Knee pain is a common symptom that everyone has experienced at least once.It may be one-off and occur after injury, overload, or unsuccessful exercise.Less commonly, it is pathological and results from inflammatory, degenerative and dystrophic processes in the knee joint, knee ligaments, adjacent bones or surrounding soft tissues.
The intensity and nature of pain can vary: from mild discomfort to debilitating, burning, sharp or cutting pain.Often, the pain is accompanied by other symptoms - soft tissue swelling, localized skin temperature increase, redness and swelling.If pain in the knee area bothers you periodically or lasts for more than 1-2 days, do not ignore the symptoms and seek help from your doctor.An orthopedic surgeon or traumatologist will perform a diagnosis, determine the cause of the pain and choose an appropriate treatment plan.
causes of knee pain
- Bruising occurs after a fall or blow to the knee, exudate accumulates outside or inside the joint capsule, and the skin soon takes on a characteristic reddish-blue tint;
- Sprains caused by excessive tension cause damage to muscles, ligaments, bursae, and popliteus muscles, are accompanied by the accumulation of exudates, and often lead to instability of the knee joint;
- Partial avulsion or complete rupture of ligaments due to strong external force, accompanied by long-term loss of limb stability and significant functional limitations
- A meniscal tear is the result of simultaneous bending and twisting of the knee, when the meniscus is partially or completely torn from the tibia;
- Cruciate ligament rupture, most commonly occurs during braking;
- Primary osteoarthritis - pathological wear and tear of articular cartilage, loss of elasticity and causing increased joint friction and persistent pain in the knee area;
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which immune cells attack the synovial membrane, gradually destroying joint cartilage and connective tissue;
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome refers to pain in the front of the knee joint that occurs due to overloading without any structural changes.
Types of knee pain
Knee pain is divided into groups according to the following criteria:
due to the occurrence of this incident
- Physiological – The body’s natural reaction to standing, sitting, or being in uncomfortable positions for long periods of time;
- Traumatic - the result of damage to the knee joint itself and adjacent tissues;
- Pathological - the result of knee joint inflammation, dystrophy or degenerative processes.
by frequency
- One-off - most often they are physiological, non-intensive, and resolve on their own within minutes or hours;
- Cyclic - associated with regularly repeated loading, as in professional athletes or in relapsing diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis;
- Chronic - They continually bother a person, most commonly occur with joint lesions, and worsen as the disease progresses.
by occurrence time
- Occurs only after movement, such as walking or squatting;
- It gets worse after trying to step on the foot;
- It is constantly disturbing regardless of physical activity and pressure on the injured leg.
diagnostic methods
When a patient complains of knee pain, doctors write down symptoms, specifying when the pain started, the injury, and other factors that contributed to the pain.To limit suspected joint pathologies and diseases, he examines them by palpation and checks mobility during the test.Experts make an accurate diagnosis after blood tests and hardware diagnostics such as radiography or magnetic resonance imaging:
Which doctor should I contact?
To diagnose the cause of knee pain, consult a rheumatologist or orthopedic surgeon.If the pain syndrome preceded the injury, make an appointment with a traumatologist.Depending on accompanying symptoms, consultation with a surgeon and neurologist may be necessary.
Knee pain treatment
The course of treatment for knee pain depends on its cause.Minor bruises and sprains can be treated with rest and the use of topical warming and healing ointments.For more serious injuries, it may be necessary to immobilize the limb with an orthosis or cast: in this case, in order to eliminate the pain, the patient will be prescribed pills or injected with painkillers.Treatment of joint diseases is comprehensive, using anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotective drugs and physical therapy procedures.
as a result of
After an injury, the prognosis depends on the severity of the injury.Generally speaking, recovery from bruises and sprains takes 1-2 weeks.Rehabilitation after a ligament rupture takes longer; the most unfavorable prognosis of a meniscal fracture is that knee instability may persist for a long time.
If joint diseases are not treated in time, they will lead to gradual destruction, deformation and loss of mobility of the joints.Often these changes are irreversible, and normal function of the joint cannot be restored if treatment is not initiated promptly.
Prevent knee pain
- If you feel uncomfortable standing or sitting for long periods of time, warm up regularly;
- Avoid overloading and knee injuries;
- To avoid hypothermia, wear warm pants in winter;
- Eat more foods containing vitamin D and phosphorus;
- Regular physical examinations by an orthopedic surgeon will not trigger any degenerative and inflammatory processes in the knee joint.