and eliminates the risk of developing serious processes.An initial consultation with a therapist will help determine the direction of the 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 the fluid in the synovial bursa.
- In rheumatology.General laboratory tests are performed in the form of a blood test for the presence of rheumatoid proteins, hematology and uric acid levels.DNA test is used.
- In psychiatry and neurology.Ultrasound allows you to diagnose tight 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 your doctor.It is impossible to completely cure diseases of the knee joint using traditional methods, but traditional medicine will help relieve pain and inflammation, and can act as maintenance therapy.
Rubbing and ointments are considered effective folk remedies:
- ointment with egg yolk.The yolk is ground together with a spoonful of turpentine and a tablespoonful of apple cider vinegar.It helps relieve joint pain and inflammation;
- 300 g of horse chestnut seeds are crushed and placed in a bottle of vodka.This mixture is infused for two weeks (it is necessary to alternately shake the infusion).
It is used for rubbing before sleep.Knee joints are also treated with compresses.
Medicinal plants and vegetables are used for this type of treatment:
- Thoroughly rinse 7-8 burdock leaves, wipe dry, fold and press with a pot of boiling water to release the healing phytoncides.Then put the steamed leaves on a knee previously smeared 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.Put the puree in a natural cloth bag.The bag is placed on the knee and left overnight.The treatment is carried out within a week.You must 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 completely soak the linen fabric with the juice of the plant, wrap it around the knee and cover it with a film.The compress should be kept for about 50 minutes, after which the knee should be treated with sunflower oil.The weekly procedure should be performed three times with 10-day breaks.
Traditional medicine
Diseases of the knee joint have many common manifestations in the form of long-term pain, difficulty in movement, swelling, deformity 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 non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.During the therapy, the prerequisite is the normalization of the metabolism and the removal of salts with the help of a series 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 a stable positive dynamic.
The treatment of tendonitis and bursitis is aimed at anti-inflammatory therapy and creating a resting position for the affected limb.To eliminate the pain, a puncture of the joint capsule is performed to remove the accumulated fluid and administer antibiotics.In severe cases, surgery is indicated.
Therapeutic measures for dystrophic lesions of the knee joint (meniscopathy, tendinopathy, chondropathy) aim to relieve knee pain, treat and restore 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, damage, 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 should be taken to protect against knee joint diseases:
- follow safety rules to avoid knee injury;
- Correctly dose physical activity;
- maintain normal body weight;
- monitor diet and fluid intake;
- fight any infection at the right time;
- 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 the destructive processes in joint tissues be prevented.With complex therapy of knee joint diseases, the use of anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises and other therapeutic and health technologies, as well as following the right diet and physical activity, it is possible to ensure the healthy functioning of the joints and ensure the joy of movement and an active and fulfilling life.