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. In order to make a diagnosis and correctly prescribe treatment, you should 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, your joints will inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important that you find out in timewhy there is pain in the knee joint: This could be a signal of injury, illness or even problems with the nervous system.
What can be damaged in the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. Consists of:
- becomes
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- vessels,
- nerves
- connections,
- knee,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All these parts can be damaged, but 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 sprained joint, torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even small vessels will cause hematoma 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 joint pain. And if there is a nerve disease, the patient will feel a sharp shooting pain in the knee even with a perfectly 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 sudden movement; even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruise- quite weak and very frequent damage. With it, the knee swells, turns red, the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If bruising occurs, knee massage may be required;
- Breaking tiesoccurs when the leg or hip is twisted too much in an unnatural direction. Complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive mobility of the joint;
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by high load, unnatural position, impact on the leg or twisting of the tibia. 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 excruciating pain, excessive mobility and deformity of the knee.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or traumatologist. A visual examination is often sufficient, but you may be sent 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 damage to the joint, be it cartilage destruction, infection in the joint capsule or inflammation of the bones, will cause pain and reduced mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically in the knee: general joint diseases affect the whole body. Knees will deteriorate faster due to the heavy load.
- Arthritis— inflammation of the joint, which can develop after an injury, infection or metabolic problems;
- bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe discomfort when trying to move the joint;
- Atperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments that surround 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 that surrounds the joint and softens friction and impacts;
- New formationsthey press on the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- AtosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of the bones and joints, the tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by excruciating pain and an 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, flu and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to an infection that has entered the joint capsule. In these cases, there is an increase in temperature, weakness and pain in several joints at the same time.
For the diagnosis of these diseases, an X-ray, magnetic resonance or computer tomography is made, which shows all parts of the affected joint. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to take a general and biochemical blood test and take a puncture of the synovial fluid. To rule out infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, pain in the knees occurs due to a violation of nerve tissue. It is accompanied by sharp shooting pains and may begin to feel tingling and numbness in the leg.
- Neuritis- inflammation of a nerve in one or more areas. With it, the patient experiences throbbing pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to involuntarily bend at the knee;
- A pinched nerve- a frequent consequence of inflammations, neoplasms and injuries. Due to physical pressure on the nerve roots in the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
For the diagnosis of nerve diseases, MRI 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 from the symptom why there is pain in the knee joint?
The exact cause of the pain can only be determined by a specialist and after appropriate tests. However, it is quite possible to roughly determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel tingling or numbness in addition to the pain,nerve damage;
- Knee fever and swelling -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and ill 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 the joint without loss of sensation isdestruction of the joint, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, sprains and bruises will be preceded by a bump or fall that you will hardly ignore. At whichdislocation of the joint, damage to ligaments and meniscusaccompanied by excessive mobility in the knee.
After roughly determining the cause of the pain, you can prepare for a visit to the doctor and take the necessary tests and photographs. This will reduce diagnosis time and speed up recovery. Do not try to treat a sore knee yourself, as you may mistake 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.