1. Osteoarthritis
The reason for this pain in the knee - not an inflammatory process of intra-articular cartilage accompanied by tissue destruction. Osteoarthritis develops slowly, and at first the person has a painful discomfort when walking, and then, the progression of the disease, the pain persists at rest. Simultaneously there is a deformity of the knee, patients experience difficulty in walking.
Causes
The disease most often occurs in middle and old age, when the age-related changes occur in the cartilage, but can develop at a young age. Provoke the development of disease:
- physical stress (heavy work, sports);
- knee injury;
- arthritis previously transferred;
- obesity.
Osteoarthritis of the knee is developing slowly and with the onset of the changes in the cartilage until the signs of disease takes a long time.
symptoms
Manifestations of the disease depend on the stage of destruction:
- Stage 1. Dull pain occurs when walking and disappears with rest, periodically appears swollen knee. no deformation of the knee joint.
- Step 2. Aching occur at low loads when moving audible crunch. On the X-ray images show a slight deformation, and the patient experiences a sensation of stiffness during movement.
- Step 3. Knee starts to hurt constantly. Deformation and pronounced edema. The man had difficulty walking.
Typically, patients seek medical attention when developing the second stage and the knee starts to hurt when walking short distances.
Treatment
at the first and second stages Conservative treatment is used. Patients are prescribed:
- nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs;
- hondroprotektory;
- painkillers.
Additionally recommended to limit the burden on the injured knee.
at third stageWhen the knee structure is changed in young and middle aged shown arthroplasty when removed altered cartilage, and in its place installed implant.
Elderly surgical treatment is not recommended because of poor survival rate of the prosthesis and a large number of complications. The elderly, to relieve pain and remove swelling spend conservative therapy, and walking is recommended to use assistive devices (walkers, crutches).
To what doctor to address
When the pain, swelling, and deformation of the knee joint need to visit a podiatrist.
2. arthrosis
Another reason why sore knee - an infectious or non-infectious inflammation of the cartilage. The disease is often detected in young people.
Causes
May provoke arthritis:
- trauma;
- diagnostic operation or manipulation of the joint;
- metabolic disease;
- a deep wound to the knee;
- hypothermia;
- autoimmune processes (rheumatism, VSKV);
- allergic reactions.
Clinic disease prognosis and treatment depend on which factors triggered an inflammatory process.
symptoms
Gonoartrita The main features are:
- pain;
- swelling;
- hyperemia;
- limited mobility.
Can hurt in different ways, depending on the nature of the flow of inflammation. The pain can be sharp, dull or pulling.
If the inflammation is caused by an infectious agent, in addition to local signs of disease in humans appears fever, weakness, fatigue.
Treatment
In the acute stage of the disease is shown at rest. The bandage will reduce the load, and the joint will be less sick. Medications are selected taking into account the causes of gonoartrita:
- The evacuation of the synovial fluid.
- Antibiotics for infectious inflammation. The drugs are administered in tablets or injections. In severe cases it is shown intraarticular administration of antibacterial agents.
- NSAIDs in autoimmune and allergic processes.
- Vitamins to boost the immune system.
- Chondroprotectors restoring damaged cartilage.
Once the disease goes into subacute stage, the patient is prescribed to restore disturbed functions LFK knee and physiotherapeutic procedures.
If left untreated, the inflammation becomes chronic, there is a deformation occurs limited mobility.
Who to contact
Arthritis is engaged in orthopedic and arthrology.
3. Meniskopatiya
Pain in the knee joint can be a consequence of damage to the meniscus.
Causes
Problems arise with the meniscus in the following cases:
- frequent injuries (athletes);
- meniscus injury with bruises or falls;
- subluxation (a sharp wake-up from "squatting" or a failed tuck the legs);
- weakness meniscus ligaments (provoke diseases such as arthritis or gout).
The risk of disease occurrence is increased in people who are overweight.
symptoms
The main symptom is meniskopatii sharp throbbing pain in the knee joint.
In addition to pain, the person says:
- pronounced limited mobility;
- swelling;
- crunch.
Strain at meniskopatii not occur, but if people do not seek medical help, then the process becomes chronic. The knee joint will become ill and after unsuccessful movement or exercise, will decrease in sensitivity and limited mobility.
A distinctive feature of meniskopatii - one-sided defeat. Will hurt in the left or in the right joint.
Treatment
Therapy is selected depending on the severity and nature of the damage.
conservative
Towards the meniscus and reduce a patient plaster bandage applied to limit mobility and prevent recurrent dislocation.
To reduce pain and restore damaged tissues appoint:
- hondroprotektory;
- nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs;
- analgesics.
After removing the plaster to restore knee function is performed physical therapy and exercise therapy.
operational
For serious injuries or untimely address to the doctor when pathology has moved into a chronic form, performed surgery. Depending on the nature of the joint changes, the doctor chooses the tactics of treatment:
- Suturing the ligaments. With frequent dislocations associated mo weakness of the tendon apparatus.
- Meniscectomy. If found violations destructive or badly damaged meniscus, the removal is carried out with the subsequent installation of the implant.
Postoperative rehabilitation with carrying out conservative treatment takes 1-3 months, depending on the nature of the surgery.
Who can I contact for help
Treatment meniskopatii engaged in orthopedics and traumatology.
4. Bursitis
Joint pain in the knee can cause inflammation of the bursa surrounding the knee joint.
Causes
Cause inflammation of the synovial membranes are the following factors:
- frequent injuries;
- medical manipulation or knee surgery;
- complications from arthritis or osteoarthritis;
- autoimmune processes;
- continuous vibration (if a person is working on a high vibration installations).
In rare cases, the penetration of the infectious agent through the blood of the outbreak of an infectious inflammation.
symptoms
2 was isolated forms of the disease: acute and chronic.
acute
characteristic of this process:
- sharp and acute pain;
- hyperemia;
- swelling;
- limited mobility;
- inability to step on the injured leg.
Hurt the knee joint will be stronger at night. Sometimes the pain can be so severe that a person, even taking analgesics, can not get rid of the pain in the knee joint and relax a bit.
chronic
In this form of knee pain in moderation. The pathology is accompanied by:
- slight edema;
- limiting the amplitude of motion.
With hypothermia or injury symptoms intensified, and the knee starts to hurt badly.
Treatment
Drug treatment is aimed at eliminating pain and inflammation. To do this, use:
- hormones;
- NSAID drugs;
- Dimexide.
If the bursitis is caused by a pathogen, then spend antibiotics.
Treatment performed using procaine blockade.
After the inflammation subsided to accelerate the regeneration of damaged tissues of patients do physiotherapy, pick up physiotherapy exercises to restore mobility of the knee joint.
Who treats the disease
If you suspect a bursitis can refer to the orthopedist, a surgeon or a rheumatologist.
8 Less common causes
Consider other less common causes:
- circulatory disorders. Vasospasm hinders blood flow to the knee, causing tissue ischemia. Pain occurs spontaneously without accompanied by signs of inflammation or deformation. When a loss of blood flow to a certain area to be ill, the patient clearly indicates a place of pain.
- parasynovitis. In women over 40, suffering from obesity, knee joints aching legs due to destructive changes in ligaments and tendons. Hurts not always, but only when straightening the legs or when climbing stairs. The nature of pain - mild aching. Sometimes patients say that the knee does not hurt, and appear on the discomfort.
- chondromatosis. At the joint capsule appear pathologic cartilaginous nodules which limit the mobility and provoke a jamming of the surrounding tissue. Pinching is accompanied by acute pain and edema.
- chondropathy. Going destruction of tissues and cartilage gradually dies. At the same time hurt the knee will be strong. In addition to pain, the pathological process is accompanied by joint deformation and the appearance of puffiness.
- Tumors. Neoplasms compress blood vessels and nerve endings. In this case, the knee will swell and hurt badly. Because of severe pain a person can not rely on the affected leg swelling.
- osteochondritis. Delamination occurs meniscus cartilage from the joint surface. At the initial stage of the disease will match knee moderately, but in further development of the pain becomes intolerable pathological process.
- tendinitis. Inflamed knee tendon, and joint ceases to fully perform its function. Hurt his knee at the same time will be moderate, causing constant discomfort.
- a pinched nerve. At the same time rooting can only be at the level of the knee, or pain spreading to the entire foot. Despite the fact that when pinching will hurt badly, swelling or distortion does not occur.
Despite the fact that there are different reasons for which could hurt the knee, they are united by one thing: pain always indicates a pathological process.
short result
Knee joints hurt for different reasons. Almost always, the pain is accompanied by swelling and difficulty in movement. Probably many, if starts to hurt or slightly pain appears when driving, putting off a visit to the doctor, limited application of ointment or taking painkillers. However, this approach results in a weighting of the pathological process.
If the knee began to ache, then you need to remember the following rules:
- Access to a doctor improve the prognosis of the treatment and reduce the risk of complications.
- Self-medication does not help. After application of ointments or analgesics knee joint will match less destruction or inflammation but do not disappear. Independent relief and lack of medical care lead to the fact that the disease becomes chronic.
- The disease is always individual. Even when it became ill due to exacerbation of chronic disease, the doctor always begins by clarifying the causes and treatment of pain in the knee joints assigns based on the data of the survey. Not always knee hurts because of the habitual exacerbation, it could become a hit of an infection or a pinched nerve. Receiving the usual preparations for exacerbate disease.
- hated. If ache unbearably begins, it is necessary to cause "fast". It should be remembered that the acute pain - an indication for emergency hospitalization. When hurts moderately, it is allowed to visit a doctor in a planned manner.
The knee may hurt in different ways, man can not always determine to what doctor. If the self can not be analyzed, it is necessary to pay attention to the surrounding circumstances: if the knee began to hurt after an injury, you should visit the trauma, and if all of a sudden - orthopedist or arthrology. Identifying the causes of the early stages of the disease, and treatment will help to keep the knee joint function.
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