The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other worsening of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by a doctor. To diagnose and properly prescribe treatment, consult your doctor.
When we feel discomfort in the knee, we rarely think about joint damage. After forty, it seems that there is no reason to worry: 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 can be a signal of injury, illness or even a problem with the nervous system.
What can be damaged in the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. It consists of:
- wrist,
- end of femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- vessels,
- nerves
- ligaments,
- knee cap,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can injure: 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 an injury, such as a sprained ankle, torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even small blood vessels will cause hematoma 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 pain in the joints. And if there is a nerve disease, the patient will feel a 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 accidental fall, playing sports or sudden movement; even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- A bruised knee- rather weak and very frequent damage. With him, the knee swells, turns red, and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If bruising occurs, knee massage may be required;
- Ligament ruptureoccurs when the leg or thigh twists too much in an unnatural direction. A complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive mobility of the joints;
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by a heavy load, an unnatural position, a blow to the leg or a twisting of the lower leg. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with the normal movement of the legs;
- Knee, leg or hip fracturescombined 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 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, whether it's cartilage destruction, infection in the joint capsule, or bone inflammation, will cause excruciating pain and reduced mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically in the knee: general joint diseases will affect the whole body. Knees will deteriorate faster due to the heavy load.
- Arthritis- inflammation of the joint, which can develop after 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 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 that surrounds the joint and relieves friction and impact;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- AtosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of bones and joints, tissues become weak and brittle. 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 feels severe acute pain;
- Diseasesof a different nature - for example, influenza 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 once.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray, magnetic resonance or computerized tomography is used to show all parts of the affected joint. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to do a general and biochemical blood test and perform 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 occurs due to nerve tissue disorders. It is followed by sharp shooting pains, and numbness and tingling may begin in the leg.
- Neuritis- inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. In addition, the patient feels throbbing pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to contract involuntarily at the knee;
- A pinched nerve- a frequent consequence of inflammation, neoplasms and injuries. Due to physical pressure on the nerve root in the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
MRI or CT is used to diagnose nerve diseases, 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 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 tests. However, it is quite possible to roughly determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling along with the pain,nerve damage;
- Increased knee temperature 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 likeosteoporosisand 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 sensitivity isjoint destruction, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations and bruises will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you are unlikely to ignore. Wherejoint dislocation, damage to ligaments and meniscusaccompanied 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 photographs. This will reduce diagnostic time and speed up recovery. Do not try to treat a painful knee yourself, because you can mistake the cause of the disease and worsen the condition. Severe pain can be alleviated with analgesics, and it is better to consult a doctor about anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.