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 must contact your doctor.
When we experience knee discomfort, we rarely think about the damage to the joints. After forty, it seems that there is nothing to worry about: at this age, you inevitably have joint pain. In fact, it is very important to know this in timewhy there is pain in the knee joint: This could be a sign 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. That consists of:
- joint,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- ships,
- nerves
- ligaments,
- ball joint,
- the menisci,
- joint capsule.
All of these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can be painful: there are no nerve endings in the bones.
Knee pain can be caused by damage to the femur and tibia, as well as nearby muscles.
Certain parts of the injury, such as a dislocated 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 in case of a nervous disease, the patient will feel 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, playing a sport or a sudden movement; even uncomfortable shoes can lead to complications.
- Knee bruise- fairly weak and very frequent damage. With this, the knee swells, turns red and the temperature of the joint may increase slightly. In case of bruising, a knee massage may be necessary;
- Ligament ruptureoccurs when the leg or thigh is twisted too much in an unnatural direction. A complete rupture of the ligaments causes intense pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearcan be caused by high load, unnatural position, blow to the leg or twisted shin. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Knee, leg or hip fracturesassociated with soft tissue damage, causing unbearable pain, excessive mobility and knee deformity.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or traumatologist. A visual exam is often enough, 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 meniscal injury.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, whether it is cartilage destruction, joint capsule infection, or bone inflammation, will result in painful pain and decreased mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically to the knee: general joint diseases will affect the entire body. The knees will deteriorate more quickly due to the high load.
- Arthritis- inflammation of the joint, which can develop after an injury, infection or metabolism problems;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which causes severe discomfort when attempting to move the joint;
- HASperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint become inflamed. Pain is felt with increased load on the bent leg, for example, when descending stairs;
- Chondropathy— progressive destruction of the cartilage which surrounds the joint and reduces friction and shock;
- Tumorsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- HASosteoporosisCalcium is gradually eliminated from bones and joints, tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by aching 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 feels severe sharp pain;
- Diseasesof various nature - for example, influenza and tuberculosis - can lead to complications due to infection that has penetrated the joint capsule. In these cases, there is an increase in temperature, weakness and pain in several joints at once.
To diagnose these diseases, an x-ray, magnetic resonance or CT scan is performed, 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 synovial fluid puncture. To rule out infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, knee pain appears due to a disorder of the nervous tissue. It is accompanied by sharp shooting pains, and numbness and tingling may begin in the leg.
- Neuritis- 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 involuntarily twitch at the knee;
- Pinched nerve- a common consequence of inflammation, neoplasms and injuries. Due to the physical pressure placed on the nerve roots of the knee, burning, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
To diagnose nervous diseases, MRI or CT scan 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.
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 understood by a specialist and after appropriate tests. However, it is quite possible to at least roughly determine the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling in addition to 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 feel likeosteoporosis, and the consequencesinfectious disease;
- Sharp pain in the joint when trying to bend or straighten the leg, and very weak when resting.advanced bursitis or chondropathy;
- Reduced mobility in a joint without loss of sensitivity isjoint destruction, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations and bruises will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you are unlikely to be able to ignore. Orjoint dislocation, ligament and meniscal injuriesaccompanied by excessive knee mobility.
Having roughly determined 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 knee pain yourself, as you may misunderstand the cause of the condition and make the condition worse. Severe pain can be relieved with painkillers, and it is better to consult a doctor about anti-inflammatories, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.