Human lower extremity joints are responsible for the free and active movement of the body in space. As a result, even minor problems with the legs can lead to significant loss of mobility.
The knee joint is one of the largest joints that can bear the load of the entire human body, and more than half of joint diseases occur in the knee joint.
Main Causes of Knee Pain
All diseases that cause knee injuries can be divided into several categories based on the primary mechanism of joint damage:
- Inflammatory processes in joints (arthritis) and periarticular pockets (bursitis). With arthritis, the knee joint enlarges and tightens when flexed. General health deteriorated and body temperature increased. Bursitis is characterized by the presence of a rounded protrusion in the joint area, which is a buildup of fluid. Inflammatory diseases are caused by the penetration of infection into the joints (through wounds, cuts, foci of internal infection).
- Degenerative joint disease - arthropathy. In this condition, the joint surface is gradually destroyed over a long period of time and the bone tissue overgrowth. As the load on the knee continues, the damaged joint doesn't have time to recover and even more collapses. Arthropathy is characterized by onset pain, i. e. knee injuries when bending and walking, in the morning or after a long rest. The soreness goes away after squatting or other stress on the joint. Patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis notice difficulty climbing and descending stairs, and pain even at rest.
- Traumatic consequences - intra-articular fractures, bruises, dislocations and sprains. For any type of joint injury, it is advisable to contact a specialist who will decide what to do - immobilize the joint, or, conversely, give it a functional load.
Causes of knee pain in pregnant women
The cause of knee pain during pregnancy is a dramatic increase in the load on the joints of the lower extremities due to weight gain from the uterus, fetus and amniotic fluid. Also, in the third trimester, many people experience abnormal fluid retention (edema) and weight gain, which can also put undue stress on the legs and make it difficult for the knee joints to function properly.
During the last weeks of pregnancy and during labor, large amounts of relaxin substances are produced that soften joint ligaments. The ligaments of the pelvic joints are primarily stretched due to relaxin, but other joints, including the knee, are also affected.
In all of these cases, pregnant women experience knee pain even at rest and at night. In the weeks following childbirth, women become overhydrated, relaxin production stops, and they lose weight, so the discomfort in the knee goes away.
Causes of pain during exercise
When running and playing "on-foot" sports (volleyball, tennis, soccer), the knee joint is put under much more stress than when walking. The normal operating fluid produced in the joint does not have time to build up in sufficient quantities, so friction on the joint surfaces increases.
In the presence of past knee injuries, joint degeneration under the influence of exercise progresses rapidly. If you experience knee pain after exercising (especially after running or jumping), that doesn't mean you need to give up exercising entirely. You just need to reconsider your options for loading your knees and replace the movement or set of exercises with more gentle leg exercises.
Causes of knee pain in children
The most common cause of knee pain in children is an injury that occurs due to excessive physical activity. The appearance of the knee can suspect bruising - bruises and abrasions on the skin, swelling on the side of the blow.
Septic arthritis should be ruled out if the child complains of knee pain, which usually occurs some time after another bacterial (tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis) or viral infection has worsened. With this arthritis, the joints look red and swollen, and the child's general condition worsens - a rise in temperature, lethargy, and drowsiness.
Another cause of knee disease in children can be autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis). In this case, in addition to the knee, the child's inflammatory process also includes the elbow, as well as the small joints of the fingers. This type of arthritis is characterized by the "mutability" of the lesions - inflammation that moves from one joint to another in a short period of time.
Knee pain treatment and prevention
Knee treatment appointments should be handled by a specialist who, after an examination, will find out the cause of knee pain and how to treat the condition. Treatment of knee pain aims to reduce inflammation and degenerative processes. For this reason, all patients with knee joint disease are advised to:
- Limit physical load on the joints (including refusing to carry weights, climbing stairs); advise women not to wear high heels because of increased stress on the joints due to improper weight redistribution. In some cases (complex dislocations), complete immobilization of the knee with the help of a splint or cast is required;
- Take chondroprotective agents - preparations containing substances necessary for joint structure (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine). Chondroprotective agents are available either orally in tablet form or topical as part of ointments and gels. In the hospital, these substances can also be introduced directly into the knee joint;
- use of pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroids and nonsteroidal drugs), and antibacterials;
- outside of the exacerbation stage, undergoing physiotherapy procedures (mud application, ultrasound and electrophoresis);
- Correct loading of the affected joint - with the help of therapeutic exercises. One of the best such exercises is "biking" - in a supine position, imitating the process of pedaling a bicycle.
- In extremely advanced degenerative processes in the joint, surgical knee replacement is preferred.
Treating joints with folk remedies
In addition to traditional remedies for knee pain, folk remedies to relieve inflammation are effective in many cases:
Emulsion containing ammoniacal camphor solution
Mix 1/2 cup of ammonia (10% solution) with 10 grams of camphor alcohol, add 1 liter of salt water (this requires 1 tablespoon of salt per liter), and shake until the precipitate disappears. Warm the solution to a warm temperature in a water bath, dampen the gauze and apply it to the sore knee. Polyethylene on top. Keep it for half an hour, 2-3 times a day.
Cabbage Leaves Compressed
Tap a fresh cabbage leaf with a mallet, sprinkle lightly with salt, and let the cabbage begin to juice. Apply to the knee for a few hours and secure with a bandage. Another variation of this compress is to apply a thin layer of honey to the cabbage leaves, otherwise the procedure is the same.
five-spice tincture
100 grams of dried stems per 1 liter of vodka for 3 weeks. Take within half an hour before meals, 1 tablespoon. l. , diluted in 50 ml of water. The tincture can be rubbed on a sore knee or made into a lotion.
beeswax ointment
Mix everything in a matchbox-sized piece of wax, egg yolk, and honey (1 tablespoon L) in a water bath and apply it to a sore joint overnight with a cotton swab.
Folk methods, as well as healing practices, must be agreed upon with the attending physician, as ignorance can easily injure oneself (for example, when externally using bee products in a patient suffering from allergic diseases or trying to develop a dislocated joint with physical exercise).
The purpose of preventing diseases of the knee joints is to prevent infection from entering them (prompt treatment of chronic inflammatory foci), to reduce the load (to combat excess weight, wear fixed bandages) and to strengthen the ligamentous devices of the joints and bones (gym, swimming, cycling, drinking calcium-richfood).
Remember, good and timely treatment of your knee, as well as preventing injury and recurrence of joint disease, will allow you to remain active for many years.