The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body.Systematic loads make every person 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.
Knee joint structure
Being the largest joint element in the human body, the knee joint is constantly subject to sports injuries.Bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, menisci and periarticular capsules - if these parts are injured, they will certainly cause knee pain.
The composition of the bones of the knee joint includes:
- shin (tibia).This is the main weight-bearing bone connected to the bottom of the femur;
- the femur (femur), which is the longest and strongest bone and is connected to the kneecap and tibia;
- the patella, located in the lower part 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 movement with each other, eliminating friction and knee pain.
The muscles of the knee joint include the muscles of the back of the thigh and the quadriceps muscle:
- The group of muscles on the posterior femoral surface is made up 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 leg is extended and the leg is straightened.
- The muscle group of the posterior femoral surface is made up of three muscles, the contraction of which contributes to leg flexion.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 made up 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 in relation to the femur.
- The role of the posterior cruciate ligament is to prevent further movement of the tibia in relation 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 the internal collateral ligament, which stabilizes the joint and prevents unwanted movement.
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 connected to the upper part of the tibia through the hamstring tendon.
The nature of the pain depending on the location
Pathological changes in the joint directly depend on the location of the pain.Pain, as an indicator, signals discomfort and changes in the joint.
Namely:
- with arthritis, acute bursitis, meniscal rupture, intense and excruciating pain occurs;
- with initial bursitis and synovitis - tolerable but constant pain;
- gonarthrosis and arthrosis are accompanied by sharp pain;
- with degenerative arthrosis with joint deformation - vibrating pain;
- in bone tuberculosis and sciatic nerve damage, the pain is sharp;
- injuries to the menisci, osteoporosis, inflammation of the synovial bag are accompanied by sharp pain in the knee joint;
- inflammation in the tendons and muscle tissue of the joint causes cramps;
- when the nerve roots are damaged, sharp 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.
Fonts can be very different:
- 50% of painful conditions are associated with osteoarthritis, as a result of the slow destruction of hyaline cartilage.Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic, only worsening in the second stage.Due to the growth of osteophytes and their impact on the nerves of the joint, unpleasant sensations may arise.
- 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 in the knee.
- Pain can occur in osteochondritis, when the articular cartilage becomes inflamed as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis 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 dull pain.
- In bursitis, inflammation of the synovial capsule occurs due to injuries or complications from other diseases of the knee joint.
- In chondromatosis, nodules form in the hyaline cartilage area, which subsequently spread throughout the joint.Soft tissues with a large number of nerve cells are compressed 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.
- In 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 elderly people over fifty-five years of age.At a young age, the disease can occur due to serious injuries.
- The pain occurs due to osteomelitis, 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 a lot
Once the causes of joint pain have been identified, it is necessary to begin treating the pathology.The most effective treatment is medication, as conservative therapy can help with the appearance of destructive changes in the body.If you do not consult a doctor in a timely manner, you will 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 immediately contact a specialist, urgent measures must be taken 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, it is necessary 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 start exercises to restore joint flexibility.A short massage (5-10 minutes) is possible;
- to combat pain after an impact on the knee, it is necessary to loosely wrap it with an elastic bandage (or use a knee brace) to maintain the correction of the joint parts;
- Even if you overcome the pain for several weeks after the injury, you should treat the injured limb with caution, move less, and abandon vigorous activities.
To relieve pain in the knee joint, you can proceed with conservative treatment.The most common medications recommended by doctors are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the form of gels, ointments and tablets.
Conservative treatment is often complemented by physiotherapeutic procedures.Manual therapy is very effective, with which you can cure damage to ligaments, menisci and arthrosis in the early stages.
In cases where conservative treatment of the knee joint is impossible, experts recommend surgical intervention.Rupture of ligaments, menisci, fractures - these injuries are restored with the help of serious operations.
Diagnosis
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 determine the direction of examination and referral to a specialist.
Pain sensations are studied in several directions:
- In surgery.Computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, a 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 biopsy of fluid in the synovial bag.
- In rheumatology.General laboratory tests are carried out in the form of a blood test to detect rheumatoid protein, hematology and uric acid levels.DNA tests are used.
- In psychiatry and neurology.Ultrasound allows you to diagnose compressed muscles and nerves.For so-called somatic pain in patients with mental disorders, a special examination for the presence of mental illness is prescribed.
Treatment of knee joint diseases
Folk remedies
You can turn to traditional medicine after an accurate diagnosis and consult your doctor.It is impossible to completely cure knee joint diseases with traditional methods, but traditional medicine helps to relieve 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 spoonful of turpentine and a spoonful 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 shake the infusion alternately).
Used for rubbing before bed.Knee joints are also treated with compresses.
For this type of treatment, medicinal plants and vegetables are used:
- Rinse 7-8 burdock leaves well, dry, fold and press with a bowl of boiling water to release healing phytoncides.Then place the steamed leaves on a knee previously greased with vegetable oil, wrap in plastic wrap and cover 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 must remember to prepare new bag contents every day.
- To relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process in the knee, celandine is used.It is necessary to soak the linen fabric well with the juice of the plant, wrap it around the knee and cover it with film.The compress must be kept for about 50 minutes, after which the knee must be treated with sunflower oil.The weekly procedure must be carried out three times at 10-day intervals.
Traditional medicine
Knee joint diseases have many common manifestations in the form of long-lasting pain, difficulty moving, swelling, deformation and inflammation of the knee.Arthritis, osteoarthritis 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 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 ideal 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.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 injuries 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
Preventing diseases of the knee joint allows you to avoid wear, injuries, inflammation, helps maintain health and protects 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 diseases of the knee joints:
- follow safety rules to avoid knee injuries;
- 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 diseases.
If there is a systemic disease that affects the functioning of the knee joint, the ideal preventive measure will be its timely and adequate treatment.Only in this way can destructive processes in joint tissues be avoided.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 guarantee the joy of movement and an active, full life.