The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or exacerbation of other diseases, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment correctly, you should contact your doctor.
When we experience knee discomfort, we rarely think about the damage to the joint. After forty, it seems that there is nothing to worry about: at this age, your joints will definitely hurt. In fact, it is very important to know in timewhy is there pain in the knee joint: This can signal an injury, disease, or problem 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:
- joints,
- end of femur and tibia,
- muscle,
- ship,
- nerves
- ligament,
- kneecap,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All these parts can be damaged, although not all can be painful: there are no nerve endings in the bone.
Pain in the knee can be caused by damage to the femur and tibia, as well as nearby muscles.
Part of the injury, such as a dislocated joint, torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to the small vessels though 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 completely healthy joint.
Knee pain due to injury
Injury is one of the most common causes of pain. Knees can be damaged by an unfortunate fall, playing sports or sudden movements; Uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruise- relatively weak and very frequent damage. Accordingly, the knee swells, becomes red, and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If bruising occurs, 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 ligament causes severe pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearcan be caused by high loads, unusual positions, blows to the legs, or twisting of the shin. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Broken knee, leg or hipcombined with soft tissue damage, causes unbearable 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 tomography if the doctor suspects ligament or meniscus damage.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, whether it is destruction of cartilage, infection of the joint capsule or inflammation of the bone, will cause pain and decreased movement. The disease is not always localized specifically in the knee: general joint disease will affect the whole body. The knee will deteriorate faster due to the high load.
- Joint pain- joint inflammation, which can develop after injury, infection or problems with metabolism;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe discomfort when trying to move the joint;
- Onperiarthritisthe 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— the gradual destruction of the cartilage that surrounds the joint and softens friction and shock;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can change the shape of the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- OnosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of the bones and joints, the tissue becomes weak and fragile. This disease is accompanied by pain and increased risk of injury;
- Osteomyelitis- inflammation of bone tissue. Swelling appears in the affected area, the temperature rises, and the patient experiences severe acute pain;
- IllnessVarious conditions - for example influenza and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to infection that has entered the joint capsule. In this case, there is an increase in temperature, weakness, and pain in several joints at once.
To diagnose this disease, an X-ray scan, magnetic resonance or computed tomography is performed, which shows all parts of the joint affected. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to take a general blood and biochemical test and take a synovial fluid puncture. To exclude infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
More rarely, pain in the knee appears due to disorders of the nerve tissue. It is accompanied by sharp shooting pains, and numbness and tingling may begin in the legs.
- Neuritis- nerve inflammation in one or more areas. Accordingly, the patient feels throbbing pain and loss of sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to contract involuntarily at the knee;
- Pinched nerves- common consequences of inflammation, neoplasms and injuries. Due to physical pressure on the nerve root in the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of movement and even paralysis occur.
To diagnose neurological 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 symptoms why there is pain in the knee joint?
The real cause of pain can only be understood by a specialist and after appropriate tests. However, it is quite possible to roughly determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling in addition to pain,nerve damage;
- Increased knee temperature and swelling -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and ill health -arthritis after illness;
- Pain is felt not only in the knee, but also in other joints, for example, in the shoulder or fingers: it can be likeosteoporosis, and the consequencescontagious disease;
- Sharp pain in the joint when trying to bend or straighten the leg, and very weak when resting.advanced bursitis or chondropathy;
- Impaired mobility in the joint without loss of sensitivity isjoint destruction, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Broken, sprained and bruised will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you cannot ignore. Wherejoint dislocation, ligament and meniscus damageaccompanied by excessive mobility in the knee.
Having roughly determined the cause of the pain, you can prepare to visit the doctor and take the necessary tests and photographs. This will reduce diagnostic time and speed up recovery. Do not try to treat a sore knee yourself, because 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 about anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.