Pain in the knee (knee joint)

Knees are more susceptible to injury and various diseases than other joints.A significant part of orthopedist-traumatologist and rheumatologist patients complain of severe knee pain.From this article you will learn what to do if you suddenly experience severe pain.It is treated, the main thing is to seek medical help with problems in time. 

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The knee joint is the most complex joint, bearing the main load.Structure: Three bones (femur, tibia and patella) form a trochlear joint consisting of two mutual joints: FemoroTibial (Tibiofemoral) and Femoral-Patellofemoral (Patellofemoral).

The patella is a flat sesamoid (an accessory joint) bone attached to the head of the femur and acting as a block.Structural features: The anterior surface of the patella is covered with periosteum, the posterior surface connecting to the femur is covered with hyaline cartilage.The patella is strengthened by ligaments: main and lateral - vertical (up and down) and horizontal (lateral - internal and external).

It transmits the force of the quadriceps femoris muscles to the musculoskeletal formation of the lower leg, providing extension of the lower leg at the knee joint.The surface of the joint bones is covered with cartilage, which acts as a shock absorber.Additional shock absorbers that protect the joint from injury are the meniscus, two crescent-shaped incisions located between the femur and tibia.The joint is held in place by the ligaments, tendons and surrounding capsule.

Injuries and diseases affect different joint tissues.Not everyone can get sick.Thus, cartilage tissue does not have nerve endings and therefore can be destroyed painfully and painlessly.But ligaments and synovial membrane have many nerve endings, and in case of injury or inflammatory processes, they start to react immediately, which manifests itself in the form of severe pain.With significant destruction of the articular cartilage, pain can be associated with the involvement of the periosteum, the outer layer of the bone that is well innervated in this process.

What to do if you have severe knee pain

Severe knee pain can appear suddenly or develop gradually.In any case, it is often unbearable.If severe pain occurs, you should calm down and seek medical help immediately.All these can be treated, specialists will be able to help even with advanced disease.If you can't see a doctor right now, you can temporarily relieve your pain.

However, you should not forget that if there is pain in the knee joint, this is a temporary measure;You should still seek medical attention;You can't do without it.And it is better not to be late.

How to treat knee and leg pain at home

To relieve your condition with severe pain in the knee joint, you can take the following emergency measures:

• Treat the pain with tablets.
• Use external pain relievers (ointments, gels).
• Injections.If there is no effect from tablets and external agents, the drug is administered as an intramuscular or subcutaneous injection.

Many medicines can be bought at a pharmacy without a prescription.

For chronic pain in the knee joints, in the absence of significant inflammation, you can do physical exercises that strengthen the musculo-ligamentous system, improve blood circulation and metabolism.Systematic training leads to a gradual decrease in pain, despite the fact that the legs are quite brittle.

Approximate set of exercises for knee pain:

1. Fixed knee.Lie on your back, bend one leg at the knee, raise it and keep it in this position for a minute;At this moment, the second leg is motionless;Straighten and lower your leg very slowly, rest for 10 seconds and repeat the exercise with the other leg;Repeat 10 times;
2. Double leg bend with knees near face.Lie on your back, bend your legs at the hips and knees, bring the latter close to your face and hold for a minute.Then slowly straighten and lower your legs, rest for 10 seconds and repeat;5-6 approaches, gradually increasing the load.

Acute knee pain requires rest;All physical activity and training are contraindicated.

If there is a sharp pain in the knee joint, it is accompanied by swelling and redness of the skin, general condition disturbance, fever, you cannot move the leg, it should be kept at rest.Only after the inflammation subsides, you can first transfer to passive exercises (performed by an assistant), and then to active exercises (performed by the patient himself).

What to do if you have pain

For chronic pain, the following should not be allowed:

• Bruised Knee - You can prevent it by organizing your life in such a way as to minimize the risk of bruising;
• Excess body weight is an additional load on the knees, especially in the elderly;
• heavy physical activity, jumping, strength sports;You shouldn't run either;
• Any intoxicant, therefore it is necessary to get rid of bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse, focus on all chronic diseases and infections;
• wearing uncomfortable narrow shoes, high-heeled shoes;
• Stress, lack of sleep;
• Sedentary Relief - You need to force yourself to move at certain intervals.

It is also impossible to apply hot compresses without a doctor's prescription: In the case of education and hemorrhagic (non-articular bleeding) processes can cause irreparable damage.

When you need to see a doctor urgently

If your knee hurts, if the following symptoms appear, emergency medical help is required:

• swelling, redness and tenderness in the knee, combined with fever and general;
• severe pain in the knee immediately after an injury or after some time;
• gradual increase in pain intensity;
• physically followed by periodic pain, persistent, sharp straightening of the leg;
• night pain and associated insomnia;
• If the pain in the knee is very strong, constant, the inside of the patella hurts.

In any case, pain in the knee should be a reason to consult a doctor.There is no picture for yourself: it may temporarily reduce or even eliminate pain, but it will not stop the progression of the disease and the destruction of the joint.Treatment should be entrusted to a specialist.

What to do for severe pain in the knee of different types

Painful sensations in the knee can vary in nature and duration between people.They always have some pathological processes, sometimes pathological processes, etc.

Knee pain due to coronavirus and other viral diseases

Viral infections can cause joint inflammation.As a rule, these diseases develop against the background of an existing infection and transmit without any consequences after its completion.Thus, flu and other acute respiratory viral infections, acute arthritis with both short-term joint and muscle pain and knee stiffness, and swelling of the knee joints may appear.Their course is affordable.

The coronavirus infection has its own characteristics: it is different for each patient.It is not known why this happened.Pain in the joint, swelling and redness sometimes appear during the disease - a sign of acute arthritis, but then they go away.

Arthritis that begins a month after the infection of the coronavirus is more dangerous.The fact is that it has a significant effect on the immune system.Malfunctions of the immune system lead to the development of autoimmune processes.This is especially dangerous for people who have close relatives suffering from chronic arthritis.Experts say that such patients are at high risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA).The first symptom of RA is stiffness in the morning (difficulty bending the knee).

If arthritis appears after recovering from a viral infection, you should immediately contact a rheumatologist.

Severe pain under the knee

This may be a sign of the development of a baker's cyst - a fluid-filled synovial bursa in the popliteal region.A cyst under the knee and the associated pain is due to the cavity of the knee joint and appears to be filled with synovial fluid.In this case, fluid flows are difficult for various reasons.Most often, it develops against the background of cysts, bruises of the knee, arthrosis and arthritis.

A small cyst can be invisible for years.But with its significant size, the surrounding tissues begin to compress, causing pain under the knee with physical activity, including walking and running.Women get sick more often.Sometimes the cyst disappears on its own, but often it progresses in volume and can cause rupture or suppuration.

If you have pain in your knee, it is better to see a doctor as soon as possible.Conservative (fluid from the cyst, injection of glucocorticoids) and surgical (cyst removal) treatment is carried out.

Severe pain on the left or right side

Severe pain with swelling and redness of the skin on the right or left knee usually indicates the development of an acute inflammatory process.It can be non-acute non-specific arthritis (the process can turn into water), reactive arthritis that begins a few days after a urogenital or intestinal infection.Both diseases present with similar symptoms;A correct diagnosis can only be established after a complete examination.

The right or left knee can suffer from microtraumas, for example, in athletes or workers (usually right) in some occupations that use the knee more.

It is important not to use folk remedies in the early stages, but to carry out the correct treatment, this will allow you to completely recover and forget about the pain forever.But even with advanced diseases, a specialist will always be able to help and relieve pain.

Knee and leg pain

Depending on the cause of the disease, its course and the presence of complications, severe knee pain can be:

• In a splint below the knee- in rare cases, this can cause compression of the nerve branches that innervate the muscles of the lower leg in inflamed, swollen periarticular tissues;Pain under the knee in the back indicates compression of the branches of the sciatic nerve, and pain under the knee in the front indicates that the nerves innervating the front surface of the leg are affected;Such diseases are treated by a rheumatologist, but consultation with a neurologist is required;
• above the knee, into the thigh- is often a sign of a traumatic inflammatory process in the femoral-patellar joint;In this case, patellofemoral pain syndrome develops;The pain is strong, aching, sometimes aggravated by a mouse, walking;An orthopedist-traumatologist and a rheumatologist will help to cope with pain;
• from the side, from the inside- Pain can develop with injury and damage to the internal lateral research ligament;Pain in the side, hemarthrosis (with articular bleeding) - accompanied by explosion, explosion imbalance, all legs are intact when moving;The same pain seems to spread to the external collateral ligament;Help will be provided by an orthopedist-traumatologist.

In order to eliminate the pain, you need to determine its cause, and this cannot be done by yourself.Need medical help.

Pain in the back, front and side of the patella

Pain in the patella is almost always the result of acute or chronic injuries:

• Back knee pain- Causes are associated with damage to the femoral-patellar joint with the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome;Pain, persistent, constant, aggravated by walking;
• the front- Such painful sensations are caused by superficial caries of the knee or thick stays in the knees in the case of knees with frequent microtrauma;Periosteum, the periosteum rich in nerve endings, pain is significant as soon as it is injured;
• lateral knee painin case of rupture or injury of the horizontal internal or external patellar ligaments;Injury, for example, during jumping, for example, ligaments can often develop long-term microtrauma;accompanied by bleeding into the joint space (hemarthrosis);The pain is strong, constant, accompanied by swelling;Movements on the leg become worthless.

To prevent permanent dysfunction of the joint at the site of injury, you should immediately seek help from an orthopedic traumatologist.

Knee pain radiating to the leg, heel, groin

The causes of acute pain in the knee should be understood.It may be due to:

• femoral nerve entry;The pain is sharp, piercing in nature, begins sharply in the groin area, on the ground in front of the thigh and the front of the knee, can reach the inner edge of the foot and heel;Sometimes the patient gets the impression that the knee hurts, but this is not the case;
• Arthritis of various origins (gonarthritis), swelling of the joint leads to the nerves and the radiating part of acute pain from the groin and heel to the heel;In this case, an aching pain is felt in the knees at the moment, which turns into a sharp pain above and below with sharp pains with sudden movements;
• bruise accompanied by hemarthrosis, ligament rupture, severe swelling and compression of nerves;
• Fracture or dislocation of the patella, bruising and joint instability;Sharp pain in the knee, shin, bottom, along the inner surface under the heel extends to the groin.

Severe knee pain of this nature requires immediate medical attention.No folk remedies will help, you need to call an ambulance.

Knee pain during extension and flexion

Pain in the knee during most flexion and extension, as well as squat tendonitis, is an inflammatory process in the area of the tendon-ligament apparatus of the knee joint.It mainly develops in young people involved in sports and is the result of repeated microtraumas associated with jumping and constant shaking of the limbs.The first sign is the inability to straighten the knee.

The cause of painful flexion and extension of the knee can also be arthrosis - degenerative-dystrophic changes in the joint that interfere with movement and the growth of bone tissue.

Only the treatment of tendinitis or arthrosis helps to relieve the patient from severe pain in the knee when the knee is bent and extended.

Severe knee pain at night

Night pain is characteristic of inflammatory processes.This hidden arthritis can be a periodically inflamed knee joint due to arthrosis (arthrosis-arthritis).During sleep, joint and periarticular tissues warm up, blood vessels expand, which increases swelling.

The periarch tissues swell, compress the nerve endings, and pain develops.If at the same time there is pain behind the knee, this may be a sign of a baker's cyst.How to get rid of swelling and night pain?Treatment of the underlying disease helps.

Knee pain when walking

Moving, jogging, jogging, pain under the knee is characteristic of degenerative-dystrogenic processes in knee arthrosis.The periosteum, which is well innervated, suffers.Knee pain when going down stairs is also very common.After exercise, patients, pain in the knee continues to hurt for a while.Over time, pain appears in the leg.

Long-term rehabilitation treatment with the use of chondunopotectors - drugs that restore cartilage tissue will help.In case of joint destruction - endoprosthetics.

Pain after exercise - squats, running, weight lifting

This indicates the long-term microtrauma of the knee joints and the gradual formation of degenerative-dystrophic processes in them.Sometimes the pain appears in one right or left knee.Mergers crisis.

If there is severe pain in the knee after training, then the athlete needs rehabilitation treatment.Otherwise, there will be a gradual decrease in joint function, first accompanied by periodic and then constant pain.

Knee pain and cramping

Sharp, knee and creaking) sharp, sudden pain (snapping) a tear of the meniscus - broken pads of the spark in the knee joint.This can be the result of injury or age-related wear and tear of cartilage structures.

Severe joint pain may go away, but knee pain, followed by muscle dysfunction, will gradually increase, first with pain during exercise, and worse when walking down stairs.Over time, all limbs, including the leg, are pulled and compressed.Long-term rehabilitation treatment under the supervision of an orthopedist-traumatologist helps.

Knee pain and swelling

Pain accompanied by swelling always indicates the presence of an inflammatory process.It can be aseptic (infection, usually after injury), infectious, infectious-allergic and autoimmune (with an allergy to its own tissues).

To get rid of such pain, it is necessary to determine their causes and carry out the treatment prescribed by a specialist.

Injuries and diseases that cause knee pain

The most common pathologies accompanied by knee pain:

1. Closed and open knee injuries with internal fractures, dislocations, meniscus tears.All of them lead to the development of inflammatory processes (arthritis), which then turn into degenerative-dystrophic processes (arthrosis) with the formation of constant pain and dysfunction.This is the most common cause of knee pain.Athletes are at risk.Even a small injury to the knee can cause the destruction of joint tissue cells, which leads to the development of an inflammatory process.With significant injuries, all these processes are pronounced and accompanied by long pain.The instability of the knee, which develops when the ligament apparatus is damaged, is of great importance.Over time, instability increases, nearby tissues are injured, which causes pain in the middle of the knee, especially when going down stairs.In the absence of proper treatment, the process can be complicated by infection, threaten the patient's life, or become chronic with the gradual progression and destruction of partners accompanied by severe pain.
2. Arthritis of the knee joint is an inflammatory process of various origins, accompanied by an increase in body temperature and discomfort in the general condition of the patient.Patients complain of constant pain in the knee.The disease can be infectious, infectious-allergic, autoimmune, metabolic in nature.The inflammatory process occurs differently depending on the cause (purulent, rheumatoid, psoriatic, gout and other arthritis).Sometimes arthritis can be complicated by a baker's cyst located in the popliteal region.Then there is pain behind the knee.Only adequate treatment prescribed by a traumatologist or rheumatologist will save you from joint destruction and disability.
3. Knee joint arthrosis is a degenerative-dystrophic process of the joint that develops after injuries, acute and chronic inflammatory processes, and against the background of age-related metabolic disorders in elderly people.Destruction or thinning of cartilage shock-absorbing tissue (the layer of cartilage that covers the meniscus and the articular surfaces of bones).Co-destruction is progressing slowly but steadily.I am worried about pain and cramping when moving.As you age, this is the leading cause of knee pain.The bones rub against each other, the structure is destroyed, the joint is deformed, all this is accompanied by severe pain.
4. Cysts and tumors.

How to treat severe knee pain

Knee injuries and diseases often lead to the development of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), pain in the front of the knee joint.Joint changes gradually contribute to the development of patellar cartilage, joint instability and constant severe pain in the knees.Only a course of rehabilitation treatment prescribed by a qualified specialist can help.

Diagnostics

Knee pain has different causes and requires an individual approach to treatment.First, it is necessary to make a correct diagnosis, and this will require an examination in a clinic.And only after that is the prescribed treatment for knee pain.

Some diseases cannot be completely cured, but the doctor can relieve the pain and stop the destruction of the joint.

The following examination is performed to establish the causes of pain and diagnose the disease:

• Laboratory tests- Clinical, biochemical, immunological blood test
• Instrumental studies: Ultrasound- Reveals the pathology of soft tissues and the volume of besar-articular fluid radiography- changes in the bone tissue of the knee; CT and MRI- more detailed examination of the pathology of soft and hard tissues; Diagnostic arthroscopy- Appearance and changes in the synovial membrane of the knee.

Ways to treat severe knee pain

Treatment measures are determined individually.Pain associated with a knee injury is treated by an orthopedic traumatologist;If the disease is chronic, you should consult a rheumatologist.If there is a suspicion of an inflammatory process, then a surgeon will be able to better deal with the disease.All chronic inflammatory processes in joints are treated by a rheumatologist, but special infectious processes, for example, knee tuberculosis, are treated by another specialist who is in close contact with a rheumatologist.

First of all, for this purpose, both drug therapy and modern drugs for knee pain, ointments, massage, massage, therapeutic exercises, reflexology courses and other traditional methods, which are used for folk treatment, try to eliminate the pain as much as possible.Various immobilization methods are used to reduce the joint load and create rest (splitting, shlints), as well as the joint is fixed using special adhesive tapes.

For all acute joint pain, an emergency examination of the patient is carried out simultaneously with anesthesia.All modern and traditional methods of pain therapy are used in treatment.After that, according to the indications, the patient is either hospitalized or a course of outpatient treatment followed by rehabilitation.No patient remains pain free in the attention of specialists.