How to get rid of pain in the knee joints? Pain in the knee joint - how to treat it at home When your knee hurts, what to do, how to treat it

Pain, creaking and heaviness in the knees cause a lot of inconvenience. The article describes how to get rid of pain, lumps and heaviness in your knees.

Before using traditional methods, it is necessary to consult a doctor, perform an ultrasound scan and an accurate diagnosis. Performing procedures is permitted with the consent of the doctor. The steps can be performed by anyone at home.

Before treatment, an accurate diagnosis and ultrasound examination are needed. You should not start treatment without consulting a doctor. Various joint diseases and dislocations are known, detected by ultrasound, and types of their treatment. The main diseases are:

  • Arthritis;
  • Arthrosis;
  • Rheumatism;
  • Gout;
  • Becker's cyst;
  • Tendinitis;
  • Osteochondrosis;
  • Synovitis;
  • Dislocation of the kneecap.

Eliminating the causes of the disease

For any disease there is a presumptive cause. The knees are most often subject to overload during physical activity and training. Sometimes the reason is associated with obesity, excess weight, which puts additional stress on the legs. Failure of the hormonal system or metabolism can have a bad effect on the joints. Often trauma provokes the appearance of diseases. Less commonly, the cause of the disease is heredity, when you just need to start treatment.

To understand how to treat knees, it is shown to get rid of the cause of the disease. It is imperative to get rid of additional kilograms of excess weight, reduce activity and stress on the leg. Excessive alcohol consumption is prohibited.

Relieving inflammation

If a person’s illness is accompanied by inflammation, the abscess must be removed before treating the hip. If the joints are burning, the tendons are pulled from behind, the symptoms indicate inflammation. The types of treatment are suitable for patients diagnosed with arthritis, arthrosis, Becker cyst, osteochondrosis, relieving the joint from pain and discomfort.

If the hip joints are burning, it is necessary to eliminate the inflammation. It is suggested to use drugs or ointments (Diclofenac, Ibuprofen), but the use of drugs is fraught with consequences. Traditional methods will help get rid of inflammation without side effects.

Food and healthy foods to relieve inflammation:

  1. To get rid of inflammation, it is necessary to strengthen the bones and cleanse the blood vessels. Cod liver will help. Fish oils have a positive effect on blood vessels.
  2. Use less salt, it is better to completely abandon the seasoning.
  3. Dishes with the addition of nettle accelerate and cleanse the blood, improving metabolic processes, speeding up recovery.
  4. Jellied meat and chicken cartilage will help restore joints naturally.
  5. Herbal teas and decoctions will help relieve inflammation; celery tea is considered effective. The product effectively fights inflammation. Drinking celery tea daily will help in the treatment and prevention of diseases.
  6. Sometimes it is useful to practice therapeutic fasting. This regime will disperse excess harmful substances and relieve inflammation.
  7. You can try medicinal ointments made yourself; it is acceptable to buy ready-made preparations.

Compresses and procedures:

Treatment methods for arthritis and arthrosis

Many athletes, overweight people and people suffering from arthrosis or osteoarthritis suffer from varicose veins veins Arthritis is often accompanied by inflammation and brings discomfort at the back of the knee. Symptoms of the disease include inflammation and sometimes partial displacement of the kneecap. Pain occurs at the back of the knee.

Upon diagnosis, the doctor prescribes physiotherapy, massages and self-massages, physical therapy, ointments and medications for treatment. Effective ointments: Finalgon, Apizarton, Gistalgon, Nicoflex. During the disease, pain, creaking and crunching are characteristic. Often the cause of the disease is injury.

Traditional methods of treatment at home are presented:

  1. Pluck and fold 5 burdock leaves, smooth side up. Place the stack on the sore leg, lubricated with vegetable oil. Wrap at the back and secure. Then tie the resulting material with cellophane and a warm woolen scarf. Leave the bandage on overnight.
  2. Warm the joint, when the skin turns pink, spread honey. Massage your leg with honey for 15 minutes front and back. It is useful to combine the procedure with a compress of burdock leaves. It is permissible to carry out the procedure with salt.
  3. For the new procedure, take 5% iodine, 10% alcohol, medical bile, glycerin and May flower honey. Mix the drugs in proportions of 1 to 1, leave for 10 days to obtain a compress. Avoid getting hit sun rays for a compress. After 10 days, shake the broth and heat a small part. Then moisten the napkins and apply them to the joint overnight, wrapping them tightly with cellophane and woolen cloth. Repeat the procedure until complete withdrawal pain.

Treatment methods for Becker cyst

Hernia in the popliteal fossa - Becker's cyst. It is an accumulation of excess fluid behind the knee of the thigh, causing symptoms: discomfort, pain, inability to bend the leg. Periodically provokes joint displacement. An ultrasound is not needed to notice a cyst; if the diagnosis is confirmed, you will need to undergo therapy prescribed by your doctor.

First you will need to remove inflammation from the Becker cyst. The doctor prescribes medications and procedures.

For further treatment after the inflammation is relieved, doctors “suck out” excess liquid from Becker's cyst. The process is called puncture. Sometimes it is proposed to surgically remove a Becker cyst, but the option is unsuccessful - only the part formed by the hernia is removed, and the second, inflamed part, remains inside.

In folk medicine, elderberry and raspberry leaves are used to treat Becker cysts. Pour 100 ml of boiling water over the leaves in equal proportions and leave for half an hour. Cover the back of the Becker cone with the leaves of the decoction for two hours, wrapping it in oilcloth. The procedure is done daily.

Treatment methods for tendinitis

Tendinitis is an inflammation of the muscles and tendons, accompanied by pain and creaking. Resembles a sprain or dislocation of the hip. It appears during MRI and ultrasound. Appears with illness. Occasionally, displacement occurs and a small lump forms at the site of inflammation. To overcome tendinitis, a consultation with a doctor is recommended. Often the doctor prescribes ointments and medications, the Vitafon device. A simple way to get rid of the disease is traditional methods. By eliminating creaking and pain, reduce your daily load during treatment. When treating tendonitis, a bandage is applied.

A simple way to remove tendonitis is to rub it with ice. Ice will relieve knee pain and prevent dislocation. You need to take a couple of cubes and rub the kneecap for 20 minutes. It is worth consuming the spice curcumin (turmeric) in food to cure tendinitis. You need to eat 0.5 g daily.

An effective method to overcome tendonitis is to use a tincture with walnuts and vodka. Pour 0.5 liters of vodka into the glass partitions. Let the mixture brew for 18 days. Take orally.

An ointment made from infusions of comfrey and calendula will help overcome tendinitis. To prepare, take a tablespoon of any herb and pour a glass of boiling water. Boil the infusion and leave for 3-4 hours. Dilute a tablespoon of infusion in 300 ml of cool water, soak gauze in the mixture. Cover the affected hip joint with a bandage overnight. Continue until the squeak goes away. Folk remedies can quickly overcome tendinitis; it is permissible to use a bandage with salt or clay.

Treatment methods for osteochondrosis

When diagnosed with “osteochondrosis,” the symptoms are unpleasant: aching pain in the leg, burning muscles. During movement, there is a crunching and squeaking sound, a slight displacement, a lump appears, and swelling sore knee. Periodically prescribed surgery If an ultrasound detects this disease, it is often possible to do without it.

To cure osteochondrosis, it is permissible to use celandine oil. To prepare, thoroughly grind the crushed celandine and pour in olive oil. Let the mixture brew for several weeks in a dark place, then use it for self-massage. You can simply rub your leg with the indicated tincture for a month until osteochondrosis goes away.

To make lingonberry infusion, pour 2 tablespoons of lingonberries into a liter of boiling water. Leave for at least half an hour and take orally. Lingonberry infusion will help cure osteochondrosis faster. Additionally, it is possible to treat with salt if the doctor allows.

Treatment methods for synovitis

Ultrasound can detect synovitis. To treat synovitis, contact a traumatologist, the doctor will prescribe necessary medications, procedures and course of treatment for dislocation. In exceptional cases, surgical intervention will be required.

Synovitis is a collection of effusion accompanied by infection. There is no pain, but it becomes more difficult to control the knee in the area where the hernia is located, the hip pulls slightly, and the joints burn.

Treatment requires fighting the infection. It is acceptable to use preparations or herbal decoctions: mistletoe, eucalyptus, St. John's wort, calendula, celandine, thyme, walnut and others. It is allowed to use bay leaf oil for rubbing.

To prepare, you need to chop the leaves, pour in sunflower oil, close and let it brew for a week. Next, shake and strain the ointment. Rub the infusion on a sore knee with a hernia at night to relieve synovitis.

Treatment methods for dislocations

Rarely, trauma causes the patella or kneecap to dislocate. Symptoms occur: the joint is deformed at the back and front of the thigh, severe sharp pain, the tendons burn at the site of the injury. Often a dislocation is accompanied by swelling and numbness. The pulse below the damaged area cannot be felt.

If there is a dislocation, you should urgently seek medical help. If the symptoms are confirmed by diagnosis, treatment is prescribed - the cup is adjusted, fixed with a special bandage, and a course of ligament restoration is carried out. After treatment, the injury requires massages, proper nutrition and various procedures. Folk remedies will help restore the kneecap at home.

To cure a dislocated cup, use a compress of milk. To prepare, heat the milk well and dip into a gauze bandage. Fold it several times and tie the dislocation.

Bryonia compresses help restore the cup after dislocation. You cannot use the method without realignment of the knee by specialists. To prepare a compress, grind the dried bryonia root, put half a teaspoon of powder in half a liter of boiled water. Boil the medicine for 15 minutes. Then dip into gauze, folded several times, apply just below the kneecap, and wrap overnight.

Hypothermia of the knees

It's dangerous to go out into the cold with your knees exposed! Hypothermia of the joint can cause illness. If a person has a cold on his knees, it is prescribed to use warming ointments. Among traditional methods, it is permissible to use a similar method.

Heat the salt in a frying pan and pour it into a sock. Apply the sock at night, preferably 4-5 times a day, to the cold area. It is acceptable to bandage the joint with a scarf at night.

Treatment with sea and table salt

A popular and proven method of treating joints with salt was used during Patriotic War. Saline dressings applied to wounds, causing pain to the wounded, but the result was positive. The procedure saved patients from the need to amputate limbs and prevented infections. With the help of a bandage, ultrasound diagnoses are eliminated: tendonitis, arthritis, synovitis, dislocation, Becker cyst, if the tendons are burning.

Salt absorbs excess fluid and removes infection from the body. Helps cleanse the skin. The solution is prepared 1 to 10; for a tablespoon of salt you will need 10 tablespoons of water. Do not use spring, artesian or sea water; before preparing the solution, the water is heated above 60 degrees, this is important.

Gauze or linen fabric is used as a bandage. The skin needs air flow, polyethylene should not be used. Fold the gauze eight times, the fabric into 3-4 layers. Dip the prepared bandage into the solution with salt for a couple of minutes. The material should be well saturated. Then cool, shake off the moisture from the bandage, and wrap the joints of the legs. In such a position, try to avoid cold and wind.

You should not wear a bandage with salt for more than 15 hours. Helps overcome squeaks, infections and bumps. The course of using the drug lasts for two weeks. It is advisable to make the application area larger so that the area around the knee is wrapped in a bandage with salt.

Treatment with phonation

To avoid or get rid of knee disease, you need to remove dead cells and saturate the living ones. The body has developed a natural resource for moving substances through tissues, called microvibration. During the occurrence of diseases, dead cells are not replaced by living ones due to lack of resources.

To compensate for microvibration, it is possible to use a phonation device prescribed by a doctor. Devices are produced sound waves different frequencies, increase the hydrodynamic processes of the blood. Using the Vitafon device will disperse cells and substances, accelerating the healing process.

The Vitafon phonation device will help cure or avoid many diseases detected by ultrasound: arthritis, arthrosis, synovitis, rheumatism, hernia, polyarthritis and osteochondrosis. The procedure is useful for spinal injuries, insomnia, bronchitis, otitis, sinusitis, dislocations and burns. The instructions for the Vitafon device describe three stages of treating diseases.

During the course of phonation, using the device, it is necessary to create less load on the joint. It is not recommended to carry heavy objects or overwork. During recovery, you should slightly increase the load to bring the muscles into shape. During the first days of using the Vitafon device, it is advisable to take no more than 1000 steps per day. With each day of rehabilitation, add approximately 50 steps.

The duration of treatment using the Vitafon device lasts from a couple of weeks in the initial stages of disease development to a year. During the first months of use, progress is barely noticeable and accumulates gradually. The device helps eliminate squeaking and discomfort. It is possible to cure: tendinitis, arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis, synovitis.

Different Vitafon models have different prices and efficiency. A simple model - Vitafon is equipped with two buttons, there is no timer. Vitafon-T – the device is equipped with an indicator and an automatic shutdown function. Vitafon-5 will reduce the time required for treatment.

The Vitafon-IR device is equipped with an emitter; you will have to spend more time to use it. The Vitafon-2 device allows you to speed up procedures and perform them outside the home. The difference between the models is also in cost.

Treatment with clay

Blue clay is known for its healing properties. Helps in cosmetology and medicine. Clay can relieve pain and cure many diseases of the joints and hips: bursitis, arthritis, and other diseases, including a hernia below the knee.

To use healing clay, you need to apply the mineral in a thick layer on folded gauze, wrap it around the sore leg and hold it there for two hours. Then remove the bandage and rinse the thigh warm water, wipe dry. Repeat the procedure with clay every other day for at least two weeks. Finish when your knees no longer burn, there is no pain, then it is permissible to repeat the course.

It is possible to make compresses using blue clay. Coat gauze with clay, wrap the leg, and wrap the thigh with plastic wrap on top. The course lasts a week.

Treatment with gelatin

Edible gelatin is based on collagen. The substance strengthens joints and helps cure diseases, including hernia. With regular treatment with gelatin, after a couple of weeks you will notice results in the treatment of synovitis, tendonitis, arthrosis and osteochondrosis. Example methods:

  1. Prepare water tincture from gelatin. You will need a regular, non-instant gelatin packet. Dilute two teaspoons in 100 ml of water at room temperature, leave to swell for 10-12 hours. Next, melt the gelatin over low heat and add 200 ml of warm water. Drink the mixture with gelatin in the morning before meals. You can add any sweeteners you like to the gelatin mixture.
  2. Prepare a tincture with milk by mixing a third of a glass of milk with regular gelatin (2 teaspoons). Heat the mixture, but do not boil it, add sugar or honey, and put it in the refrigerator to harden. The medicine is more like a dessert, but copes well with joint diseases.

The long list of autumn ailments includes aching pain in the knee. The stormy, rainy season makes the whole body ache, not just the bones. Often the legs hurt after intense training or heavy loads. But if there is no load, then this serves as a warning that you have begun to develop arthritis or osteoarthritis.

If the knee aches at rest, then this is always a sign of the presence of a pathology, but what kind of pathology it is, it can be impossible to say right away. The true causes of the disease are determined through diagnostic and laboratory tests.

When you are very bothered by aching pain under your knee, it’s time to go to an orthopedist. If you don't do this, you could end up in a wheelchair. With osteoarthritis, the cartilage thins and the surfaces of the joints come into contact with each other, causing pain. The affected area swells and the skin turns red. Viruses and infections can also cause pain.

Sometimes pinched nerve endings between spinal discs result in pain in the joints. Medicines, herbal decoctions, and gymnastics sometimes help to alleviate the situation. Often pain is the body’s reaction to the weather – damp, chilly.

In the fall, this problem begins to bother some people more often than usual, so they look for ways to get rid of it.

Why do my knees ache?

It turns out that bone formations that have been damaged at least once - dislocation, sprain, inflammation - change their structure, which becomes porous and allows moisture to pass through. Usually, on the eve of bad weather, the air humidity rises, and the moisture, penetrating into unprotected tissues, causes aching pains familiar to many.

Some have even learned to predict rain or snow based on their own feelings. In autumn, the number of cloudy days increases, so the frequency of pain also increases.

Someone is trying to save the situation by wrapping him in a warm scarf and covering his knee with cellophane. And they're right, it helps keep your feet dry.

If your knees ache periodically, reconsider your lifestyle, reduce the amount of physical activity, and improve your diet. Greatest danger present constant pain with swelling in the knee area and a specific crunching sound.

Collagen fibers may be partially damaged or ligaments may be sprained.

Many people complain of pain below the knees, when their legs literally “hum.” This occurs either due to overwork, walking in heels for a long time, or is a symptom of an illness that requires surgical treatment.

If elements of the lower leg are affected, pain will be felt in the lower part of the leg. This is not always critical and hazardous to health. You just need to understand in detail the causes of the malaise. If deep vein thrombosis develops, then urgent treatment is required. When blood clots form in lower limbs, one of these clots may break off and clog pulmonary artery. A person can instantly suffocate.

Therefore, if you have constant, periodically recurring pain below the knee, rush to the doctor. The orthopedist will conduct a diagnosis, x-ray and determine why your pain is bothering you.

When your knee hurts, swells, has difficulty moving and straightening, and you feel significant discomfort, then this is serious. If destructive forces are already in action, then heal the knee in to the fullest almost impossible. You can only stop or significantly slow down the pathological process.

Among the reasons that cause pain in the knee joint are the following:

  1. Gonarthrosis. The most common case of damage to articular joints. Development takes a long time, while the mobility of the joint decreases, it becomes impossible to walk a lot, squat, and then get up from squatting, or climb stairs. My knees start to crack. When the cartilage layer wears out, the gap between the bone elements narrows. As osteophytes grow, blood vessels and nerve endings are compressed, and the joint becomes deformed.
  2. Meniscopathy or meniscus cyst. Usually one knee gets sick due to some kind of injury or regular excessive load on the joint. The pain is quite sharp, throbbing. Inflammation occurs, affecting the synovial bursa.
  3. Circulatory problems often occur in adolescents due to rapid bone growth or hypothermia. Over time, the intensity of the pain decreases.
  4. Arthritis. Occurs in young people and women. The knee not only hurts unbearably, especially at night, but also becomes inflamed. My knee hurts due to the weather. Among the reasons, doctors cite high body weight, age and weakened immunity.
  5. Bursitis. Inflammation of the synovial bursa of the knee when it fills with fluid containing pathogenic microflora. This happens after injury or increased load. It becomes difficult to move your leg, it swells. The person feels general malaise.
  6. Synovitis. Here the synovial membrane of the joint is affected, the process is accompanied by swelling and burning pain.
  7. Periarthritis. The disease is diagnosed in women over 40 years of age who are obese. It is difficult for them to climb stairs and straighten their swollen legs. The pathology extends to almost all joint components - capsule, ligaments, tendons, muscles.
  8. Chondromatosis. With this disease, nodules of cartilage tissue form in the shell of the joint capsule. The joint loses moisture and crunches when moving. When tissue is pinched, pain is felt.
  9. Chondropathy. Cartilage dies due to knee injury. Any movement causes severe pain. You can't stand on your feet.
  10. Tumor. The neoplasm compresses soft tissues attached to nerves and blood vessels.
  11. Baker's cyst. Occurs in children and youth. At first she small size, does not pose a particular threat to health. But when it grows, the leg stops extending. Only surgery can help.

The causes of pain in adults and children are similar, but there are some differences.

Sometimes children preschool age complain of a sore knee due to lack of attention from their parents. And it also happens that the disease really bothers the child and brings him inconvenience.

With accelerated growth, boys develop Osgood-Schlatter disease, then their knees begin to hurt in the evening or at night. In the absence of inflammation, after a few months the teenager’s condition returns to normal.

Some systemic diseases also cause knee pain - osteoporosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget's disease. Among the causes of pain syndrome there are numerous injuries - bruises, rupture of ligaments, tendons, meniscus, fractures, dislocations.

Knee pain in men is caused by injuries. I was skating - I fell, playing football - I put my foot down awkwardly, I was running after a minibus - I tripped. So much for pain and a swollen leg. Gradually the bruise heals, and the man forgets about it. But sometimes, as a result of an injury, a piece of cartilage or meniscus can break off, which becomes pinched and causes pain when moving. This can cause the joint to become deformed and stop straightening.

When the leg hurts from the knee to the foot, this is due to stretching or damage to muscles, nerves, the appearance of blood clots inside the veins, arthrosis, popliteal cyst.

If the upper part of the limb from the hip to the knee becomes ill, the causes may be varicose veins, osteochondrosis, inflammation, sprain, muscle strain, and impaired blood supply.

Pain behind the knee can be caused by a purulent-inflammatory process, a meniscus cyst or rupture, or vascular disease.

Soreness signals dysfunction of the body. If a person doesn't have serious illnesses, then the problem can be solved independently by increasing physical activity or losing weight.

What to do

If your knees are crunching and aching, and you can’t decide what to do, then go to the clinic and get examined so that you can start treatment on time. The diagnostic complex includes laboratory tests, bone marrow puncture, smears for the presence of pathogens, X-rays, MRI, ultrasound and others.

At home, first of all, give your leg rest, take a painkiller - paracetamol or analgin. Apply a cooling bandage to your knee, this is necessary if there is an injury. Place the limb on an elevated place. Treat open wounds with an antiseptic. And after that, go to the doctor.

The orthopedist will determine the real reason diseases and will help relieve severe symptoms with the help of medications. Serious defects can only be treated with surgery.

Several simple measures can help overcome joint meteopathy:

  • To relieve the painful condition of the joints on days when the temperature outside has dropped sharply and it has become frosty, visit an infrared sauna or a dry steam bath. You should not warm up in a hot bath or regular bathhouse. High humidity will only increase swelling of the nerve roots and increase their sensitivity to external irritants.
  • In the off-season, try not to get too cold, dress warmly, and take care of the problem area. Regularly lubricate the limb with ointment, make bandages from woolen fabric.
  • Rest and sleep cure any illness. Do not overwork during the day, because this will lead to aggravation of meteopathic reactions.

All of the above methods help relieve discomfort. Eliminating its cause will effectively solve the problem.

If your legs ache and ache during weather changes, make an appointment with a rheumatologist or orthopedist. You need to undergo an examination in any case, even if the pain occurs only in bad weather, and the rest of the time your health returns to normal.

Weather symptoms may signal the early stages of a serious joint disease, such as arthrosis. Today, high-precision equipment is used to detect the disease, so identifying pathology is not difficult.

Therapeutic treatment will help get rid of pain, normalize metabolic processes in bone tissue, and provide them with a sufficient amount of nutrients by stimulating blood flow.

The doctor can prescribe vitamins, chondroprotectors, various supplements, and complex drugs. The specialist will also advise you on how to change your diet. Among the foods you will need to eat more often: fish, meat, buckwheat, and pearl barley.

Today there are good medical supplies, which improve the condition of bones, stopping their destruction, weaken meteoropathy at an early stage.

A healthy, strong body copes more easily with dependence on weather conditions and various illnesses than a weakened one. Then you will feel great in any weather.

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body. Such a “complicated” device, combined with a constant load, makes the joint very vulnerable. Therefore, it is not surprising that throughout our lives, at least once, each of us has experienced pain in the knee - aching, dull, muffled, sharp or even unbearable. Sometimes unpleasant sensations bother people only when walking or bending and straightening their legs, sometimes - constantly. The nature of pain in the knee joint, as well as the causes that cause it, can be very different.

Knee pain is not always a symptom of a disease. For example, adolescents often worry about discomfort and pain in the joints. At this age, children grow at a high rate, and vascular development lags behind skeletal growth. The result is so-called vascular pain.

Another cause of pain in the knee joint in a healthy person may be simple physical overload of the knee. This often happens to athletes. Due to excessive stress, the knee tissues become irritated and cause discomfort. This is a kind of signal from the body that it is time to slow down. For those who ignore it and do not adjust their load, the risk of developing chronic diseases that require serious treatment increases significantly.

Knee bruise

Even a slight bruise of the knee can be accompanied by hemorrhage into its soft tissues, some swelling and pain. All this can hinder movement and cause a lot of inconvenience.

If the intensity of the pain gradually decreases, it does not worsen during flexion-extension movements of the leg and does not become unbearable when palpating the bruised area, then most likely, after a couple of days the person will not remember the injury. But if the pain increases with movement and the temperature in the joint area increases, you should consult a doctor. After all, it is possible that we are talking about a more serious injury, for example, a shift of the kneecap.

Meniscopathy

Meniscopathy is any damage to the meniscus (flattening, tearing). This is a fairly common injury, and not only professional athletes and extreme sports enthusiasts, but also people leading a normal lifestyle are at risk. The very first symptom of meniscopathy is a characteristic click, after which such acute pain pierces the knee joint that the limb temporarily loses mobility.

Ligament rupture

Damage to the ligaments (both complete and partial) is always fraught with severe and unbearable pain. Very often, a ligament rupture is accompanied by a bone fracture. The cause of such an injury can be anything - a banal twisted leg, an unsuccessful jump, an accident. In any case, all this is accompanied by sharp severe pain, swelling and an unnatural position of the knee joint, clearly visible even to a layman.

This pathology does not occur very often and has a high risk of relapses in the future. If we are talking about pediatric patients, then for people in this category there is a high probability of deformation of the knee joint (externally manifested through an X-shaped deviation of the lower leg) and dysfunction of the leg.

Tendon inflammation

Inflammation of the tendon or tendonitis manifests itself through pain in the joint and limitation of its mobility. These symptoms persist for a long period of time and are very persistent. When palpating the sore spot, increased sensitivity of the inflamed tendon is observed. The causes of the disease are very diverse:


Bursitis

Bursitis is the excessive accumulation of fluid in the joint capsule, resulting in a noticeable enlargement of the knee joint and pain that can spread along the entire limb to the foot. Bursitis can be acute or chronic.

The acute form of the disease is characterized by severe and sharp persistent pain, skin hyperemia and limited limb mobility. In this case, the tumor has clear outlines, and the accumulated fluid is clearly felt when palpated. With chronic bursitis, there is already a tightening of the joint capsule, which leads to deformation of the knee joint.

Among the most common causes of bursitis are:

  • infectious diseases;
  • recurrent knee injuries;
  • constant overload of the joint;
  • Incorrect weight distribution when lifting heavy objects.

Arthritis

This inflammatory disease knee joint manifests itself through an increase in temperature in the affected area, severe pain, the intensity of which increases when walking (but even at rest the pain does not leave the patient), swelling of the joint and stiffness of its movement, progressive deformation of the joint. Common causes of arthritis include heredity, infection in the knee joint, and lack of physical activity. Everyday life, unbalanced diet.

Reactive arthritis

With this disease, the inflammatory process affects not only the knee joint, but also nearby tendons, other joints and even the eyes. Reactive arthritis is most often caused by infectious urogenital diseases (gonorrhea, ureoplasma, chlamydia) or intestinal ailments (salmonellosis, dysentery).

Synovitis

An inflammatory disease of the synovial membrane lining the joint cavity from the inside is characterized by the formation of so-called effusion, which collects in the joint capsule. Frequent causes of synovitis are injuries, autoimmune processes, metabolic disorders, etc. The disease is aseptic in nature (i.e., there is no infection during synovitis), however, if an infection occurs, pus appears in the synovial fluid, and we are talking about purulent synovitis. This disease is accompanied by dull pain and an unpleasant feeling of fullness from the inside.

Hoff's disease

This disease is accompanied by degeneration and damage to the adipose tissue surrounding the joint. Hoffa's disease is quite difficult to diagnose; it is often mistaken for meniscopathy or other pathology. The danger of the disease lies in the fact that adipose tissue gradually loses its “buffer” protective function. A common cause of the disease is a knee injury, in which the fat lobules become pinched and swell. Damaged cells are replaced fibrous tissue, and it has a completely different structure than adipose tissue, as a result of which it cannot serve as a buffer.

Osteoporosis

A serious, serious disease that occurs with changes in the very structure of the bones. As a result bone becomes very fragile and vulnerable, the person suffers from frequent fractures. And pain in the knee joint (along with aching pain in the spine and night cramps) is often the first sign of osteoporosis.

Osteomyelitis

The causative agents of this purulent-necrotic process in bone tissue are bacteria. Almost from the very beginning of the disease, the patient feels a boring, sharp pain, as if bursting from the inside, the intensity of which increases even from the slightest movement. Along with this characteristic symptom, there are others: weakness, increased body temperature. The sore knee swells, the skin on it turns red.

Tuberculosis of bones

This serious disease begins with the melting of bone matter. The process gradually progresses, capturing more and more new areas. Bone tuberculosis occurs with the formation of a purulent fistula or a cavity opening outward


Knee pain is extremely dangerous to ignore. It is not known what causes it - perhaps it is due to a disease, the treatment of which is effective precisely on early stages. Therefore, at the first alarming signs, it is advisable to seek help from a doctor. To which? It all depends on the situation. If the knee has been injured, consultation with a surgeon is necessary. Otherwise, it is worth visiting a therapist, who will determine the further direction of the examination. Most often, the patient is referred to an orthopedist, neurologist, osteopath or rheumatologist.

To make an accurate diagnosis, the following research procedures may be required:


Specific list therapeutic measures depends on the cause of the pain in the knee joint. As mentioned above, there are a great many such diseases and conditions, so self-medication in case of problems with the knee joint is ineffective and even dangerous. Make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe competent treatment This can only be done by a specialist, whose visit should not be postponed if:

  • knee pain does not subside for a long time;
  • the intensity of pain does not decrease over time or, even more so, increases;
  • the pain occurred suddenly and without cause;
  • there is redness of the knee;
  • changed sensitivity of the knee and neighboring areas;
  • there is a deformity of the knee.

In each specific case, the list of research and treatment actions will be selected individually.

So, depending on the cause of pain in the knee joint, the doctor can use the following measures and recommendations in treating the patient:


In particularly severe cases, patients are admitted to hospital for further examination and treatment.

bezboleznej.ru

Why knees hurt: possible reasons

Knee pain indicates the onset of a serious illness. But in order to decide what to do and how to treat, you must first find out the root causes. The main reasons that provoke pain in the knees include the following factors:

  1. Injuries suffered. As a result of a strong blow to the knee, sharp fall Severe pain and inflammation in the knee joint may occur.
  2. Patella dislocation. The injury is accompanied by severe pain and severe swelling of the knee.
  3. Meniscus damage. The meniscus is a rounded piece of cartilage in the knee joint that is easily damaged by sudden squatting or twisting. The doctor diagnoses this cause after an in-person examination, ultrasound, and x-ray.

  4. Knee ligament rupture. The cause may be a strong fall, a blow, or an unsuccessful turn of the leg.
  5. Arthrosis. A more serious cause is arthrosis. This disease occurs due to age-related changes in the knee and bone tumors.
  6. Rheumatoid arthritis. This disease can be recognized by swollen kneecaps and severe pain.
  7. Gout. This disease occurs from an excess in the body uric acid, which leads to redness and pain in the joints.

What to do when your knees hurt and creak

Acute or chronic knee pain that appears should not be ignored, so you need to consult a doctor. After completing the diagnosis, the specialist will tell you what to do in a particular case. Treatment may consist of tablets, ointments, rubs, physical procedures, and surgery.

How to deal with knee pain

Pain in the knees requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. Comprehensive therapeutic measures are aimed at eliminating the cause of pain and its further prevention. A compress of raw potatoes and onions, grated on a coarse grater, will help relieve sudden inflammation. These components must be mixed, wrapped in clean cotton cloth and applied to the inflamed area. After 20 minutes, the compress must be removed, and then rinse the body with warm water.

Sometimes the reason why joints hurt is being overweight, so the patient needs to go on a low-calorie diet. If the soreness is due to arthritis, use a homemade ointment to rub on the sore joint. To prepare this product, you need to mix the following ingredients:

  • 100 g vodka,
  • 20 g table salt,
  • 100 g honey,
  • 200 g black radish juice.

When squatting

Pain during squats appears due to strong physical exertion, intense sports exercises, bruises, sudden movement, rupture of ligaments, inflammation of the knee tendons, lack of vitamins, arthrosis, and salt deposits. If your knees hurt badly when squatting, our following recommendations will tell you what to do:

  1. If you feel unpleasant discomfort in your knees during squats, then you should immediately lie down on a flat surface and raise your legs to a height.
  2. Warm baths with essential oils can help relieve symptoms. After taking a relaxing bath, you need to wipe your knee dry and spread it with unrefined oil.
  3. If the pain is accompanied by a crunching sound, then arthritis is suspected. In this case, you need to consult a doctor.
  4. If your knees hurt periodically, what to do in this case and you don’t know how to avoid it, then it is recommended to follow a diet, eat more vegetables, fruits, the vitamin complex glucosamine, chondroitin. Minimize the consumption of fatty foods, smoked foods, salty, sweet, starchy foods. You are not allowed to engage in sports during treatment.

At night

Even being in a state of complete rest, your knees may not stop hurting. Aching, unpleasant pain can last all night. In patients who complain about this problem, doctors diagnose knee bursitis, venous congestion, vein thrombosis, vascular diseases, arthrosis and arthritis, excess weight, and joint injuries. The following tips will help you cope with this nighttime discomfort:

  1. If your knee joints hurt at night, a compress of a tablespoon of mustard, 1 tbsp. vegetable oil. Mix everything and heat in a water bath. Then apply the resulting mixture to your knee and cover with a cloth.
  2. If you know that you periodically have painful attacks at night, then prepare alcohol rubs based on potato sprouts in advance. To do this, place a handful of potato shoots in a half-liter jar, fill with vodka. Let it brew for three weeks; after the specified time, use the product whenever joint discomfort occurs.

Swollen and painful knee after a fall: which doctor should I contact?

If the cause of knee pain is an injury resulting from a fall, then immediate medical attention is required. You need to visit a medical facility for a face-to-face consultation with the following specialists:

  • rheumatologist,
  • chiropractor,
  • orthopedist,
  • surgeon,
  • traumatologist,
  • physiotherapist,
  • massage therapist

The resulting swelling on the knee indicates an accumulation of large quantity fluid in the joint. In this case, the doctor will perform a puncture to find out the etiology of this fluid and make an accurate diagnosis. The specialist will also give you a referral for a blood test to confirm the conclusion. If you fall on your knee and there is no way to urgently visit the hospital, you need to provide first aid yourself:

  1. Take a lying position to ensure complete rest for the injured leg.
  2. Apply a cold object or ice to the swollen knee for half an hour.
  3. If your knees hurt, you can reduce the symptoms with 10 crushed aspirin tablets, a tablespoon of iodine and vodka. Mix all the ingredients until smooth and apply the prepared compress to the sore spot for half an hour. After 30 minutes, you need to wash this mixture off your knee.

Even if, with the help of the measures taken, it was possible to minimize pain and relieve swelling, you still need to visit a doctor for an in-person examination and to rule out serious problems. The sooner you contact a specialist, the faster qualified treatment of the internal inflammatory process will be carried out.

Folk remedies for treating knee pain

If your knees constantly hurt badly, traditional medicine will tell you what to do. Proven recipes from healers have a beneficial effect on this disease and allow you to soon feel relief. The necessary ingredients for preparing folk remedies can be purchased at herbal pharmacies or pre-prepared yourself. The following recipes are considered the most effective folk methods:

Recipe No. 1. Rub if your joints hurt. This remedy is prepared from three fresh burdock leaves and vodka. First you need to twist the leaves through a meat grinder and squeeze out the juice. Mix the resulting juice with vodka in a 1:1 ratio. Rub the prepared product onto your sore knees or make compresses with it at night. When you do this procedure, do not forget to cover the top of your knee with plastic wrap and cover it with a warm scarf.

Recipe No. 2. Medicine if your knees hurt. To treat acute pain, compresses made from sea salt, water, ammonia and camphor are used. To prepare this remedy, adhere to the following proportions:

  • 1 liter of warm water,
  • a tablespoon of sea salt,
  • 100 grams of 10% ammonia,
  • a teaspoon of camphor alcohol.

First, dissolve sea salt in water, mix ammonia and camphor alcohol in a separate container. Next, combine alcohol and brine and start shaking with a mixer until a homogeneous consistency is formed. This product can be used for knee compresses at night. After 3 weeks, pain symptoms will no longer bother you.

Recipe No. 3. Ointment if your knees hurt. To prepare this effective remedy, you will need to purchase St. John's wort, yarrow, and petroleum jelly from a herbal pharmacy. Take a tablespoon of each medicinal plant and Vaseline, previously melted in a water bath. Mix all components thoroughly, grinding until smooth. The resulting ointment should be used to wipe the knee before going to bed.

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If it starts suddenly, you need to immediately fix the joint with an elastic bandage and apply ice for several days, and also limit your physical activity to the maximum. To prevent swelling, the body should be positioned above chest level.

IN medical practice It is not uncommon for a plaster cast to be applied to ensure knee rehabilitation. If you have intense pain that does not go away for 2-3 days, you should immediately consult a doctor. Most likely, the cause of these pains was premature aging of the knee joint.

Knee joint: what affects its premature aging?

Factors that influence premature aging of the joint:

  1. Osteorthrosis and arthrosis. It is these diseases that lead to premature old age and complete immobility.
  2. Aging of the whole organism with age.
  3. Overweight: An overweight person has heavy loads on the knees, which are several times higher than normal.
  4. Metabolism and hormonal imbalance.
  5. Hard physical work.
  6. Surgeries, injuries, hypothermia.
  7. Circulatory disorders.
  8. Other diseases.

The knee joint is a complex structure in the human structure. Its basis is the connection of the tibia and femur. The outer side is called lateral, and the inner side is called medial. The power of movement is provided by the cruciate ligaments.

The thickening of the meniscus cartilage, which is located between the joints, ensures an even distribution of the load on the knee, and is surrounded by sacs of fluid, which provide it with free sliding of the bones and reduce friction between the tendons.

The quadriceps anterior muscle straightens the knee, while the hamstrings flex the knee. This complex structure ensures good mobility of the knee.

Knee pain, causes

It is caused by a lot of reasons, but according to medical practice, if we consider the pain that arises from physical activity, then the patient’s complaints often look like this:

Knee pain after running, causes

They often occur when jogging for the first time. At first you might think that it’s your joints that hurt, but it’s the muscles.

But if jogging is regular, and they haven’t bothered you before, then your joints already hurt and you need to understand the reasons that may be caused by:

  1. Injury to the meniscus, that is, the inner part of the knee. It can be caused by an injury to the rotation of the leg, improper load on the knee, or sudden squatting or jumping.
  2. Dislocation of the cup. Pain in the cup area is felt immediately, and if you do not take timely measures and continue running, they will become chronic.
  3. Destruction of the patellar tissue from strong physical exertion. Mobility is immediately felt and sharply reduced.
  4. Sprained or torn ligaments. It immediately becomes acute, swelling appears and mobility decreases, touching is very painful, and it is almost impossible to stand on your leg.
  5. Intervertebral hernia.

Knees hurt when walking, reasons

They occur if the integrity is broken, that is, it is affected.

This is caused by:

  1. Uncomfortable shoes. The correct load distribution is deformed.
  2. Any knee injury, even the most insignificant at first glance.
  3. Physical activity that involves lifting heavy objects.
  4. Circulatory disorders.

Knees hurt during and after squats, reasons

For example, difficulty getting up or down stairs or when doing physical exercise.

The reasons may be:

  1. Tendon sprain or rupture.
  2. Arthrosis or arthritis.
  3. Incorrect execution of exercise technique.

Pain in the knees when straightening and bending

If they occur when bending and straightening the knee, they are most likely associated with diseases such as Schlatter's disease, which is felt both when walking and when bending and straightening the knee, arthrosis or arthritis. Immediately reduce the load to a minimum.

They interfere with the performance of its basic functions. The joint may feel hot to the touch, and there will be swelling and slight redness. Bruising is common.

This may be caused by:

  1. Arthritis.
  2. Any leg injuries.
  3. Repeated repetition of the same physical exercises that cause overload. For example, repeated daily climbing of stairs, long-distance cycling, long-distance running, etc.
  4. Bone infection.
  5. Osteochondritis.

They arise due to the fact that the joint begins to deform, the connection between the tissues is broken, and any loads are distributed precisely on its inner side.

Causes of swollen knees

Almost all disorders cause swelling, most often it occurs immediately with:

  1. Inflammation of the tendons - tendonitis.
  2. Injuries.
  3. Osteoporosis.
  4. Displacement of the kneecap.
  5. Dislocation.
  6. Fracture.
  7. Gout.
  8. Inflammation.

Joint pain and swelling: help at home

The help of qualified doctors is urgently needed, and before their arrival, provide the following assistance:

  1. Complete peace.
  2. Apply ice for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Make an alcohol compress.
  4. Treat with iodine mesh.

When is knee pain not related to illness?

It can be caused not only by illness, but by excessive loads that urgently need to be reduced, lifting heavy objects, fatigue, and stress. If after rest the knee does not hurt, then the reason is not illness.

Treatment with traditional methods

Not only pharmaceutical drugs are effective for treatment, but traditional medicine also provides a lot of treatment methods:

  1. Ointment against pain and inflammation. To prepare the ointment, you need to take the following herbs in equal quantities: St. John's wort, sweet clover, hops. Mix them with Vaseline until smooth. Treat the knee with the resulting mixture and wrap it in warm material before going to bed.
  2. Process sea ​​buckthorn oil during the day. To enhance the effect, drink sea buckthorn tea.
  3. Treat with aloe juice mixed with honey.

Once the doctor has made the diagnosis, treatment can begin:

Knee bruise

The pain appears suddenly. You must immediately secure it with an elastic bandage and apply cold. Limit any movements for a while.

Meniscopathy

Damage to the internal or external menisci. Will need surgical intervention.

Ligament rupture

Sharp pain with an immediate decrease in supporting and motor functions often occurs due to injuries. It is necessary to ensure complete rest and apply a plaster cast in the hospital.

Chronic luxation of the patella

Fixation with an elastic bandage or splint, as well as reduction of physical activity.

Tendon inflammation

The use of special ointments and medications according to a doctor’s prescription. Load limitation.

Bursitis

Inflammation of the joint capsule. Treatment proceeds as follows:

  • Providing peace
  • Applying pressure bandages
  • Warming ointments
  • The doctor may prescribe antiseptic punctures or punctures
  • Warming up

Arthritis

This is a common inflammatory disease.

It is treated as follows:

  • Prescribing medications
  • Special ointments

Reactive arthritis

Leads to rapid deformation of the joint and its complete immobility. Treated with medications.

Synovitis

Inflamed inner side joint, fluid begins to accumulate. Treatment can be medication, but most often surgical intervention is necessary.

Hoff's disease

Causes degeneration of fatty tissue, resulting in loss of mobility. Treatment includes special massages and procedures, as well as medications and health-improving exercises.

Osteoporosis

Bone density decreases. The doctor prescribes medications, massage and exercise therapy (physical therapy).

Osteomyelitis

Inflammation of bone tissue. Treatment with medications only.

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To better understand why knees hurt, you need to understand their anatomy. So, the joint consists of the femur, tibia and patella. The two largest bones each have two protrusions: the internal and external condyles.

All surfaces that come into contact with each other are covered with hyaluronic cartilage. Thanks to it, the mobility of the knee joint is ensured, as well as its shock-absorbing properties.

Around this bone connection there is a kind of capsule, lined with a synovial layer on the inside. In addition, this capsule is filled with synovial fluid, which provides nutrition to the joint and ensures its mobility.

The knee joint is made up of more than just bones. All its elements are united by cruciate and collateral ligaments, femoral muscles, and tendons. The kneecap is attached to other elements through its own ligament.

In order for the knee to move, 6 bursae are needed. Nutrition and innervation of the joint is carried out through nerves and blood vessels, which are located in the soft tissues surrounding the joint.

Pain in the knee joint: causes

If your knee begins to hurt, swelling appears, mobility is limited, and the discomfort is quite severe, you should immediately consult a doctor. If the destructive process has already begun, then it will be impossible to completely cure the knee. However, it will be possible to stop or slow down its progression.

So, we can identify the following causes of pain in the knee joint:

  • Gonarthrosis. It occurs in almost 50% of all cases of joint damage. The pathology takes a very long time to develop. Among the symptoms of this disease are the following: the knee does not hurt at rest, but it becomes difficult for a person to climb stairs, walk for a long time, or get up from squatting. While moving, the patient hears a crunching sound and his mobility decreases. Over time, due to wear and tear of the 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 a meniscus cyst. Most often only one knee hurts. The cause of the pathology can be a single injury or periodic damage to the joint. During an exacerbation, the pain is acute, throbbing, sharp, and severe. With this disease, deformation of the joint does not threaten, but the inflammatory process can affect the synovial bursae.

  • Problems with blood circulation. In this case, the nutrition of the knee is disrupted. Most often, this condition manifests itself in adolescents. It is the teenager who has too much going on fast growth bones, which makes their nutrition somewhat more difficult. If at first the pain in the knee joint is quite strong, then after a while its intensity decreases. The pain is usually localized to one point and does not spread to the entire knee. Discomfort in a teenager may increase due to hypothermia.
  • Arthritis. This is an inflammatory pathology of the knee that can be diagnosed in young people, especially women. In this case, the knee hurts very much, the affected area is characterized by swelling, and the skin turns red. In addition, pain becomes more pronounced at night. The knee hurts even at rest when the weather changes. The reason for the development of pathology is excessive body weight, old age, and weak immunity.
  • Bursitis. This is an inflammatory lesion of the synovial bursae of the knee. Characteristic symptoms of the pathology are: redness of the skin in the affected area, swelling, decreased range of motion. The cavities of the synovial bursae are filled with exudate, which contains harmful microorganisms. The cause of the development of pathology is injury, excessive physical activity. The knee not only hurts very much, but the person develops general weakness and malaise.
  • Synovitis. Here the inflammation affects the synovial membrane of the knee joint. In this case, swelling and burning pain appear in the joint area.

  • Periarthritis. This disease is more often diagnosed in women who are overweight and over 40 years old. Discomfort is felt when climbing stairs or straightening your legs. The pathological process affects tendons, ligaments and muscles, as well as the joint capsule. The pain is usually aching, and swelling appears on the limb.
  • Chondromatosis. This disease is characterized by the formation of small nodules of cartilage tissue, which are located in the shell of the joint capsule. In this case, dehydration of the joint appears, its mobility is limited, and a crunching sound is heard when moving. Since the soft tissues are pinched, the patient experiences severe pain.
  • Chondropathy of the patella. Here degenerative changes the cartilage is exposed: it simply dies. The reasons for this pathological condition are commonplace: knee injury, features of certain professions. At the same time, the knee hurts very much, the discomfort becomes more pronounced with any movement. A crunching or cracking sound can be heard very clearly in the left or right knee. A person is practically unable to stand on the affected limb.
  • Bone tumor. Knee pain occurs due to the growth of a tumor, which compresses soft tissue 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 old. It is so small that it cannot always be diagnosed during examination. Basically, it does not pose a threat to human health and does not cause discomfort. However, if it grows, the joint may hurt, especially when bending and straightening the leg. If the hernia is large, then surgery is performed to remove it.

  • Tendinitis of the knee joint. This is an inflammation of the tendons in the knee area, which cannot perform its functions normally. Almost everyone is susceptible to the disease. The pain is usually aching, and the affected area reacts to changing weather.
  • Osteochondritis of the kneecap. Here the cartilage peels off from the articular surface. At first, the knee pain is not very severe, but over time its intensity increases, and inflammation joins the pathological process.
  • Koenig's disease. Here, some of the cartilage can separate from the bone and move within the joint. Movement becomes difficult and mild pain appears. As it progresses, swelling of the knee joint is also observed. Treatment of pathology in adults is more difficult than in children.
  • Osgood-Schlatter pathology. It involves the formation of a lump in the knee area. Most often, the disease is diagnosed in boys, as well as people involved in sports. The pain is sharp, intensifying when bending and straightening the leg.

These reasons are the main ones, but not the only ones. Therefore, it is necessary to consider other factors that cause knee pain.

Diseases of other organs as a cause of pain in the knee

Some pathologies that are not related to the knee joint can cause pain in it:

  1. Fibromyalgia. Discomfort is localized in the muscles and soft tissues, but can radiate to joints located nearby. The inflammatory process does not develop. In addition to aching pain in the knee joint, a person feels stiffness in movements, fatigue, and may experience cramps.
  2. Dysplasia or coxarthrosis of the hip joint. The pain syndrome in this case spreads to the entire leg.
  3. Neuropathy sciatic nerve. It is pinched by the vertebrae of the lumbosacral spine. Severe throbbing pain can radiate to the hip and knee.

What systemic pathologies can cause knee pain?

In addition to the reasons that have already been described above, there are other factors that contribute to the development of pain:

  • Gout. The presented disease occurs due to a violation of the metabolism of uric acid in the body. It is poorly removed from it and turns into salt deposits that accumulate in the joints. In this case, the knee may also hurt. Moreover, the pain is very sharp, sharp. More often, the pathology occurs in men who abuse alcohol and eat improperly. The skin in the affected area becomes red, and at night the knee joint hurts more. The duration of the attack ranges from a couple of days to several weeks.
  • Osteoporosis. the pathology is associated with low bone density due to its improper formation. The pain in the knee joint is dull and aching, and it is not so easy to remove it. Bones with this pathology are highly susceptible to fractures.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis. This is a systemic pathology characterized by inflammation connective tissue. It begins its active development when the body’s protective functions decrease. It manifests itself as a feeling of stiffness that a person can feel after a long stay at rest.

  • Osteomyelitis. The presented bacterial pathology causes quite severe pain of a drilling nature. The skin in the area of ​​the affected joint turns red, and the discomfort intensifies with any movement. The danger of this disease is that its consequence is the onset 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 the spine begins to deform. With this pathology, it is the tubular bones that are affected, which subsequently become very fragile. Recognizing this disease is quite difficult, since symptoms may not appear. The only thing that can indicate the presence of pathology is that the sore knee hurts at night, and warmth is felt at the site of the lesion.

If knee pain was caused by a systemic disease or skeletal pathology, 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 slows down its course.

Trauma as a cause of pain

Pathological processes in this case can develop both immediately after injury and some time after it. The following knee joint injuries can be distinguished:

  1. A tear, tear or rupture of the knee ligaments. These injuries lead to the appearance of joint “pushing” syndrome. In addition, the person feels severe pain, hemarthrosis of the joint develops, which becomes unstable.
  2. Injury. Here the intensity of the pain syndrome is low. There are no serious consequences after the injury. Swelling, as well as hematoma, usually disappears on its own after one to two weeks.
  3. Meniscus tear. It is caused by a strong blow to the anterior region of the knee joint. After the acute period of pathology has passed, pain syndrome usually bothers the patient while climbing stairs, which is quite difficult to do. There is slight swelling in the knee joint area.
  4. Fracture. It appears when falling from a great height or having a strong impact. The pain is severe, sharp, swelling appears in the affected area, and the skin turns pale. The victim cannot stand on his injured leg on his own. In addition, during a fracture, crunching and cracking sounds are heard, and the bone can break through the skin.
  5. Tendon rupture. This injury is rare, but it leads first to acute and then to aching pain. When walking, the pain in the left or right knee intensifies.
  6. Dislocation of the knee joint. In this case, some of the constituent parts of the joint may come out of it.

Trauma may cause chronic diseases. For more information about this, watch the video:

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

Who is at risk?

It should be noted that pain in the knee joint, crunching and swelling in the affected area appear more often in some people than in others. The risk group includes those people who:

  • Presence of primary pathologies.
  • Genetic predisposition.
  • Constant sports overload of the knee.
  • Excessive body weight.
  • Injury.
  • There was surgery on the knee joint.
  • Insufficient development of the muscular system of the knee joint.

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

In what cases should you consult a doctor?

If a person feels that his knees hurt, then he urgently needs to consult a specialist in this case:

  • The patient has been experiencing aching pain for more than two months, which prevents him from sleeping peacefully at night.
  • If the pain syndrome is of high intensity and appears suddenly.
  • A crunching sound is heard in the knee joint when walking.
  • My knees hurt every day, at certain times, under certain conditions.
  • The knee joint feels unstable from time to time.
  • If additional pathological signs are present: skin rash, fever, elevated temperature.
  • Aching pain appeared, which was accompanied by deformation of the joints and limitation of their mobility.
  • Pain syndrome becomes a constant companion of a person.
  • Signs of an inflammatory process appeared: skin redness, swelling, and local temperature in the affected area increased.

These signs alone are enough to make a decision to see a doctor. By delaying the visit, the patient increases the duration and complexity of therapy, and also allows the pathology to develop further.

Types of pain

Why knees hurt, that is, most of the reasons for the development of the pathological condition are already clear. However, character pain may be different. For example, depending on the disease that caused it, pain can be of the following nature:

  • Sharp, sharp. It is caused by a rupture of the meniscus or ligaments, reactive arthritis, and the acute phase of bursitis.
  • Dull, tugging. It can be caused by bursitis or synovitis.
  • Aching. This type of pain is characteristic of arthrosis and gonarthrosis.
  • Pulsating. A person feels it when the menisci are injured or due to damage by deforming arthrosis.

  • Burning. It is characteristic of pinched sciatic nerve, as well as bone tuberculosis.
  • Stabbing. It is caused by a bursa cyst. And stabbing pain is characteristic of osteoporosis, an old injury to the menisci.
  • Drilling. It is caused by osteomyelitis.
  • Periodic. It appears when a patient develops inflammation of the tendons or muscles.
  • Shooting. It is caused by pinched nerve endings.

Diagnosis of pathology and first aid

Many people complain that their knees hurt, but they don’t know what to do. But when you feel pain and crunching in the knee joint, it is necessary to undergo an examination and begin treatment.

Diagnostics involves the use of the following procedures:

  1. Laboratory tests of blood and urine.
  2. Blood chemistry.
  3. Puncture of bone marrow and synovial fluid.
  4. Smears for the presence of bacterial microflora.
  5. Arthroscopy. This procedure is used both as a diagnosis and as a treatment for pain in the joint. It is easy to do and does not require a long rehabilitation period.
  6. Radiography.
  7. MRI or CT.
  8. Densitometry.

Knee pain: first aid

So, if a person feels aching or nagging pain in his leg in the knee area, first of all, he must provide her with rest. Further, treatment at home involves taking painkillers or anti-inflammatory drugs: Analgin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen.

You can relieve pain using a cold compress. This method of pain relief is used when the cause of pain is injury. Next, the limb is immobilized and placed on a hill. When there are wounds in the joint area, they should be treated with an antiseptic.

It must be remembered that these measures are not complete treatment. They should be taken only before visiting the doctor.

Knee pain: drug treatment

So, what to do if you hear a crunching sound in the joint and feel severe discomfort? First you need to find out why these symptoms appear. Further, one of the stages of therapy is drug treatment. So, for pain in the knee joint, you can quickly relieve severe symptoms with the help of the following medications:

  • Antibiotics (when discomfort is caused by a viral infection).
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Ibuprofen, Aspirin.

In addition, some pathologies must be treated with surgery. If there is fluid in the cavity of the knee joint, it must be removed. The cyst can also be treated through surgery or hydrocortisone blockade.

If the joints hurt due to injury, then in some cases it is necessary to realign the bones. Next, a tight bandage, orthosis, and even plaster are applied to the affected joint.

You need to treat a limb not only with pills. Often the patient is prescribed to wear or use special orthopedic devices so that the load can be taken off the knee.

Systemic pathologies must be treated comprehensively. Knee pain in these cases must be treated with immunosuppressants, anti-inflammatory drugs, and glucocorticosteroids. To eliminate the symptoms of gonarthrosis, injections of drugs into the joint and chondroprotectors are used.

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage

If the knee joint hurts when standing up, a crunching sound is heard, and the discomfort bothers you even at night, physical exercise and massage sessions will help get rid of stiffness and relieve pain.

In this case, gymnastics should be done if the person is not in too much pain and with the permission of the doctor. All exercises are performed slowly. No sudden movements should be made. If your knees hurt a lot, then you need to go to the maximum simple exercises. The load can be increased weekly.

In a lying or sitting position, you can do flexion and extension of the limbs, alternating half-turns, pulling the knees to the stomach, abducting the legs to the sides. Having completed the set of exercises, you need to rest, and then move on to massage. This procedure is also very effective for relieving pain.

Sore knees can be kneaded and rubbed on your own, but it will be better if a specialist does this. In order to get rid of most symptoms, you need to perform a course of massage procedures, one session of which lasts no more than 20 minutes. The internal and external surfaces are rubbed, as well as the lateral surfaces, and pressure is applied to the kneecap. During the procedures, care must be taken to ensure that the person is not in pain.

In this video, Dr. Odintsov performs a demonstrative knee massage on a patient:

How to treat knee joints at home?

Crunching in the knees, as well as pain that appears at night, is an unpleasant phenomenon. Why these symptoms appear is already known. However, pain can be relieved and the normal functionality of the joint can be restored not only with medications. This can be done at home using folk remedies.

However, it is not possible to quickly get rid of the pathology. You need to treat your knee this way for at least two months. In addition, you need to find truly effective products that have good reviews.

The following recipes may be useful:

  1. In half a liter of boiling water you should add 2 large spoons of cinquefoil grass, after which you need to let it brew. You should drink the product twice a day, 100 ml. In addition, you can apply a decoction of cinquefoil to the sore knee as a compress at night.
  2. A decoction of oats will help get rid of pain. To prepare it, you need to take a liter of water and a glass of grain. The mixture is boiled and then left overnight to infuse. You need to drink 2 glasses of liquid per day, dividing it into several parts. It takes 2 weeks to treat joints in this way.
  3. In order 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. It will help you get rid of pain quickly. Apply a compress to the sore knee and cover with a clean cloth. It should be washed off after 15 minutes. In order to relieve unpleasant symptoms, only 10 procedures are enough.
  4. A mustard compress applied to a sore leg at night has also received good reviews. To prepare it, take a tablespoon of mustard and mix it with the same amount of honey and soda. By the morning, the compress will help relieve severe discomfort.
  5. If your knee joints hurt, you can use hot pepper tincture for rubbing. Half liter jar should be filled with chopped peppers, and then pour alcohol to the very top of the container. You need to infuse the product for a week.

In addition, you can self-massage your knee at home. How to do this, watch the video:

If you already know why the unpleasant sensations appeared, then you can select appropriate traditional methods of therapy that will help relieve them. But before doing this, you should consult your doctor.

Prevention of pathology

In order for the knee joints to remain healthy and function well for a long time, it is necessary to follow simple recommendations from doctors:

  • Reduce the load on the joint.
  • It is rational to combine rest and work.
  • Treat any infectious diseases in the body in a timely manner.
  • Avoid hypothermia of the extremities.
  • After 35 years, it is advisable to start taking chondroprotectors.
  • When playing sports, it is necessary to protect the joints with special orthopedic devices.
  • It is important to normalize your weight.
  • Nutrition plays an important role in skeletal health. It is better to reduce the consumption of animal saturated fats, white bread, and sweets. You should introduce more fiber, vegetable oils, vegetables and fruits into your diet. Proper nutrition will not only help relieve discomfort, but also improve the functionality of the joints.

Traumatologist Vitaly Kazakevich talks about the rehabilitation of an injured knee.

There are different ways to treat knee joints depending on the condition of the disease. Treatment methods for the knee joint:

  • recreational gymnastics;
  • wellness massage;
  • pills;
  • alternative healing;
  • use of medical devices (bandage, prosthesis);
  • surgical intervention.
Content:

The most common are arthrosis, arthritis and lipoarthritis - diseases of the knee joints. A surgeon or orthopedist will help determine the cause of pain and the correct diagnosis. It is better to contact them at the beginning of the treatment process.

knee injury due to arthrosis

Diseases of the knee joints

Injuries are a common problem in the knee joints, which are one of the largest joints in the human body. These include the tibia, femur and patella.

Ligaments hold the knee joint together. To make the joint glide better, it contains three bags - synovial membranes - with different inversions, as well as joint fluid. The joints also contain muscles, ligaments, and cartilage (menisci), which are part of the patellar ligament.

The knee joint can be injured due to sharp turns of the body when the feet are fixed, which can cause the ligaments of the joints to tear. Therefore, the most common injuries to the knee joints are sports. Similar types of injuries occur if the impact force is quite large (automobile injuries, professional bruises of football players, fighters, impacts from a fall from a height).

The ligaments of the joint have the property of inextensibility. Sometimes there is only a tear of the ligaments, sometimes there is a complete rupture of them, which shows a disturbance in gait and instability of the leg in the joint. Less common is an injury such as a sprained knee joint. It appears when there is a load whose force is greater than the elasticity of the ligaments. However, sprains most often occur in the ankle joint.

Among other ailments of the knee joints, one can distinguish a cyst of the knee joint. It is a stretch of the bursa under the knee. The cyst can be easily identified using an ultrasound of the knee joint.

Treatment and prevention

If the knee joints cannot be treated with methods such as surgery, the use of medical massage and physical exercise, traditional medicine, or the use of special devices (bandages, for example), then it is necessary to replace the diseased knee joints with healthy ones. Prosthetics includes replacing failed parts of the bone of the knee joint with metallized or plastic components. The procedure takes place with anesthesia and lasts from 1 to 3 hours.

The knee is opened and excess growths are removed. Damaged parts are replaced with new ones made of artificial materials. Unusable parts of knee joints are repaired or the entire knee is replaced.

How to cure knee joints and what measures to take to keep the joints healthy will be discussed below. There is such a symptom as “mouse in the knee.” It manifests itself as follows: the knee is jammed, movement is limited. The pain in the joint space is sudden, but can be tolerated. The more movements, the more pain. The “mouse” here is a piece of cartilage that has come off the meniscus and is moving in the joint. The knee locks if this piece gets into the joint gap. A “mouse” can appear in one place or another.

If painful sensations occur, there is no need to overcome them and endure them. IN in this case movement will increase the pain. You can swing your leg in a sitting position and carefully bend and unbend it. Thanks to this simple exercise, the joint space widens and painful sensations weaken. The “mouse” left a cleft in the joint and moved into the joint capsule, where it continued its correct movements. Most likely, this pinching will recur, but there is no need to treat it. “Mice” do not live long, and therefore they will leave after a while.

Stretching is optimal prevention

The possibility of re-injury of the knee joint increases. Therefore, treatment becomes more and more difficult and arthrosis is approaching.

therapeutic exercises for knee pain

To prevent similar injuries in the future, it is necessary to give the joints more opportunities to move. This will make it easier for them to withstand the load. To prevent injury, follow these steps:

  • Lesson 1 Sitting on the floor, place your right leg straight in front of you. The foot of the opposite leg is on the right thigh. The left knee should be on the floor. Next, do the same exercise with the other leg.
  • Lesson 2 Sitting on the floor, connect the soles of your feet. Your knees should touch the floor.
  • Lesson 3 Using the pose from lesson 1, bend alternately to each straight leg.
  • Lesson 4 Using the pose from Lesson 2, lean forward.
  • Lesson 5 Sitting on the floor or on a stool, spread your legs wide, press your feet to the floor and move your knees towards each other with your hands.

It is advisable to repeat each lesson a couple of times a day for 1-2 minutes. If you perform these exercises regularly, the joint will not cause concern.

How to treat arthritis and arthrosis

Long-term joint diseases require treatment. Immobility, deformation, inflammation are signs of prolonged arthritis or arthrosis. These are fairly common symptoms. Medicines and therapeutic exercises are suitable for their treatment. Below are exercises for the treatment of joint diseases. They are very easy and there is no pain when performing them. In terms of time, charging can be carried out starting from 10 minutes, gradually increasing the time.

  • Lesson 1 Sitting on a stool or on a table, hang your legs down and dangle them (at the same time: right leg forward, left - back) with a distance between them of approximately 10 centimeters. This is a painless exercise. Perform for 5-10 minutes several times a day.
  • Lesson 2 Sitting on a stool, press the soles of your feet to the floor. Then lift your heels off the floor one by one, keeping your toes pressed to the floor.
  • Lesson 3 The pose is the same as in the second lesson. Now you need to take your socks off the floor one by one. Heels are on the floor.

simple knee exercises

When performing the above activities, pain does not appear. Pain is not good for joints. And if it appears, then it is necessary to stop performing physical therapy.

For severe joint diseases, classes 2 and 3 are suitable. They can be easily performed even while in the theater or on the bus. Therapeutic gymnastics is silent and easy to perform. However, these movements alone are not enough to heal. It would be good to add drug treatment to them, since the disease also affects the tendons, muscles and joint capsule.

Joint development

You can heal your knee joints yourself. They need to be worked out using 3 types of blows: through the palm, through the finger, and slap. Spanking promotes blood flow to the affected joint area, affecting the skin. Patting through pressed fingers has an effect on joint capsules, tendons, muscles, and ligaments. Finger strikes work gently and leave no bruises.

It is good to start the exercise by patting the affected area through your fingers, to determine which you need to place your palm on your knee and bend and straighten your leg. Tapping on the kneecap must be done from the side. The muscles are in a relaxed state. The force of the blows varies depending on the condition of the joint. For a progressive illness - weak taps, for recovery or minor ailment - strong.

While performing the exercises, you may feel some pain. The popliteal cap is not patted. The affected areas should be tapped carefully: first on the straight leg, then on the bent leg. The exercise ends with pats. The more severe the joint disease, the less often you need to use physical exercise. All classes should be carried out only after consultation with a doctor.

How to treat joints using traditional methods

Treat with folk remedies together with traditional medicine simply necessary for good results. Let's look at a few recipes on how to cure the knee joint using folk remedies.

folk remedies for treating knees

  • Bay decoction.
    You need to boil 25 laurel leaves for about 5 minutes. Let the broth stand for 3-5 hours. This infusion is an excellent remedy against salt deposits. Use it 12 hours after preparation, drinking in small sips. The treatment lasts three days, during each of which the drink is prepared again. After the course there is a one-week break, then the course is repeated again. Before drinking the decoction, you need to cleanse your intestines. If this condition is not met, an allergic reaction may occur. The process is carried out 1-2 times a year.
  • A mixture based on rye seeds.
    Pour 250 g of rye seeds into 2 liters of water and boil. When the mixture has cooled, strain it and add 500 g of vodka, 1 kg of honey and 3 tsp. barberry root. The mixture is stirred and placed in a dark place for 21 days. Use 3 tbsp. l. before eating. The course will end when you drink 9 liters of the mixture in this way.
  • Recipe with horseradish.
    Mix 1 kg of chopped horseradish and 4 liters of water, boil for 5 minutes. Place half a kilogram of honey into the cooled mixture. Store the decoction in the refrigerator. It is good to be treated with this recipe a couple of times a year. It would be useful to include cottage cheese with a high calcium content in the sick person’s food (add 1.5 tablespoons of calcium chloride and half a liter of milk to it).

healthy recipe with horseradish

The composition is heated to 50-60 degrees, then cooled. The resulting mixture is filtered and settled in the dark. In the morning, the cottage cheese is ready to eat. This method, together with exercises and medications, remarkably heals the knee joint.


Useful articles:

  • What are the prospects for an athlete after a cruciate ligament sprain? Hello, I have the same problem. I had a crunch in my neck while playing basketball.
  • Recommendations for the treatment of Baker's cyst Hello. I received an ultrasound report of the left knee joint: The quadriceps femoris tendon is homogeneous, the integrity is not...
  • Will I be able to play sports after a serious knee injury? Hello! I would like to clarify about the knee injury! In February of this year 2 weeks ago...

The knee is complex and one of the most mobile and loaded joints in the human body, so it is not surprising that knee mechanism one day it breaks. The knee begins to give the first signals in the form of short-term arthralgia - quickly passing pain: such symptoms are familiar to many people from a young age. But in old age, knee pain ceases to be a small, harmless nuisance: it becomes difficult to walk, go up and down stairs, and gait becomes like rearranging the legs of a compass. Surely everyone has seen such people.

Therefore, if your knee hurts, you need to think about it from a young age.

How exactly your knee hurts is important

All knee pain can be roughly divided according to its duration, intensity, nature and causes.

Depending on their duration, they can be divided into three categories:

  • short-term, passing in a few days;
  • long-term (can last three months or more);
  • chronic (lasting constantly, with short shortening intervals of remission).

According to the intensity of pain, they are divided into weak, moderate, strong, and intense.

The nature:

  • pulling, aching;
  • sharp sudden;
  • shooting;
  • pulsating, etc.

The intensity and color of pain is extremely important for diagnosis, since pain analysis allows us to suspect the presence of not only a certain pathology, but also to determine the areas affected by it and the stage of development.

Short-term pain

Which person hasn't had knee pain from time to time? Short-term pain may result from:

  • physical activity;
  • sudden amplitude movements reaching critical points of joint limitation;
  • prolonged immobile position (sitting, squatting, kneeling);
  • walking in high heels;

Such pain is the result of a muscle or tendon strain, and usually goes away without treatment, or with the help of simple procedures: massage, kneading actions, gymnastics. Sometimes just lying down is enough to relieve the stress on your knee.

When it hurts seriously

  1. Acute, sudden pain in the knee that does not go away for several hours is a signal to immediately consult a doctor, as it may be associated with injury.
  2. Long-lasting pain in the knee joint, not associated with a previous injury, indicates: degenerative-dystrophic or inflammatory (possibly infectious, autoimmune, reactive) processes occurring in the joint or in its ligaments, tendons and bursae; the formation of microtraumas in the meniscus or ligaments under the influence of fatigue stress, which often occurs in athletes.
  3. Chronic, almost constant pain, usually combined with a limited range of motion, when the knee cannot be bent 90 degrees, are signs of advanced arthropathy.

33 Most Important Causes of Knee Pain

If your knees hurt, the reasons can be very serious.

Pain may result from:

  • traumatic or pre-traumatic condition of the knee;
  • a consequence of hidden processes: gonarthrosis and periarthrosis;
  • atritis and periarthritis;
  • osteopathy and osteochondropathy.

Behind each name is a number of diseases with their own specifics. Let's consider the most common reasons pain in the knee joint.

Knee injuries

Injuries (dislocation, fracture, torn meniscus, sprained/torn ligaments, etc.) are one of the most common problems in sports, as well as in childhood/adolescence.


Meniscus tear

Meniscopathy when ruptured manifests itself:

  • sudden sharp pain;
  • joint blockade;
  • pain when pressing on the groove between the tibia and the kneecap;
  • swelling, sometimes aggravated by hemarthrosis (bleeding into the joint capsule).

The torn one must be removed, since its flap, when moving, rubs against the cartilage tissue of the joint and gradually destroys it. This process is called chondromalacia.

Ligament rupture is accompanied by:

  • pain and swelling;
  • a characteristic crack from a torn ligament;
  • knee stability problems;
  • with an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament, the lower leg moves forward;
  • in case of injury to the posterior cruciate ligament - backwards.

A triad injury is possible with simultaneous rupture of both ligaments and the medial meniscus with aggravated symptoms: pain, blockage and instability.

Gonarthrosis

In second place in terms of prevalence is degenerative-dystrophic disease (), which gradually mutilates and deforms the joint.


Initial symptoms:

  • mild pain in the knees after exercise;
  • after a long period of absence of movement, especially in a sitting position, the knee joints become stiff and they have to be “walked”;
  • when periarthrosis begins, the first manifestations of synovitis are possible: the knee swells evenly due to the synovial fluid accumulating inside the joint capsule.

In the future, with the progression of gonarthrosis, the following is observed:

  • increased pain, morning stiffness;
  • when moving, a dull crunching sound appears;
  • the knee is deformed with thickening of the subchondral bone;
  • due to the narrowing of the interarticular space, the free movement of the knee and the elevation angle are increasingly limited;
  • synovitis becomes frequent and more pronounced, and can lead to a Baker's cyst - an accumulation of fluid in the posterior popliteal region

Late arthrosis of the knee can be determined by:

  • for unrelenting night pain; lameness;
  • axial deformation of the thigh and lower leg (X-shaped legs);
  • tuberous surface of the knee due to replacement of cartilage with calcium deposits;
  • ossification of ligaments;
  • myopathies.

Arthritis of the knee joint

Arthrosis is more often an age-related disease, but if the knee joints hurt in youth and childhood, then arthritis may be the cause.

Arthritis is a systemic disease that affects not only the joints, but the entire body.

The main differences between arthritis and arthrosis are:

  • Painful attacks at night/morning that go away with the onset of movement (with arthrosis, pain, on the contrary, intensifies with movement).
  • Aching nature of the pain.
  • Temperature rises to 38 - 40˚.
  • The skin surface over the joint may be swollen, red, and hot to the touch.

General bad feeling caused by intoxication due to inflammatory infections that are the cause of arthritis.


Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is the most threatening form of arthritis, affecting the cardiovascular, nervous, urinary systems, hematopoietic organs, vision, etc.

It destroys joints symmetrically and multiple times, turning into polyarthritis. The joints of the knees are less commonly affected than the small joints of the hands and feet, where rheumatoid arthritis usually begins. People more often suffer from rheumatoid arthritis in their youth and young years. The disease is accompanied by a number of syndromes (Still, Felty, pseudoseptic, allergic septic), manifested in increased leukocytes, ESR, fever, rash, enlarged spleen, etc.

Reactive arthritis

Reactive arthritis causes unilateral damage and is rapid in nature, quickly starting and ending in one joint and literally flying to another. Joint symptoms(pain, swelling, redness of the skin) appear late, after recovery from an infectious disease occurs (influenza, chickenpox, rubella, etc.).

Infectious arthritis

It is characterized by a violent onset, fever and deterioration of well-being caused by general intoxication. It is provoked by staphylococcal and streptococcal infections, as well as gonococci, meningococci, gram-negative intestinal bacteria. Acute pain in the joints, accompanied by high temperature, gives to other areas. In children, an infectious-allergic form is most often observed with skin rashes, conjunctivitis, and Quincke's edema.

Gout

Gout rarely affects the knee, usually concentrated in the feet. It begins suddenly with very intense pain, often at night. The skin over the joint turns red, and soon tophi form on it - protruding formations consisting of urate salts. The cause of gout lies in the increased content of uric acid in the blood - this is due to impaired metabolism.

Psoriatic arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis manifests itself as severely swollen joints, thickened bones, and the appearance of characteristic white, itchy, scaly patches on the skin of the body and scalp. It is less common in the knee joints than in the arm joints.

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is an inflammatory process caused by arthrosis, so it combines the symptoms of both diseases: pain with movement and rest, swelling and redness, deformation, crunching, periarthritis, etc. It develops slowly, joining already existing arthrosis.

Traumatic arthritis

Traumatic arthritis has a hidden course: sometimes it manifests itself years after the injury. The main sign of post-traumatic injuries: constant aching pain at the site of injury; crunching, swelling of the joint.

Inflammation of the periarticular tissues of the knee joint

The knees hurt not so much because of the deformation of the joint, but because of the inflammation of its soft tissues (muscles, membranes, ligaments, tendons). It is periarthritis that causes swelling.

Synovitis

The most common cause of swelling in the knee joints is synovitis.

Distinctive signs of synovitis:

  • uniform smooth swelling of the knee;
  • pain when palpating the knee and moving;
  • in acute purulent or purulent-hemorrhagic form (septic synovitis), fever, nausea, and weakness are possible.


Septic synovitis requires urgent puncture with evacuation of liquid contents from the joint cavity.

Baker's cyst

In some cases, synovial fluid collects in the posterior folds of the joint capsule, forming a Baker's cyst in the form of a ball in the popliteal fossa. In this case, the area of ​​the knee behind swells, and when you try to bend it, posterior surface pain occurs. If the pain radiates to neighboring areas and is accompanied by tingling or numbness, this indicates compression of the peripheral nerve by the cyst.


Cyst rupture is accompanied by sharp intense pain, increased swelling, and redness. skin and high temperature. This requires urgent aspiration (puncture).

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is inflammation of the tendons. If your knees hurt after constant training or hard work, then it is quite possible that the tendons are inflamed. The most common tendinitis is the kneecap's own ligament. This disease is not only a sports disease: a good half of people have knee pain not so much from osteoarthropathy as from tendon-ligament inflammation, that is, periarthritis. And the reasons for this are simple:

  • age-related tissue fibrosis with the appearance of pseudocysts;
  • flat feet;
  • dislocation of the knee joint;
  • knee stability problems;
  • myofascial syndrome of the muscles of the posterior surface of the thigh, in which a forced change in the anatomical position of the kneecap occurs.

Knee tendinitis is almost always observed with any injury and often accompanies knee arthrosis.

Signs that your knee hurts due to tendinitis:

  1. Tendinitis in the initial stages manifests itself as a dull pain under the kneecap and near the condylar tubercle of the tibia.
  2. At first, pain occurs only after movements or exertion, but then it begins to accompany all movements and becomes more and more intense.
  3. Tension and stiffness arise in the knee, making it more difficult to straighten.

Test for knee tendinitis

The following test allows you to diagnose a partial or complete ligament tear:

  • While sitting or lying down with your knee bent, wrap your arms around it.
  • Try to straighten your knee while resisting with your hands using the PIRM method.

If, when you try to straighten your knee, pain occurs under the kneecap or near the tubercle on the outside of the knee, this indicates possible inflammation of the tendon.

Knee bursitis

Bursitis is an inflammation of the tendon bags that attach the muscles to the bones of the joints.

In contrast, synovitis of the knee, which always manifests itself in the form of evenly distributed swelling around the knee (the exception is Baker's cyst), produces localized swelling (one or several) in the peri-knee area. The position of the edema corresponds to the topography of the tendon bursa, of which there are a lot in the knee joint: there are ten main ones. If the bursa is deep, the swelling may not be visualized.


Symptoms depend on which bursa is affected.

Osteopathy and osteochondropathy

If degenerative processes affect the kneecap itself, we are talking about chondropathy.

Chondropathy of the patella occurs with constant physical activity, and can also be a consequence of a knee fracture. It is diagnosed by severe pain, a crunch in the knee, and the inability to lean on the affected leg.

Osteopathies (osteoporosis, osteomyelitis) are systemic, difficult-to-treat pathologies.

Osteoporosis mainly affects older people, especially women. It is accompanied by aching chronic pain and a continuous decrease in bone density, which can lead to a traumatic knee fracture - this injury ranks second among osteoporotic fractures in old age after a hip fracture.

is a rare infectious bone disease that affects the bone marrow.

It begins acutely with severe pain in the joint area, its swelling, redness of the skin, and temperature up to 40. Then the disease becomes latent and can be practically asymptomatic in the initial stages. In the later stages, purulent abscesses begin with penetration into the surrounding tissues.

Joint pain can also be caused by many diseases; it is impossible to talk about them all in one article. It presents the most common causes of pain in the knee joints.

How to treat knee pain

The causes and treatment of knee joint pain are closely related. It is impossible to give the same scheme for all pathologies.

What to do if your knee suddenly hurts

Do not try to diagnose sudden onset of acute knee pain yourself. Even if it subsides, you should definitely visit an orthopedist and get a diagnosis. This primarily concerns knee injuries. Only a doctor can decide how to treat the knee joint.

In case of traumatic injury, first aid is provided in the form of immobilization of the knee using a tight bandage or orthosis. Before visiting a doctor, you can apply the bandage yourself at home and relieve any stress on the knee.

If a dislocation occurs, the orthopedist will simply straighten the knee. A fracture of the kneecap, a torn meniscus, or may require surgery, after which the doctor will also immobilize the knee with an orthopedic piece and prescribe a rehabilitation regimen.

If a sharp pain occurs for no reason and is accompanied by general incomprehensible symptoms, the orthopedist should redirect the patient to a rheumatologist.

What to do if your knee hurts all the time

It is necessary to consult a rheumatologist:

  • with constant pain of any nature that does not go away for two months or more;
  • emerging motor dysfunctions;
  • the appearance of swelling and redness in the knee area;
  • the appearance of non-articular symptoms ( elevated temperature, nausea, rash, diseases of the eyes and other organs), accompanying knee pain or appearing after it.

Diagnosis of knee pain

First, a regular x-ray is done.

Based on the results, the doctor may prescribe the following types of research:

  • CT or MRI.
  • Densimetry;
  • Arthroscopy (for synovitis, Baker's cyst, damage to the meniscus and ligaments).


Laboratory diagnostics are carried out:

  • general and biochemical analysis blood with rheumatic factor testing;
  • bacterial analysis (if infectious arthritis is suspected), etc.

Relief of pain in the knee joint

Pain during exacerbation of arthropathy (degenerative-inflammatory process in the knees) is relieved:

  • NSAIDs (diclofenac, nimesil, ketonal, etc.).
  • Post-traumatic pain is treated with novocaine/lidocaine blockade.
  • To reduce spasm of the femoral and tibial muscles, antispasmodics (mydocalm, sirlalud) are prescribed.

Relieving swelling in the knee

  • The formation of effusion in the joint area during synovitis is reduced by injections of glucocorticosteroids (hydrocortisone/dexamethasone).
  • In an emergency, fluid is evacuated from the joint (aspiration).
  • Chronic synovitis can be treated with proteolytics (trypsin/lysozyme).

Treatment of infectious and inflammatory processes

For infectious arthritis, differentiated antibacterial therapy is carried out taking into account the identified pathogen and the selection of the desired antibiotic.

Rheumatoid arthritis requires long-term complex treatment with basic drugs (methotrexate/sulfasalazine), immunosuppressants (cyclophosphomide/cyclosporine) and modern means genetic engineering biology.

It is difficult to cure due to the autoimmune nature of the process.

Non-drug treatment for knee pain

In 50% of cases, knee pain is not associated with serious illness (see above: Short-term pain). For example, tendon strains or mild forms of tendinitis can be treated with knee strengthening exercises.