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 only be prescribed by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment correctly, you must contact your doctor.
When we experience discomfort in our knees, we rarely think about joint damage. After forty, it seems like there is nothing to worry about: at this age, your joints will inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important to find out in timewhy there is pain in the knee joint: This could be a sign of injury, illness, or even nervous system problems.
What can be damaged in the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. This consists of:
- articulation,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- vessels,
- nervousness
- ligaments,
- kneecap,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All of these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can hurt: 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.
Parts of the injury, such as a dislocated joint, torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even small vessels will cause bruising and inflammation, which will cause discomfort when trying to move the leg. The joint capsule is an excellent environment for infections: after viral and bacterial infections, patients often complain of complications and joint pain. And if there is a nervous disease, the patient will feel sharp 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. Knees can be damaged by an unfortunate fall, playing sports or sudden movements; even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee injury- rather weak and very frequent damage. As a result, the knee swells, turns red and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If a bruise occurs, a knee massage may be necessary;
- Ligament ruptureoccurs when the leg or thigh is twisted too much in an unnatural direction. Complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by heavy load, unnatural position, blow to the leg or twisting of the shin. This is a common and difficult-to-diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Knee, leg or hip fracturescombined with damage to soft tissues, causing unbearable pain, excessive mobility and deformation of the knee.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or traumatologist. A visual examination is usually sufficient, but you may be referred for an x-ray (if a fracture or dislocation is suspected) or a CT scan if your doctor suspects injury to the ligaments or menisci.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, whether destruction of the cartilage, infection in the joint capsule, or inflammation of the bones, will cause severe pain and decreased mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically to the knee: general joint diseases will affect the entire body. Knees will deteriorate faster due to the high load.
- Arthritis— inflammation of the joint, which can develop after injury, infection or metabolic problems;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which causes severe discomfort when trying to move the joint;
- At theperiarthritisthe 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 stairs;
- Chondropathy— gradual destruction of the cartilage that surrounds the joint and alleviates friction and shock;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- At theosteoporosisCalcium is gradually eliminated from bones and joints, tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by intense 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 pains;
- Illnessesof different natures - for example, flu and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to 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.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray, MRI 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 exclude infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional examinations and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, knee pain appears due to a nervous tissue disorder. It is accompanied by severe sharp pains, and numbness and tingling may begin in the leg.
- Neuritis- inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. With it, the patient feels throbbing pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to contract involuntarily at the knee;
- Pinched nerve- a common consequence of inflammations, neoplasms and injuries. Due to the physical pressure on the nerve roots of the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
To diagnose nervous diseases, magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography 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 by 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 examinations. However, it is quite possible to approximately determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling in addition to the pain,nerve damage;
- Increased temperature and swelling of the knee -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and health problems -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 likeosteoporosisand 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 a joint without loss of sensation isjoint destruction, neoplasia or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations and bruises will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you are unlikely to ignore. On whatjoint dislocation, damage to ligaments and menisciaccompanied by excessive knee mobility.
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 photos. This will reduce diagnosis time and speed up recovery. Do not try to treat knee pain alone, as you may confuse the cause of the disease and make the condition worse. Severe pain can be relieved with analgesics, and it is best to consult a doctor about anti-inflammatories, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.