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

The knee joint is one of the largest and most complex. Every day he is subjected to a huge load, so it is not surprising that he periodically ceases to function normally. If your knees hurt, their swelling is noticeable and the pain is almost constant, then you should definitely consult a doctor. Such a pathological condition can be a signal for the development of one of the diseases that deform the joint. Of course, you need to learn to distinguish between situations where a visit to the doctor is very necessary. But lack of treatment or self-medication 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 articulation consists of the femur, tibia and patella. The two largest bones have two protrusions: internal and external condyles.

All surfaces that come into contact with each other are covered with hyaline cartilage. Thanks to it, the mobility of the knee joint and its cushioning properties are ensured. 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 not only of bones. All its elements are united by cruciate and collateral ligaments, thigh muscles, tendons. The knee cap is attached to other elements by its own ligament. 6 synovial sacs are needed to move the knee. Nutrition and innervation of the presented joint is carried out through nerves and blood vessels, which are located in the soft tissues around the joint.

Knee pain: causes

If the knee begins to hurt, swelling occurs, 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 completely heal the knee. However, it will be possible to stop or slow down its development.

So, we can distinguish such causes of knee pain:

• gonarthrosis.It occurs in almost 50% of all cases of joint damage. The pathology develops for a very long time. Among the symptoms of this disease can be distinguished the following: the knee does not hurt at rest, but it becomes difficult for a person to climb stairs, walk for a long time, squat and get up from his feet. During movement, the patient hears a crunch in the knee, his mobility decreases. Over time, due to the wear and tear of cartilage, the distance between the bone surfaces decreases. In this case, osteophytes appear, nerves and blood vessels are compressed, and the knee itself is deformed;

• meniscopathy, as well as the formation of meniscus cysts. Most often, only one knee hurts. The cause of the pathology may be a single injury or periodic damage to the joint. During exacerbation the pain is sharp, throbbing, sharp, strong. In this disease, the deformation of the joint is not threatened, but the inflammation can affect the synovial sacs;
• circulatory problems (necrosis).This disrupts the nutrition of the knee. This condition is most common in adolescents. They have very fast bone growth, which is a little difficult to nourish. If initially the pain in the knee joint is strong enough, after some time its intensity decreases. The pain is usually localized at one point and does not spread to the entire knee. Discomfort may be exacerbated by hypothermia;
• arthritis.This is an inflammatory pathology of the knee that 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 becomes red. The 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 overweight, old age, weakness of the immune system;
• bursitis.This is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial sacs of the knee. Typical 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 reason for the development of the pathology is trauma, excessive physical activity. The knee not only hurts very much, a person develops general weakness and malaise;
• synovitisHere the inflammation affects the synovial membrane of the knee joint. At the same time there is swelling and burning pain in the articulation;
• periarthritis.This disease is more commonly diagnosed in overweight women who are already 40 years old. At the same time there is discomfort when climbing stairs, when straightening the legs. The pathological process affects the tendons, ligaments and muscles, the joint capsule. The pain is painful, swelling appears in the limb;
• chondromatosis.This disease is characterized by the formation of small nodules of cartilage that are located in the shell of the joint bag. At the same time there is dehydration of the joint, its mobility is limited, there is a crunch when moving. Because the soft tissues are pinched, the patient experiences severe pain;
• chondromalacia patella.Here the cartilage undergoes degenerative changes: it simply dies. The reasons for this pathological condition are trivial: knee injury, peculiarities of some professions. At the same time the knee hurts a lot, the discomfort becomes more pronounced with each movement. Squeaking and cracking can be heard very well in the left or right knee. One can practically not stand on the affected limb;
• bone tumor.Knee pain occurs due to the growth of a neoplasm that compresses soft tissues with nerves and blood vessels;
• Baker's cyst. This is a small hernia that can occur in young people and children from 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 cause discomfort. However, if it grows, then the joint can hurt, especially when bending and straightening the leg. If the hernia is large, then surgery is performed to remove it;
• knee tendinitis.This is an inflammation of the tendons in the knee area that cannot perform their functions normally. Almost everyone is affected by the disease. The pain is usually painful and the affected area responds to changes over time;

• osteochondritis of the knee.This is where the cartilage peels off the joint surface. At first the knee does not hurt much, but over time its intensity increases and the 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 the movement becomes difficult, there is a slight pain. With the 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 ensures the formation of bumps in the knees. The disease is most often diagnosed in boys, as well as in people who play sports. The pain is sharp, intensified by bending and straightening the legs.

These reasons are the main, but not the only ones. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account other factors due to the influence of which there is pain in the knee.

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 in the muscles and soft tissues, but can also be given to nearby joints. The inflammatory process does not develop. In addition to pain in the knee joint, a person feels stiffness in movements, fatigue, may experience convulsions.
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 pinched by the vertebrae of the lumbosacral spine. Severe throbbing pain may 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:

• gout.The presented disease occurs due to a violation of the metabolism of uric acid in the body. It is badly removed from 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. The pathology is more common in men who abuse alcohol and eat improperly. In the affected area, the skin becomes red and the knee joint hurts more at night. The duration of the attack varies from a few days to a few weeks;
• osteoporosis.The pathology is associated with low bone density due to its improper formation. Knee 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. It begins its active development by reducing the body's protective functions. Manifested by a feeling of stiffness that one may feel after a long stay at rest;
• osteomyelitis.The presented bacterial pathology causes quite severe pain of a dull nature. In the area of the affected joint, the skin becomes red and the discomfort increases with each movement. The danger of this disease is that its consequence is the beginning 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, the bone tissue is formed incorrectly, so that the spine begins to deform. In this pathology, the tubular bones are affected, which subsequently become very fragile. Recognizing this disease is quite difficult, as the symptoms may not appear. The only thing that can indicate the presence of pathology is that the diseased knee hurts at night and warmth is felt at the site of the lesion.

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

Trauma as a cause of pain syndrome

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

1. Torn, torn or torn ligaments in the knee.These injuries lead to the appearance of the articulation syndrome "progress". In addition, the person experiences severe pain, develops hemarthrosis of the joint, which becomes unstable.
2. injury.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. Rupture of the meniscus.This causes a strong blow to the front of the knee joint. After the acute period of pathology, the pain syndrome usually worries the patient when climbing stairs, which is quite difficult to perform. There is a slight swelling in the knee joint.
4. Fracture.Occurs when falling from a great height or a strong impact effect. The pain is strong, sharp, swelling appears in the affected area, the skin turns pale. The victim cannot stand on his injured leg. Crunching and cracking can be heard during a fracture and the bone may pierce the skin.
5. Tendon rupture.This injury is not common, but leads first to acute and then to painful pain. When walking, the pain in the left or right knee increases.
6. Knee sprain.In this case, some of the components of the joint may come out of it.

Trauma can cause chronic illness.

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

Who is at risk

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

1. The presence of primary pathologies.
2. genetic predisposition.
3. Constant sports overload of the knee.
4. Overweight.
5. injury.
6. I had knee surgery.
7. Insufficiently good development of the muscular apparatus of the knee joint.

In addition, women are more susceptible to knee diseases, as well as the elderly and the elderly.

In what cases it is necessary to consult a doctor

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

1. For more than two months, the patient has experienced pain that prevents him from sleeping peacefully at night.
2. If the pain syndrome is characterized by high intensity, it appears suddenly.
3. A squeak is heard in the knee joint when walking.
4. The knees hurt every day and at certain times, under certain conditions.
5. Instability is felt in the knee joint from time to time.
6. In the presence of additional pathological signs: skin rash, fever, fever.
7. Painful pain appeared, which was accompanied by deformation of the joints, limiting their mobility.
8. The pain syndrome becomes a constant companion of a person.
9. Signs of an inflammatory process appeared: reddening of the skin, swelling, increased local temperature in the affected area.

These signs are already enough to decide to visit a doctor. By delaying the visit, the patient increases the duration and complexity of 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 the pain may be different. For example, depending on the disease that caused it, the pain is as follows:

• sharp, sharp.Causes rupture of the meniscus or ligaments, reactive arthritis, acute phase of bursitis;
• dull, pulling.Bursitis or synovitis can provoke it;
• pain.This type of pain is characteristic of osteoarthritis, gonarthrosis;
• pulsating.One feels it with an injury to the meniscus or as a result of a lesion with deforming arthrosis;

• burning.It is characteristic of sciatica, as well as tuberculosis of the bones;
• stabbing.It is caused by a cyst in the synovial bursa. And the stabbing pain is characteristic of osteoporosis, an old injury to the menisci;
• drilling.It is caused by osteomyelitis;
• periodically.Occurs when the patient develops inflammation of the tendons or muscles;
• shooting through.Causes pinching of nerve endings.

Diagnosis of pathology and first aid

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

Diagnosis includes the use of such procedures:

1. Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
2. Blood chemistry.
3. Bone marrow puncture and synovial fluid.
4. Smears for the presence of bacterial microflora.
5. Arthroscopy. This procedure is used for both diagnosis and treatment of joint pain. It 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 pulling pain in the leg in the knee area, in the first place, he should provide the rest of the limb. Home treatment involves taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs.

The pain can be relieved with a cold compress. Cold is used as a method to relieve pain when the cause of the pain is trauma. The limb is immobilized and placed on a hill. When there are wounds in the articulation 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 you hear a crunch in the joint and feel severe discomfort? You must first understand why these symptoms occur. One of the stages of therapy is drug treatment. So, with pain in the knee joint, you can quickly eliminate 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 knee joint, it should be removed. The cyst can also be treated with surgery or glucocorticosteroid blockade.

If the joints hurt due to injury, then in some cases it is necessary to reposition the bones. A tight bandage, orthosis and even plaster are applied to the affected joint. It is necessary to treat a limb not only with the help of pills. The patient is often instructed to wear or use special orthopedic devices so that the load can be removed from the knee.

Complex treatment of systemic pathologies is needed. Knee pain in these cases 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 when straightening, you hear a crunch and the discomfort bothers you even at night, exercise and massage sessions will help you get rid of stiffness and relieve pain.

At the same time, gymnastics should be done if the person is not very sore and with the permission of the doctor. All exercises are performed slowly. You cannot make sudden movements. If your knees are very sore, then you need to move on to the simplest exercises. The weekly load may increase.

In a lying or sitting position you can do bending and unfolding of the limbs, alternating half-turns, pulling the knees to the abdomen, moving the legs to the side. After completing a set of exercises, you should relax and then move on to a massage. This procedure is also very effective in relieving pain.

Sick knees can knead, rub themselves, but it would be better if this is done by a specialist. To get rid of most of the symptoms, you need to perform a course of massage procedures, one session of which lasts no more than 20 minutes. Friction is performed on the inner and outer, as well as the side surfaces, pressure on the patella. During the procedure you need to make sure that the face does not hurt.

How to treat knee joints at home?

Crunching in the knees, as well as pain that occurs at night, is an unpleasant phenomenon. Why these symptoms occur is already known. However, it is possible to relieve pain and restore normal joint function 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 you should treat the knee for at least two months. In addition, you need to find really effective products that have good reviews.

The following recipes can be useful:

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

You can do a self-massage of the knee at home.

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

Prevention of pathology

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

1. Reduce tension in the joints.
2. It is rational to combine rest and work.
3. Treat all infectious diseases in the body in a timely manner.
4. Avoid hypothermia of the limbs.
5. After 35 years, it is recommended that you start taking chondroprotectors.
6. During sports it is necessary to protect the joints with knee pads - 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 animal saturated fats, white bread, pastries. More fiber, vegetable oils, vegetables and fruits should be included in the diet. Proper nutrition will not only help relieve discomfort, but will also improve joint function.