The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other aggravation of the disease, diagnostic tests can only be prescribed by the attending physician. Consult your doctor to establish a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
When we experience discomfort in the knee, we rarely think about damage to the joints. After forty years, it seems that there is no reason to worry: at this age, joints will inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important to be informed in timewhy is there pain in the knee joint: This can be a sign of injury, illness or even neurological problems.
What can injure the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. It consists of:
- common,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- ships,
- nerves,
- ribbons,
- kneecap,
- meniscus,
- joint capsule.
All of these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can be damaged: bones do not have nerve endings.
Knee pain can be caused by damage to the femur and tibia, as well as nearby muscles.
Some parts of the injury, such as dislocation of the joint, tear or tear of the meniscus, reduce mobility. Even damage to small blood vessels causes hematoma and inflammation, which causes discomfort when moving the leg. The joint capsule is an excellent environment for infection: after viral and bacterial infections, patients often complain of complications and joint pain. And if there is a nerve 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. The knee can be injured from an unfortunate fall, sports, sudden movement, even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruise- quite a weak and very common injury. With it, the knee swells, turns red, and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If bruising occurs, knee massage may be necessary;
- Rupture of taste budsit occurs when the leg or thigh twists too unnaturally. A complete tear of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by a heavy load, an unnatural position, hitting the leg, or twisting the leg. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Knee, leg or hip fracturecombined with soft tissue damage, causing excruciating pain, excessive mobility and deformity of the knee.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or a traumatologist. A visual examination is often sufficient, but they may send you for an X-ray (if a fracture or dislocation is suspected) or a CT scan if the doctor suspects ligament or meniscus damage.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any joint damage, be it cartilage destruction, joint capsule infection or bone inflammation, causes aching pain and reduced mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically in the knee: general joint diseases affect the whole body. Knees deteriorate faster due to heavy loads.
- Arthritis- arthritis, which can develop after injury, infection or metabolic problems;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe discomfort when moving the joint;
- Atperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint become inflamed. Pain is felt with increased load on the bent leg, for example, when going down the stairs;
- Chondropathy— gradual destruction of the cartilage surrounding the joint, which softens friction and impact;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which causes pain and limits mobility;
- AtosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of 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 bone tissue. Swelling is visible in the affected area, the temperature rises, and the patient experiences severe acute pain;
- Diseasesof a different nature - for example, influenza and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to infection in the joint capsule. In these cases, temperature rise, weakness and pain appear in several joints at the same time.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray, magnetic resonance or computed tomography scan is performed, which shows all parts of the affected joint. In case of suspicion of inflammation, the doctor recommends performing a general and biochemical blood test and injecting the synovial fluid. In order to rule out infectious diseases, they may refer you for further tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, knee pain occurs due to disorders of the nerve tissue. It is accompanied by sharp shooting pains, numbness and tingling in the legs.
- Nerve inflammation- inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. With this, the patient feels throbbing pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to contract involuntarily at the knee;
- A pinched nerve- a common consequence of inflammations, tumors and injuries. Physical pressure on the nerve roots of the knee can cause burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis.
For the diagnosis of diseases of the nervous system, MRI or CT are 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.
Can it be determined from 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 proper examinations. However, it is possible to roughly define at least the affected area:
- If you also feel numbness or tingling in addition to the pain,nerve damage;
- Increased knee temperature and swelling -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and ill health -joint diseases after illness;
- The pain can be felt not only in the knee, but also in other joints, for example in the shoulder or fingers: it may be e. g.osteoporosis, and the consequencesinfectious disease;
- Sharp pain in the joint when trying to bend or straighten the leg, and very weak at rest.bursitis or advanced chondropathy;
- Impairment of mobility in the joint without loss of sensitivityjoint damage, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations, and bruises are preceded by a bump or fall that you are unlikely to ignore. Wherejoint dislocation, ligament and meniscus damageaccompanied by excessive mobility of the knee.
After you have roughly determined the cause of the pain, you can prepare for a visit to the doctor and take the necessary tests and images. This reduces diagnostic time and speeds up recovery. Do not try to treat your painful knee yourself, as you may confuse the cause of the disease and worsen the condition. Severe pain can be alleviated with painkillers, it is worth consulting a doctor about anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.