Knee pain - what to do?

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body.Systemic loading causes dull, aching, or sharp, and sometimes excruciating, joint pain that everyone experiences at least once in their lives.It can occur while walking and moving the knee, or it can be an ongoing concern.The nature of knee pain and the sources of its occurrence vary.

The structure of the knee joint

As the largest joint component of the human body, the knee joint is often injured by sports.Bones, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, menisci, and periarticular capsules – if these areas are injured, they will definitely cause knee pain.

The skeletal components of the knee joint include:

• Tibia.This is the main weight-bearing bone connecting the lower part of the femur;
• The femur, the longest and strongest bone, is connected to the kneecap and tibia;
• The patella, located at the bottom of the thigh.Together with the femur, it forms the patellofemoral joint.

The junction between the femoral notch and the kneecap contains cartilage that allows these bones to maintain healthy motion relative to each other, eliminating friction and pain in the knee.

The muscles of the knee joint include the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps:

• The muscle group on the posterior surface of the femur consists of four heads located on its anterior portion.They are the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, and vastus intermedius.They are attached to joints by tendons.By contracting the quadriceps, the calf is extended and the leg is straightened.
• The muscle group on the posterior surface of the femur is composed of three muscles, and the contraction of these three muscles helps to bend the lower leg.These are the biceps, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus.

There are two main types of cartilage in the knee joint:

• Hyaline cartilage is strong and elastic, so it reduces friction.
• The medial and lateral menisci are cartilaginous structures that act as "air bladders" providing cushioning between the contacting bones.

The knee joint includes ligaments in the form of fibers made of connective tissue.

Ligaments connect bones to each other:

• The tibia and femur are connected by the anterior cruciate ligament.It helps prevent the tibia from moving forward relative to the femur.
• The function of the posterior cruciate ligament is to prevent the tibia from moving backward relative to the femur.
• On the outside of the knee is the lateral collateral ligament.It connects the fibula and femur and helps limit force and stabilize the knee joint.
• The lower inner edge of the femur is connected to the upper inner edge of the tibia via collateral ligaments, which stabilize the joint and prevent unwanted movement.

Tendons attach muscles to bones.

Tendons are divided into the following types:

• At the back of the knee joint are the hamstring tendons.
• The quadriceps tendon attaches to the top of the cup.
• The lower area of the kneecap is connected to the top of the shinbone by the hamstring tendon.

The nature of the pain depends on the location

Pathological changes in the joints directly depend on the location of the pain.Pain serves as an indicator of joint discomfort and changes.

Right now:

• People with arthritis, acute bursitis, or meniscus rupture will experience severe and unbearable pain;
• Initially had bursitis and synovitis - tolerable but persistent pain;
• Both genuarthrosis and arthrosis are accompanied by pinching pain;
• Suffering from degenerative joint disease with joint deformations - vibration pain;
• Bone tuberculosis and sciatic nerve damage, severe pain;
• Meniscal injury, osteoporosis, and synovial bursitis are all accompanied by pain in the knee joint;
• Inflammation of the tendons and muscle tissue of the joint can cause spasmodic pain;
• When nerve roots are damaged, tingling occurs.

Causes of knee pain

Medical statistics show that knee pain syndrome is caused by an inflammatory process in the knee.

Sources can vary widely:

• 50% of pain is associated with arthropathy, which causes the slow destruction of hyaline cartilage.Sometimes the disease is asymptomatic and only worsens in the second stage.An unpleasant sensation may occur due to the growth of osteophytes and their effect on the nerves in the joint.
• Often joints are affected by arthritis, either as an independent disease or as a complication in the form of rheumatism and arthropathy.Arthritis is characterized by severe pain, swelling, and redness in the knees.
• Osteochondritis may cause pain when the articular cartilage becomes inflamed due to degenerative joint disease or mechanical trauma.
• The result of obesity is often periarthritis, which affects tendons, muscles, and sometimes the lining of joints.The disease is accompanied by constant pain.
• Bursitis is inflammation of the synovial sac that occurs as a result of a knee injury or as a complication of other disease.
• In enchondromatosis, nodules form in areas of hyaline cartilage that later spread throughout the joint.Pain occurs when soft tissue containing a large number of nerve cells is squeezed.
• Cellulite may be painful if the foci of other concomitant diseases (septic arthritis, soft tissue abscesses) are located near subcutaneous fatty tissue.
• Dermatitis is epidermal damage caused by eczema, erysipelas, allergic reactions, and psoriasis.
• Synovitis is characterized by chronic pathological changes leading to damage to the joint capsule.This disease tends to occur in people over the age of fifty-five.This disorder may occur at a young age as a result of a serious injury.
• The pain is caused by osteomyelitis, which is characterized by bacterial inflammation of the bone marrow.The disease may result from complications during surgery or from an open injury.

What to do if your knee joint hurts a lot

After determining the cause of joint pain, it is necessary to start pathological treatment.The most effective treatment is medication, as conservative treatments can help the damaging changes in the body.Without prompt medical attention, surgical intervention is necessary.

Often, knee pain occurs suddenly, and a person does not know how to behave in this situation.If a specialist cannot be contacted promptly, emergency measures will be required to relieve pain and swelling.

What activities will help with this:

• If you need to pause any activity, lie down with a pillow under your knees;
• For swelling, use cold compresses (ice cubes, cold objects) for 15-20 minutes, 4-5 times a day;
• If the pain is significantly reduced two days after treatment, you can begin exercises to restore joint mobility.A short massage (5-10 minutes) is possible;
• To relieve pain after a blow to your knee, you'll want to wrap your knee loosely with an elastic bandage (or use a knee brace) to keep the joint in place;
• Even if the pain is overcome within a few weeks after the injury, it is necessary to treat the injured limb with caution, move less, and give up strenuous activities.

To relieve knee pain, conservative treatment is available.The most common medications recommended by doctors are NSAIDs in the form of gels, ointments, and tablets.

Conservative treatment is usually supplemented by physical therapy procedures.Manual therapy is very effective in healing injuries to ligaments, menisci and joints in the early stages.

If conservative treatment of the knee joint is not possible, experts recommend surgical intervention.Ruptured ligaments, menisci, fractures - these injuries can be repaired with serious surgery.

diagnosis

Early diagnosis allows successful treatment of knee joint disease and eliminates the risk of developing serious lesions.An initial consultation with a therapist will help determine the direction of examination and referral to a specialist.

Research on pain perception has several directions:

• during surgery.Use CT, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, blood tests for the presence of rheumatoid factor, puncture of the hyaline cartilage of the knee.
• In Traumatology.Tests are done using X-rays, ultrasound, MRI, and bursal fluid biopsies.
• in rheumatology.General laboratory tests are performed in the form of blood tests to check for the presence of rheumatoid protein, hematology, and uric acid levels.Use DNA testing.
• in psychiatry and neurology.Ultrasound can help you diagnose pinched muscles and nerves.Somatic pain in patients with mental disorders requires special testing to determine whether a psychiatric disorder is present.

Treatment of knee joint disease

folk remedies

After an accurate diagnosis, you can turn to traditional medicine, and be sure to consult your doctor.It is impossible to completely cure knee joint disease with traditional methods, but traditional medicine can help relieve pain and inflammation and can also play a role in maintenance treatment.

Rubs and ointments are considered effective folk remedies:

• Egg yolk ointment.Grind the egg yolks with a tablespoon of turpentine and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.Helps relieve joint pain and inflammation;
• Crush 300 grams of horse chestnut kernels and add to a bottle of vodka.This mixture is infused for two weeks (it is necessary to alternately shake the infusion).

Use for massaging before bed.The knee joint is also treated with compression.

For this type of treatment, medicinal plants and vegetables are used:

1. Thoroughly rinse 7-8 burdock leaves, dry, fold and press with a bowl of boiling water to release the healing phytoncides.Then place the steamed leaves on the knees that have been previously coated with vegetable oil, wrap them in plastic wrap, and then cover them with gauze or soft cloth.The compress stays on for several hours.
2. Peel the raw potato tubers, grate them with a coarse grater and heat them slightly in a water bath.Place the puree in a natural cloth bag.Place the bag on your lap and leave it overnight.Treatment takes place within a week.You should remember to prepare new items in your bag every day.
3. To relieve pain and stop the inflammatory process in the knee, celandine can be used.Linen must be thoroughly soaked with plant juices, wrapped around the knees and covered with a film.The compress should be left on for about 50 minutes, and then the knee should be treated with sunflower oil.The weekly procedure must be performed three times with 10 days of rest in between.

traditional medicine

Knee joint diseases have many common manifestations, such as long-term knee joint pain, difficulty in moving, swelling, deformation, inflammation, etc.Arthritis, arthrosis and bursitis are characterized by an inflammatory process and swelling of the knee joint, often accompanied by an increase in body temperature.

Arthritis and joint disease can be treated with anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal medications.During the treatment, a prerequisite is the normalization of metabolism and removal of salts with the help of a variety of drugs, as well as the establishment of an optimal acid-base balance.When treating arthritis and joint disease, you must follow the instructions of experts to achieve sustainable positive momentum.

Treatment for tendonitis and bursitis is aimed at anti-inflammatory treatment and creating a resting position for the affected limb.To relieve pain, the joint capsule is punctured to remove accumulated fluid and antibiotics are administered.In severe cases, surgery may be required.

Treatment of dystrophic pathologies of the knee (menisciopathy, tendinopathy, rickets) is aimed at relieving knee pain, treating and restoring healthy joint function.But even in this case, if there is no therapeutic effect, surgery is required.

Precautions

Preventing knee disease allows you to avoid wear and tear, injury, and inflammation, helping to keep them healthy and protecting them from complications.Effectively organized preventive measures help prevent painful and inflammatory processes and prevent the development of diseases.

What steps should be taken to prevent knee joint disease:

• Follow safety rules to avoid knee injuries;
• Perform physical activities correctly;
• maintain a normal weight;
• Watch diet and fluid intake;
• Fight any infection promptly;
• Contact a specialist promptly for treatment of joint disease.

If there is a systemic disease that affects knee joint function, the best preventive measure is timely and adequate treatment.Only in this way can the destructive process of joint tissue be prevented.Comprehensive treatment of knee joint diseases, using anti-inflammatory drugs, physiotherapy, therapeutic exercises and other therapeutic and health care techniques, as well as following a correct diet and physical activity, can ensure healthy function of the joints and reliably guarantee the joy of sports and an active, fulfilling life.