The joints of the lower extremities of a person are responsible for the free and active movement of the body in space. Therefore, the appearance of even small problems in the legs leads to a noticeable loss of mobility.
More than half of all joint diseases occur in the knees, since it is one of the largest articular joints that can withstand the load of the entire human body.
Main causes of knee pain
All diseases in which the knees hurt can be divided into several groups depending on the predominant mechanism of joint damage:
- Inflammatory processes in the joint (arthritis) and periarticular bag (bursitis). With arthritis, the knee joints become enlarged and crack when they bend. General well-being worsens, body temperature rises. Bursitis is characterized by the presence of a rounded bulge in the joint area, which is an accumulation of fluid. The cause of inflammatory diseases lies in the penetration of infection into the joint (through wounds, cuts, foci of internal infection).
- Degenerative lesions of the joint - osteoarthritis. In this case, for a long time there is a gradual destruction of the inner articular surfaces, an overgrowth of bone tissue. Since the load on the knee remains, the destroyed joint does not have time to recover and collapses further. Arthrosis is characterized by initial pains, that is, in the morning or after a long rest, the knees hurt when bending and walking. The pain goes away after squatting or other stress on the joint. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joints in advanced stages note difficulty in going up and down stairs, the appearance of pain even at rest.
- Traumatic consequences: intra-articular fractures, contusions, 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 joint pain in the knees in pregnant women.
Knee pain during pregnancy is explained by a sharp increase in the load on the joints of the lower extremities due to increased weight due to the uterus, fetus and amniotic fluid. Also, in the last trimester, many people experience abnormal fluid retention (edema) and weight gain, which also puts excessive pressure on the legs and makes it difficult for the knee joints to function normally.
In the last weeks of pregnancy and during childbirth, there is a powerful production of relaxin substances that soften the joint ligaments. Thanks to relaxins, the ligaments of the pelvic joints are stretched mainly, but other joints, including the knee, can also be affected.
With all these conditions, pregnant women have pain in the knee joints even at rest and at night. A few weeks after childbirth, the woman leaves the body with excess water, the production of relaxins stops, the weight decreases, so the discomfort in the knees disappears.
Causes of pain during sports
When running and playing "standing" sports (volleyball, tennis, football), the knee joint experiences much greater stress than when walking. The fluid produced in the joint for its normal functioning does not have time to form in sufficient quantities, and therefore the friction of the joint surfaces increases.
In the presence of knee injuries in the past, the degradation of the joint under the influence of sports can progress rapidly. If after training (especially after running or jumping) there is pain in the knee joint, this does not mean that you should completely give up sports. You just need to reconsider the options for loading the knees and replace the sport or set of exercises with a more gentle one for the legs.
Causes of knee pain in children
The most common cause of knee pain in a child is an injury that occurs due to excessive physical activity. Hematomas can be suspected by the appearance of the knee: there are bruises and abrasions on the skin, swelling on the side of the blow.
If a child complains of knee pain, infectious arthritis should be excluded, which usually occurs some time after the exacerbation of another bacterial (tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis) or viral infection. With such arthritis, the joint looks red, swollen, the general condition of the child worsens: body temperature rises, lethargy and drowsiness appear.
Another cause of knee disease in children can be autoimmune arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis). In this case, in addition to the knees, the child will be included in the inflammatory process and the elbows, as well as the small joints of the fingers. This type of arthritis is characterized by the "volatility" of the lesion: in a short time, the inflammation moves from one joint to another.
Treatment and prevention of knee pain
Appointment of treatment for the knee joint should be handled by a specialist who, after examination, will find out why the knee hurts and how to treat this case. The treatment of pain in the knee joints aims to reduce inflammation and degenerative processes. For this, it is recommended to all patients with pathology in the knees:
- limit the physical load on the joint (including refusing to carry weights, climb stairs); Women are advised not to wear heels, because due to improper redistribution of body weight, pressure on the joints increases. In some cases (complex dislocations), it is necessary to completely immobilize the knee with the help of a splint or tape;
- take a course of chondroprotectors - preparations containing the substances necessary for the structure of the joints (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine). Chondroprotectors are prescribed both for oral use in the form of tablets, and externally as part of ointments and gels. In a hospital, it is also possible to introduce these substances directly into the knee joint;
- use pain relievers, anti-inflammatories (corticosteroid hormones and non-steroidal drugs) and antibacterial agents;
- outside the stage of exacerbation, undergo a course of physiotherapeutic procedures (mud applications, ultrasound treatment and electrophoresis);
- load the affected joint correctly, with the help of therapeutic exercises. One of the best exercises of this type is the "bicycle" - in a supine position, it imitates the course of the pedals of a bicycle.
- In very advanced degenerative processes of the joint, surgical arthroplasty of the knee is preferable.
Treatment of joints with folk remedies.
In addition to traditional methods of treating knee pain, home remedies to relieve inflammation are also effective in many cases:
Lotions with ammonia and camphor solution
Mix half a glass of ammonia (10% solution) with 10 g of camphor alcohol, add 1 liter of salt water (this requires 1 tablespoon of salt per liter), shake until the sediment disappears. Heat the solution to a warm temperature in a water bath, moisten a gauze pad and apply it to the sore knee. Cover with polyethylene. Keep up to half an hour, 2-3 times a day.
Cabbage leaf compress
Beat a fresh cabbage leaf with a mallet, lightly sprinkle with salt so that the cabbage begins to make juice. Apply to the knees for several hours, securing with a bandage. Another variation of this compress is to apply a thin layer of honey on a cabbage leaf, otherwise the procedure is the same.
cinquefoil tincture
100 g of dried stems insist for 3 weeks per 1 liter of vodka. Take orally half an hour before a meal, 1 tablespoon. l. , diluted in 50 ml of water. The tincture can be rubbed into a sore knee or made into lotions.
beeswax ointment
A piece of wax the size of a matchbox, egg yolk and honey (1 tbsp. L) Mix everything in a water bath, apply with a swab to the sore joint overnight.
Folk methods, as well as therapeutic exercises, should be agreed with the attending physician, since a person can easily be harmed by ignorance (for example, when using bee products externally on a patient with allergic diseases or when trying to develop a dislocated joint). with physical exercises).
Prevention of diseases of the knee joints is aimed at preventing infections from entering (timely treatment of chronic inflammatory foci), reducing the load (combating excess weight, using fixative bandages) and strengthening the ligamentous apparatus of the joint and the bones (gymnastics, swimming, cycling, drinking, eating foods rich in calcium).
Remember that a good and timely treatment of the knees, as well as the prevention of injuries and recurrence of joint diseases, will allow you to maintain active mobility for many years.