Failure of any part of Organs locomotor organs, especially the knees, leads to disruption of body movement and balance. Pain during knee joint movement (during flexion, extension, internal rotation plus lateral rotation, rotation, lifting and lowering) can occur under different circumstances and under the influence of different factors. The strength of the painful syndrome, as well as its duration, differs depending on the depth of the lesion, etiology and pathogenesis of the pathology.
Painful sensations and specific crushing occur more frequently after physical exertion, trauma or in the context of chronic somatic pathologies. After performing medical therapy and eliminating the main cause, which is the origin of the pathology, the pain and movement restrictions disappear. Otherwise, the prognosis is not reassuring: complete or partial paralysis of the moving organ can lead to lifelong disability.
What can hurt?
The anatomical design of the knee joint has its own characteristics, which, to any change, respond with pain. The knee joint includes a bony structure of the femur and tibia plus the patella. The marginal shape of each bone is endowed with condyles, its thickened shape and a certain relief create conditions for ideal biomechanics, stable body balance in the horizontal position, as well as safe movement with shock absorption in the joints. Bones are reinforced with a special soft tissue plexus.
The muscles, your tendons, which hold the knee joint together, are directed at both the side of the thigh and the side of the leg. On the side of the thigh there is a thin muscle plus a great adductor, as well as the biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus. The most powerful muscle in the articular structure of the knee is the quadriceps, in turn, it is divided into 4 muscle heads: straight, broad lateral, broad medialis + broad intermedia muscle. The sartorius, thin, adductor, biceps femoris, semitendinosus + semimembranosus, leg triceps and popliteus muscles are also involved in creating the knee joint. Its combined plexus creates firmness, mobility and mobility in the lower limbs.
Attention!Forced violation of the integrity of the joint gender, such as rupture, shock, inflammation, destruction or infection, leads to the development of pain syndrome with limited motor function.
Within the genus articulatio, that is, the internal space of the joint consists of supraspinatus cartilaginous tissue, cruciate ligament, menisci, and synovial pouch. The blood supply and innervation of the knee joint is carried out through many complex plexuses. The sciatic, peroneal, tibial, and peroneal nerves are responsible for the sensitivity of the anterior and medial knee. The posterior part provides sensitivity to the tibial nerve with its branches.
The plexuses of nerves and vessels (pulpal and non-pulpal nerve fibers) enter the menisci along and into their peripheral part of the cartilaginous plate. With trauma to the menisci, an acute pain syndrome develops because the menisci are very sensitive. As dystrophic processes develop in the joint gender, pain increases and becomes permanent, and the organ itself loses its functionality and the ability to move.
Risk factors and alarming symptoms
Knee pain develops as a result of certain risk factors that involve special conditions associated with the general body condition, lifestyle, and harmful environmental factors. The risk group for pathologies of the articulatio gender accompanied by pain is composed of people with:
An alarming symptom of knee joint structure pathology is a popping sound during biomechanical actions such as flexion, extension, or rotation. This symptom indicates joint destruction, that is, violation of metabolic processes, abrasion of the supraspinous cartilaginous plaque of the distal portions of the bones, in addition to thickening of the joint capsules with little production of synovial fluid. Overweight with excessive stress on the knee joints or constant motor exploration of the lower extremities gradually destroy the shock-absorbing structure of the locomotor organs, leading to destructive processes.
The causes that lead to gonarthrosis or pain in the knee joints can be divided into three major groups, namely:
Goonarthrosis (inflammatory-destructive arthrosis) affects 65-70% of patients, out of a total of patients suffering from joint pathologies. Rheumatoid arthritis ranks second after arthrosis and arthritis. The pain development mechanism starts from the moment of injury to the cartilaginous periosteal tissue, ligamentous plexus, accumulation of fluid in the intra-articular space with extravasation to the area of adjacent tissues, as well as the decrease in synovial lubrication, pieces of bone, cartilage tissue, meniscus or other post-traumatic body. Acute pain appears after the nerve plexus is pinched as a result of injury or disproportionate physical exertion.
Inflammatory causes
Most of the time, inflammation of the articulatio genus (unilateral or bilateral) starts as a result of heavy physical exertion, as well as in the context of other pathologies that lead to salt deposition in the joints or Ca + cartilage leaching. The latter is the trigger for the inflammatory process in the lower limb joints.
Inflammatory diseases, symptoms:
By eliminating the source of the pathology through medication or surgical treatment, the functional capacity of the knee joint is restored and the sharp or painful pain completely disappears. If the inflammatory process has attracted more extensive areas and the depth of the lesion is quite large, then motor function can be partially restored. In some cases, surgical restoration of the joint is performed.
Traumatic causes
Any injury of a mechanical nature can lead to gonarthrosis. Contusions, compressions, fractures of the knee bones, open or closed injuries, as well as meniscal rupture plus bursitis, ligament rupture, soft tissue contusion are included in the list of traumatic causes. Exposure to chemicals and physicals can also cause knee pain. This group of causes includes burns, intoxication by toxic substances.
Causes of degenerative dystrophic nature
There are several factors that can trigger the degenerative-dystrophic destruction mechanism with partial or irreversible processes in the knees, namely: constant physical activity with weight lifting, excessive sports, injuries of any etiology. And also a sedentary lifestyle with inadequate nutrition, stressful situations. And finally: aging of the human body with disturbance in the normal functioning of all systems and organs.
Pathologies that cause degeneration and destruction of the knee joint:
- Arthritis.
- Arthrosis.
- Sclerotherapy of muscles, ligaments, ligaments, bursas.
- Many osteophytes replacing the cartilaginous plaque.
- Meniscopathy.
- Metabolic disease.
- Dysfunction of the hormonal system.
- Intoxication of the body with heavy metals.
In place of worn cartilage, bare areas appear, that is, bare bone, which, when the joint moves, creates excruciating pain in the knee. After a certain period of time, sharp osteophytes develop in this zone. Gradual deformation of the joint with gonarthrosis leads to a change in the anatomical configuration of the joint structure and to partial or total paralysis of the motor function of the knee (or knees). The symptoms of destructive gonarthrosis are acute pain and constant compression of the knee with soft tissue swelling.
Advice!Degenerative-destructive gonarthrosis is not treated with folk remedies or an individually invented drug regimen, but only permanently under the strict guidance of physicians. Self-treatment will lead to lifelong disability!
Pathology Diagnosis and First Aid
The final diagnosis of the pathology is carried out under stationary conditions. Through laboratory and instrumental studies, the causes of pain and limitation of knee biomechanics are determined. They approach the diagnosis individually, as each case of morbidity has its own source + development mechanism, so not all patients are suitable for the same studies.
List of diagnostic measures:
Patients with gonarthrosis of unknown etiology are advised to consult the following physicians: traumatologist, arthrologist, rheumatologist, and endocrinologist. If a malignant process in the joints is suspected, the patient is referred to an oncologist.
First aid for acute pain in the knee joints is provided at home or in case of injury. Before the arrival of the ambulance, the joint must be immobilized, that is, fixed with a splint. In addition, an intramuscular injection with an analgesic plus one of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs is recommended. A cold compress should be placed on the inflamed joint and in no case should it be used for heating or vasodilation. If the injury is open bleeding, apply a tourniquet above the knee to stop the bleeding.
Diseases of Other Organs as a Cause of Knee Pain
Pain and impaired functional movement of the knee joints are not only the result of inflammation, arthrosis/arthritis or trauma, but a complication of concomitant pathologies. After a full course of medical therapy, the pain may subside or disappear completely, it all depends on the remission of somatic illnesses.
The list of organ and system diseases that cause pain in the knee joint structures:
- Hepatitis B, C
- Thyrotoxicosis
- hypothyroidism
- Diabetes
- Urolithiasis disease
- bronchial asthma
- Crohn's disease
- blood disease
- Strokes
Anamnesis, laboratory and instrumental studies help to determine the cause. Each condition has its own treatment regimen. She is referred by a doctor after receiving the survey results.
pain varieties
Pain in knee joint defeat is completely different, depending on the cause, location, soft tissue attraction and microbial infection, as well as the degree of joint destruction. Due to the nature of the painful sensations, they can be: sharp, stabbing, painful. By location: inside, outside, front, back of the knee joint, as well as above and below the patella. By type of spread: pain is strictly localized or radiates to the thigh or leg. By duration: temporary, permanent, variable.
How to Get Rid of Knee Pain
Before starting therapeutic therapy, the exact cause of the pathology is discovered, after discovering the origin, they begin to eliminate it and stabilize the general condition. The therapy consists of a complex of drug treatment, physiotherapy (as per medical advice), exercise therapy, massage, and proven folk remedies.
medicine
All the forces of treatment are aimed at eliminating the cause of the pain and then treating the underlying disease. In parallel, you can use medicines in the form of ointments, gels, local compresses. In the first days of acute pain, it is recommended to administer the drug intravenously or intramuscularly. After tapering off, you can switch to oral administration.
The complex of therapeutic measures consists of:
- Pain relief in affected joints.
- Eliminate knee inflammation.
- Restorative measures of a biomechanical nature, that is, the motor function of the genus articulatio.
- Treatment of pathology causing knee pain (treatment regimen is prescribed by the treating physician or by highly specialized specialists such as endocrinologist, hepatologist, allergist, rheumatologist, arthrologist, oncologist).
- Increasing body strength.
- Normalization of metabolism.
- Hepatoprotectors.
- Restoration of the cartilaginous periosteal layer and normalization of synovial fluid production (use of state-of-the-art chondroprotectors, vitamins B and C, D).
Attention!Obese patients are advised to lose those extra pounds through special diets prescribed by a nutritionist. All people, without exception, need to reduce the load on the lower extremities by working smoothly.
Therapeutic Gymnastics and Massage
Constant passive movements of the diseased joint and massage of the inflamed organs of movement in 1 to 1. 5 months will restore the function of the lower extremities. The set of exercises is chosen by the physiotherapist. Massage is done locally only on the joints of the legs or of a general nature. The use of warming, anti-inflammatory or analgesic ointments will improve blood circulation and metabolism. The course of massage procedures depends on the speed of recovery of the organs. In addition, a special diet is applied to these activities, excluding fried, greasy, sweet, sour. The nutritionist adjusts the menu by adding gelatin-rich dishes in the form of fractional meals. All complex procedures in a course of treatment will eradicate pain and paralysis from the knee joints.
folk remedies
Grandma's techniques in the form of popular prescriptions can be used in parallel with drug therapy. All funds are negotiated with the responsible physician and applied locally, directly to the affected joint. The effect of folk remedies is to eliminate pain + edema, as well as heating, which in turn improves blood supply, innervation, intensely nourishing the painful knee.
Popular folk remedies:
Patients with an increased reaction to certain herbs or substances should avoid traditional medicine.
Prophylaxis
For preventive purposes, so that the lower limbs stay healthy until old age, it is recommended to adjust the nutritional diet, be careful when moving around, exclude injuries, practice sports constantly, swim and walk more often outdoors. People over 45 years of age are advised to adjust the hormonal basis of sex hormones in addition to eating gelatin-rich foods. Spa treatments are recommended for all patients with musculoskeletal problems. Once every six months, have an examination by the treating physician.
Pain in knee joints occurs spontaneously, resulting from increased wear of the joint structure, which leads to irreversible consequences. The reasons for the development of pathologies can be somatic diseases and pathologies of the locomotor system itself. Timely treatment will help to avoid the consequences.