Pain in the knee joint is common in people over 50 years of age. Sometimes this problem is encountered at a younger age. Most often, knee pain occurs during natural aging of the body, during which wear and tear of large joints occurs. They are most subject to serious stress. Sometimes discomfort appears only during bending. Before you begin treatment for knee pain, you need to determine the cause of the problem. Let's look at the most common triggers for pain in the knee area when bending.
Arthrosis
Among the most common triggers for pain when bending the knee is arthrosis of the knee joint. With the development of this disease, pain appears in the joint. Every day the joint withstands heavy loads, so it suffers more often than others.
With the development of arthrosis, a gradual thinning of the cartilage tissue occurs, microcirculation and metabolic processes are disrupted, and microcracks occur. If the cartilage is not nourished, it will gradually deteriorate.
In the first stages of the development of the disease, aching pain occurs after undergoing physical activity. When bending the knee, the pain intensifies and is accompanied by a crunching sound. As the pathology progresses, it becomes more and more prolonged, and stiffness in the joint appears. Pain during flexion and extension occurs when deformation of the cartilage tissue and the knee joint itself occurs. Often, painful sensations occur in only one knee, after which they spread to the second limb.
The reasons for the development of arthrosis are:
- previous injuries, damage, joint fractures;
- systematic heavy physical activity;
- obesity;
- professional sports.
If a person is at risk, arthrosis begins to develop at the age of about 30 years. This disease can develop especially often in women who suffer from obesity and varicose veins.
Damaged ligaments
A common cause of ligament damage is injury caused by physical stress. Such problems are observed mainly in athletes or people with an active lifestyle. Prolonged stress can cause inflammation of the ligaments, and if they are not given time to rest, then, as a result of the damage, ligament ruptures can occur. Pain may appear immediately after exercise or the next day. It becomes difficult to move the legs; if a rupture occurs, swelling and cyanosis appear.
A good treatment in the early stages is rest, possibly splints for the ligaments, and special ointments prescribed by your doctor. When the consequences are more serious, the doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory and painkillers, special leg bandaging, or even surgical intervention if necessary.
Arthritis
The leader among all inflammatory diseases in the knee area is arthritis. With the development of this disease, infectious agents penetrate into the tissues of the knee joint. As a result, gouty or juvenile arthritis develops.
The most dangerous is rheumatoid arthritis. This is an autoimmune disease and cannot be cured. It progresses rapidly, causing complete destruction of bone structures. With the development of arthritis, deformation of the joint occurs, this is accompanied by severe pain, especially during flexion and extension of the knee.
Pain during flexion of the knee joint is typical at any stage of arthritis development. If there is an exacerbation of the disease, the following additional symptoms occur:
- swelling;
- swelling;
- redness and hyperemia;
- local hyperthermia.
When moving the knee, a person feels fullness, swelling of the kneecap appears, and it becomes hot to the touch. With severe exacerbation, it becomes very difficult to move. When a person is at rest, the symptoms gradually fade away.
If the pathological process is provoked by bursitis, in which the joint capsule becomes inflamed, the discomfort does not go away, even if the patient is at rest. In this case, the joint bakes from the inside. Also, with the development of synovitis, which is accompanied by inflammation of the synovial membrane, severe pain occurs during flexion and extension of the knee.
Articular cartilage disorder
The reasons for this disorder can be various: physical activity, lack of important vitamins and minerals, a sedentary lifestyle, a tendency to be overweight, arthrosis, poor blood circulation, and various injuries. The pain is aching, mechanical in nature, manifests itself during movement and a strange crunching or crackling sensation may be felt. Depending on the reasons, therapy will be prescribed: physiotherapy, special massages, therapeutic mud, lotions, enhanced nutrition, abolition of physical activity. In complex advanced situations, surgical intervention is possible.
Use of medications
To get rid of pain in the knee joint, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers and chondroprotectors are used.
With the help of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, the inflammatory process is stopped, pain is eliminated, and microcirculation of blood and lymph is improved. These drugs include ointments, gels and tablets. Usually the doctor prescribes the following medications:
- Dicrofenac;
- Nimesil;
- Indomethacin;
- Meloxicam;
- Ketanov.
With the help of chondroprotectors, the regeneration of injured and damaged tissues in the knee joint is accelerated. Such drugs are unable to relieve pain, but with a long course of treatment it is possible to prevent the development of relapses and restore the functionality of the knee joint.
Other drugs for the treatment of knee diseases include:
- antibacterial agents - indicated in the treatment of infectious arthritis;
- glucocorticosteroid injections - for the treatment of arthrosis and rheumatoid arthritis;
- medicines to remove urate - in the treatment of gout.
If injury occurs, a cold compress must be applied. Thanks to this, the pain will subside and the hematoma will resolve. Under no circumstances should you heat your knee.
Diagnostic features
If your knee hurts after a fall, awkward movement or blow, you need to seek help from a traumatologist. If pain appears for no apparent reason, consultation with an orthopedist or neurologist is necessary. If hematomas or spider veins appear on your legs, it is advisable to make an appointment with a phlebologist. The following tests may be required to make a diagnosis:
- X-ray;
- MRI;
- CT;
- Ultrasound of joints and blood vessels;
- blood and urine tests;
- joint puncture.
For bursitis and synovitis, collection of joint fluid is necessary. If it is cloudy, greenish or yellowish, then it is further examined for the presence of infections. This allows you to select the most effective drug to combat inflammatory agents. For arthritis, arthrosis and some other pathologies, high-quality images obtained using MRI or CT can reveal pathological changes such as narrowing of the joint space, formation of osteophytes, destruction of cartilage, deformation of bone tissue and others.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
Therapy for any joint disease must be comprehensive. Physiotherapeutic procedures can reduce the need to use medications. In this case, the process of restoration of motor function is reduced.
Among the effective physiotherapeutic procedures are:
- ultrasound;
- infrared irradiation;
- magnetic therapy;
- mud therapy;
- electrophoresis;
- phonophoresis;
- laser therapy;
- paraffin therapy;
- medicinal baths;
- UHF;
- microcurrents.
Physiotherapeutic treatment is required when the exacerbation of the underlying disease subsides. Such procedures should only be prescribed by a doctor, taking into account the indications.
Physiotherapy
Thanks to regular exercise therapy, good results can be achieved. Such exercises improve joint mobility and stop the development of the pathological process. Training partially helps restore the functionality of the knee joint. After training, it will be easier to bend and unbend it.
Physical therapy should only be prescribed by a doctor. Exercises can be performed when the inflammatory process has stopped and the pain has subsided. All physical therapy movements must be performed smoothly, avoiding the development of painful sensations. Main; perform the exercises systematically, daily.
Surgical intervention
If pain occurs when bending the knee, you must first find out the cause of this symptom. Typically, surgery is prescribed only for serious injuries or damage, as well as if the disease is at an advanced stage of development. In this case, the pain is constant, the flexion function of the knee is impaired, and the joint is deformed. All this is an obstacle to the patient’s normal movement.
Doctors often use two surgical treatment techniques:
- The first technique is organ-preserving. Its goal is to save more of the natural tissue of the knee joint. The specialist performs the entire procedure using a device such as an arthroscope.
- The second type of surgical treatment, which is often used for complete destruction of articular and cartilage tissues, is endoprosthetics. During this procedure, the joint is replaced with an artificial implant. After complete recovery, the person regains the ability to move freely.
Which doctor should I contact for knee pain?
With knee pain, it is best to consult an orthopedic traumatologist or surgeon. In case of chronic knee pain, help can be provided by a rheumatologist. In order to relieve pain, people also consult a physiotherapist, massage therapist or chiropractor.
Use of non-traditional methods of treatment
To reduce the severity of pain when bending or straightening the knee, you can use traditional medicine. It is important to remember that such methods are used only as part of complex therapy; they are not an alternative to medications or physiotherapeutic procedures.
Traditional methods are best used if the pathological processes are chronic. It is not recommended to use them when the disease is in the acute stage. Otherwise, the inflammatory process may worsen.
The most effective means are:
- Pharmaceutical clay. This is an inexpensive but effective remedy with which you can improve blood microcirculation, get rid of congestion in the joint and prolong the period of remission. Pharmaceutical clay should be diluted with a small amount of water. This should result in a thick paste. It is applied to the damaged joint and covered with cling film on top. This compress is left until the morning. Duration of treatment; 10 days.
- If severe pain occurs, a small piece of salted pork lard can help. It needs to be bandaged around the knee. After a few hours, the unpleasant symptoms will decrease. This compress can be left until the morning.
- Prepare a tincture of dandelion flowers, lilac inflorescences and dry comfrey. All plants are taken in equal proportions. They need to be filled with vodka. Then you need to put the tincture in a dry, dark place, it should infuse for 2 weeks. After this, the tincture must be strained. The product should be used to rub the knee joint. Plants help restore mobility, improve microcirculation of blood and lymph, and also relieve swelling.
- Make a tincture of white acacia. You need to take a glass of dried acacia flowers, pour 100 grams of vodka or alcohol into them. The product needs to be moved to a dry, dark room, it should sit for two weeks. Next, you need to strain the tincture and use it as a rub.
- Horse chestnut tincture. You need to take half a glass of horse chestnut and pour a glass of vodka. The product should be infused for 10 days in a dark room. Next, you need to strain the tincture and use it morning and evening to rub your knee.
- To reduce the severity of pain when bending and straightening the knee, you can use ice. It must first be wrapped in a clean, dry cloth or towel to prevent cold burns. Ice should be applied to the sore joint in the morning and evening for 15 minutes. Using this procedure, you can reduce the severity of pain, get rid of swelling and prevent the development of congestion.
Wearing orthoses
With the help of orthopedic knee pads, you can support the muscular system and prevent the thinning of cartilaginous structures. Such products have a compression effect on the joint and soft tissues around it.
Orthoses are a good way to prevent the development of knee joint diseases; they reduce the load. There are different types of knee pads. You need to choose a product on the recommendation of a doctor. The choice is determined by the presence of a specific pathological process and the degree of its development. Orthoses differ in materials and degrees of rigidity. Such products can be elastic.
In production, a special technology of weaving compression fibers is used. With the help of a knee brace, the joint will be supported with high quality. The orthosis will protect against excessive loads. The device will help get rid of pain and stop the progression of existing pathological processes.
To prevent the occurrence of various diseases of the knee joint and unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to adhere to a healthy lifestyle; eat right, give up bad habits and exercise.
The structure of the joint in MRI images of the knee?
Despite its apparent simplicity, the structure of this site has a complex structure. In addition to the anatomical connection of the two bones of the lower limb (tibia and femur), the articular area is represented by cartilage fibers, connective, ligamentous and muscular apparatus, nerve and blood channels. The front side of the fold is usually called lateral, and the popliteal (inner) side is called medial.
The natural joint is kept in a dynamic state by the cruciate ligaments, which also provide the force for movement. An MRI of the knee shows that between the dense surfaces of the two bones there is a cartilage seal - the meniscus disc. Its purpose is to evenly distribute the load on the limb. The tissue does not wear out in the interosseous space, as it is surrounded by liquid-filled capsules - bursae.
Maximum mobility of the area is ensured by the work of the quadriceps anterior muscle, which is also evident on MRI of the knee. According to an anatomical algorithm, it straightens the limb, and the tendons located in the inner part of the bend pull the tibia to the tibia. In the absence of damage or systemic diseases, wear and tear of bones and cartilage does not occur for many years, unless the joint areas of the body are overstrained. But in some cases, premature aging of the “hinge” part of the legs appears. The following factors influence the anomalous process:
- Osteoarthritis and arthritic damage that can lead to complete immobility of the bone joint.
- Age-related changes in the body leading to tissue aging.
- Excessively high weight, putting a lot of stress on the legs.
- Hormonal changes affecting blood circulation.
- Congenital developmental pathologies and genetic predisposition to bone diseases.
- Previous surgery and other types of trauma.
- Forced physical overload caused by occupational hazards.
In addition to the above list, the treating specialist can detect premature joint aging due to poor posture, adverse environmental influences and addiction to smoking and alcohol.
