The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body.Systematic loads cause everyone to 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.
Structure of the knee joint.
The knee joint, the largest joint element in the human body, is constantly subject to sports injuries.Bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, menisci and periarticular capsules: if these parts are injured, they will surely generate 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 kneecap, located at the bottom 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 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 muscle group of the posterior femoral surface consists 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.Contracting the quadriceps muscle extends the lower leg and straightens the leg.
- The posterior femoral surface muscle group consists 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 “air bags” to provide cushioning between contacting bones.
The knee joint includes fiber-like ligaments consisting 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 advancing in relation to the femur.
- The function of the posterior cruciate ligament is to prevent posterior 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 attached to the top of the tibia via the hamstring tendon.
The nature of pain depending on location.
Pathological changes in the joint directly depend on the location of the pain.Pain, as an indicator, indicates discomfort and changes in the joint.
Namely:
- with arthritis, acute bursitis, meniscus tear, intense unbearable pain occurs;
- with initial bursitis and synovitis: tolerable but constant pain;
- gonarthrosis and osteoarthritis are accompanied by shooting pains;
- with degenerative arthrosis with deformation of the joints - vibratory pain;
- with bone tuberculosis and damage to the sciatic nerve, the pain is acute;
- injuries to the menisci, osteoporosis and inflammation of the synovial bursa are accompanied by stabbing pain in the knee joint;
- inflammation of the tendons and muscle tissue of the joint causes cramps;
- When the nerve roots are damaged, stabbing 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.
The sources can be very different:
- 50% of pain is associated with osteoarthritis, as a result of which hyaline cartilage is slowly destroyed.Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic and worsens only in the second stage.Due to the growth of osteophytes and their effect 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 osteoarthritis.Arthritis is characterized by severe pain, swelling, and redness of the knee.
- Pain can occur with osteochondritis, when joint cartilage becomes inflamed as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis or mechanical trauma.
- The result of obesity is usually periarthritis, which affects the tendons, muscles, and sometimes the lining of the joint.The disease is accompanied by persistent pain.
- With bursitis, inflammation of the synovial capsule occurs due to injury or complications of other diseases of the knee joint.
- With chondromatosis, nodules form in the area of hyaline cartilage, which subsequently spread throughout the joint.Soft tissues with a large number of nerve cells are pinched and pain occurs.
- Pain may appear with cellulitis if the foci of other concomitant diseases (purulent arthritis, soft tissue abscess) are located near the adipose 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 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, which is characterized by bacterial inflammation of the bone marrow.The disease can be the result of complications during operations or 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 treatment of the pathology.The most effective treatment is medication, since conservative therapy can help with the appearance of destructive changes in the body.If you do not consult a doctor in time, you will have to resort to surgical intervention.
Often knee pain starts suddenly and the person does not know how to behave in such a situation.If it is not possible to quickly 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 doing 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 wear a knee brace) to maintain the correction of the joint parts;
- Even if you get over the pain for several weeks after the injury, you should treat the injured limb with caution, move less, and give up vigorous activity.
To relieve pain in the knee joint, you can proceed with conservative treatment.The most common medications recommended by doctors are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in the form of gels, ointments and tablets.
Conservative treatment is usually complemented by physiotherapy procedures.Manual therapy is very effective, with which damage to ligaments, menisci and osteoarthritis can be cured in the initial stages.
In cases where conservative treatment of the knee joint is impossible, experts recommend surgical intervention.Ruptured ligaments, meniscus, fractures - these injuries are recovered through serious operations.
Diagnosis
Early diagnosis allows for successful treatment of diseases of the knee joints 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, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, blood tests for the presence of rheumatoid factor, and 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 fluid in the synovial bursa.
- In rheumatology.General laboratory tests are performed in the form of blood tests to detect the presence of rheumatoid protein, hematology and uric acid levels.DNA tests are used.
- In psychiatry and neurology.Ultrasound allows you to diagnose pinched muscles and nerves.For the so-called somatic pain in patients with mental disorders, a special examination is prescribed to detect the presence of mental illness.
Treatment of diseases of the knee joints.
Folk remedies
You can resort to traditional medicine after an accurate diagnosis and be sure to consult with your doctor.It is impossible to completely cure knee joint diseases with traditional methods, but traditional medicine will help relieve pain and inflammation and can also act as maintenance therapy.
Effective folk remedies are considered rubs and ointments:
- egg yolk ointment.The yolk is ground together with a tablespoon of turpentine and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.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 shake the infusion alternately).
It is used to rub before going to bed.The knee joints are also treated with compresses.
For this type of treatment, medicinal plants and vegetables are used:
- Rinse 7-8 burdock leaves thoroughly, dry, fold and press with a container of boiling water to release healing phytoncides.Then place the steamed leaves on a knee previously greased with vegetable oil, wrap it in plastic wrap and cover it with gauze or a soft cloth.The compress remains 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 cloth bag.The bag is placed over 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 soak the linen fabric well 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 must be carried out three times with 10-day breaks.
traditional medicine
Diseases of the knee joint have many common manifestations in the form of prolonged pain, difficulty in 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 osteoarthritis are treated with the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.During therapy, a prerequisite is the normalization of metabolism and the elimination of salts with the help of various medications, as well as the establishment of optimal acid-base balance.In the treatment of arthritis and osteoarthritis, the specialist's instructions must be followed to achieve a sustainable positive dynamic.
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 eliminate accumulated fluid and administer antibiotics.In severe cases, surgery is indicated.
Therapeutic measures for dystrophic lesions 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, injury and inflammation, helps maintain your health and protects you 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 injuries;
- correctly dose physical activity;
- maintain a normal body weight;
- observe diet and fluid intake;
- fight any infections in a timely manner;
- 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 destructive processes in joint tissues be prevented.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 proper diet and physical activity, it is possible to ensure healthy functioning of the joints and reliably guarantee the pleasure of movement and an active and full life.