The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other aggravation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and correctly prescribe the treatment, you should contact your doctor.
When dealing with knee discomfort, we rarely think about joint damage. After forty, it seems that there is nothing to worry about: at this age, your joints will inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important to find out in timebecause there is pain in the knee joint: This can 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. Consists of:
- joint,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- trough,
- nerves
- links,
- kneecap,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All these parts can be damaged, although not all can be damaged: 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, a torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even small vessels will cause hematoma and inflammation, which will cause discomfort when you try to move the leg. The joint capsule is an excellent environment for infection: after viral and bacterial infections, patients often complain of complications and pain in the joints. And if there is a disease of the nerves, 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, sports or sudden movements; even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruises- quite weak and very frequent damage. With this, the knee swells, becomes 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 excessively in an abnormal direction. Complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive mobility of the joints.
- Meniscus tearit can be caused by high load, abnormal position, hitting the foot or twisting the tibia. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement.
- 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 traumatologist. A visual examination 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 damage.
What joint conditions can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, be it cartilage destruction, infection in the joint capsule, or bone inflammation, will cause pain and reduced mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically to the knee: general joint diseases will affect the whole body. The knees will wear out faster due to the high load.
- Arthritis— inflammation of the joint, which can develop after injury, infection or problems with metabolism.
- Folliculitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe discomfort when you try to move the joint.
- In theperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments surrounding the knee joint become inflamed. The pain is felt with an 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 shock.
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can distort the joint, which will cause pain and limit mobility.
- In theosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of the bones and joints, the tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by pain and an increased risk of injury.
- Osteomyelitis- inflammation of the bone tissue. Swelling is visible in the affected area, the temperature rises and the patient experiences severe acute pain.
- Illnessesof various natures - 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 the same time.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray, magnetic resonance or computed tomography is performed, which shows all parts of the affected joint. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to do a general and biochemical blood test and to do a synovial fluid puncture. To rule out infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional tests and x-rays.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, knee pain occurs due to a disorder of the nervous tissue. It is accompanied by sharp pains and may start with numbness and tingling 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 contract involuntarily at the knee.
- A pinched nerve- frequent consequence of inflammations, neoplasms and injuries. Due to the physical pressure on the nerve roots in the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
For the diagnosis of nerve 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 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 determine at least approximately 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 -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 likeosteoporosis, and the consequencesinfectious disease;
- Severe pain in the joint when you try to bend or straighten the leg and very weak when you are at rest.bursitis or advanced chondropathy;
- Impaired mobility in a joint without loss of sensitivity isjoint destruction, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, sprains and bruises will precede a bump or fall, which you are unlikely to ignore. Indislocation of the joint, damage to the ligaments and meniscusaccompanied 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 diagnostic time and speed recovery. Do not try to treat a sore knee yourself, as you may mistake 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 for anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.