The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and correctly prescribe treatment, you need to contact your doctor.
When we experience knee discomfort, we rarely think about joint damage. After forty it seems that there is nothing to worry about: at this age the joints inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important to find out in timewhy there is pain in the knee joint: This could be a sign of injury, illness, or even nervous system problems.
What can be damaged in the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. Consists of:
- arrived,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- ships,
- nerves
- ligaments,
- kneecap,
- menisci,
- Joint capsule.
All of these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can hurt: there are no nerve endings in bones.
Knee pain can be caused by damage to the femur and tibia, as well as nearby muscles.
Parts of the injury, such as a dislocated joint, torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even the smallest vessels will cause bruising and inflammation, which will cause discomfort when trying to move the leg. The joint capsule is an excellent environment for infection: after viral and bacterial infections, patients often complain of complications and pain in the joints. And if there is a nervous disease, the patient will feel a sharp shooting pain in the knee even with a completely healthy joint.
Knee pain due to injury
Injuries are one of the most common causes of pain. Knees can be damaged by an unfortunate fall, sports or a sudden movement; Even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruise- fairly weak and very frequent damage. With it, the knee swells, turns red, and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If bruising occurs, you may need a knee massage;
- Ligament ruptureoccurs when the leg or thigh is excessively rotated in an unnatural direction. A complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by a high load, an unnatural position, a blow to the leg or a twist of the shin. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Fractures of the knee, leg or hipcombined with soft tissue damage, causing unbearable pain, excessive mobility and deformation of the knee.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or traumatologist. A visual exam is often sufficient, but an x-ray may be performed (if a fracture or dislocation is suspected) or a tomography scan if the doctor suspects damage to the ligaments or meniscus.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, whether it is destruction of the cartilage, infection of the joint capsule, or inflammation of the bone, will cause aching pain and reduced mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically to the knee: general joint diseases affect the entire organism. The knees will deteriorate faster due to the high load.
- Arthritis— inflammation of the joint, which can develop after an injury, infection or problems with metabolism;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, leading to severe discomfort when trying to move the joint;
- TOperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint become inflamed. The pain is felt with increased load on the bent leg, for example when going down the stairs;
- Chondropathy— gradual destruction of the cartilage that surrounds the joint and attenuates friction and impacts;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, causing pain and limiting mobility;
- TOosteoporosisCalcium is gradually eliminated from the bones and joints, the tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by aching pain and increased risk of injury;
- Osteomyelitis- inflammation of the bone tissue. Swelling is visible in the affected area, the temperature rises, and the patient feels severe sharp pain;
- Illnessesof various nature - for example influenza and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to infections that have entered the joint capsule. In these cases there is an increase in temperature, weakness and pain in several joints at the same time.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray scan, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography is performed, which shows all parts of the affected joint. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to do a general and biochemical blood test and do a synovial fluid puncture. To rule out infectious diseases, you may undergo additional tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, pain in the knees appears due to a disorder of the nervous tissue. It is accompanied by sharp, stabbing pains and numbness and tingling in the leg may begin.
- Neuritis- inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. With it, the patient feels excruciating pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to twitch involuntarily at the knee;
- Pinched nerve- a common consequence of inflammation, neoplasms and injuries. Due to physical pressure on the nerve roots of the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
To diagnose nervous diseases, magnetic resonance imaging or CT is used, depending on the patient's contraindications. If the pain is caused by a pinched nerve, blood and synovial fluid tests may be needed to determine the cause of the joint deformity.
Is it possible to determine by the symptom why there is pain in the knee joint?
The exact cause of the pain can only be understood by a specialist and after appropriate investigations. However, it is quite possible to approximately determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling in addition to the pain,nerve damage;
- Increased temperature and swelling of the knee -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and poor health -joint diseases after illness;
- The pain is felt not only in the knees, but also in other joints, for example, in the shoulder or fingers: it can be likeosteoporosis, and the consequencesinfectious disease;
- Sharp pain in the joint when trying to bend or straighten the leg and very weak when at rest.bursitis or advanced chondropathy;
- Impaired mobility in a joint without loss of sensation isjoint destruction, neoplasia or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations and bruises will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you will hardly ignore. In whichjoint dislocation, damage to ligaments and meniscusaccompanied by excessive knee mobility.
Having approximately determined the cause of the pain, you can prepare for a visit to the doctor and take the necessary tests and photographs. This will shorten diagnostic times and speed up recovery. Don't try to treat a sore knee yourself, as you may confuse the cause of the disease and make the condition worse. Severe pain can be relieved with analgesics, and it is better to consult a doctor for anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.