How to cure a sore knee. Pain in the knee joint: causes, treatment, why the knees hurt, what to do about it, how and how to treat them. Causes: why knees hurt

The knee joint is one of the most complex joints in the human body. Such a "difficult" device, combined with a constant load, makes the joint very vulnerable.

In this regard, it is not surprising that in our entire life at least once each of us has experienced pain in the knee - dull, aching, sharp, muffled or even unbearable. Sometimes unpleasant sensations bother people only while walking or bending-extension of the leg, in some cases - regularly.

The nature of the pain in the knee joint, as well as the causes that caused it, can be very different, in this article we will try to understand in detail why the knee hurts, and what to do in this case.

Causes of knee pain

Pain in the knee joint can be caused by trauma or have a pathological nature. Sometimes this is a symptom of a serious illness, which can be determined by the nature of sensations and a number of additional signs.

Among the most common causes of knee pain are the following:

- inflammatory disease. It can be both an independent pathology and a symptom or complication of other diseases.
- a degenerative process of destruction of articular tissues, with a long course causes deformation, deprives the joint of mobility.
because of injury due to a very strong blow to the knee, his impact on a hard object, falling. In this case, the joint is excessively damaged and unnaturally bent.
Ligament injury Any activity that involves physical effort can lead to knee injury. Often this happens when playing sports and during outdoor activities, and there is an immediate sharp pain, the joint swells. If this happens, it is necessary to exclude further stress on the injured leg until medical attention is provided so as not to aggravate the injury.
meniscus injury. The meniscus is a rounded cartilage in the knee joint that is easily damaged by a sharp squat or twist. The doctor diagnoses this cause after an internal examination, ultrasound, X-ray.
. Many people wonder why their knees hurt when they bend. There can be many answers to this question, but sometimes it is the usual excess formation of fluid in the joint, or rather in the bag where it is located. The pain does not have a local location and can often radiate to neighboring areas, even to the toes. Bursitis can manifest itself in an acute form, but often it flows into a chronic one. Acute bursitis is expressed as a sharp pain in the leg above the knee or in the knee itself, reddening of the skin and a significant limitation of leg mobility. The accumulated fluid can be easily felt even through the skin, the puffiness has a clear contour.
Pain occurs when formation of a cyst under the knee (Becker's cyst). The formation appears in the fossa due to a previously observed inflammatory process in the knee joint. Substances accumulated during inflammation in the joints penetrate into the tendon areas of the popliteal fossa and are localized on the inside of the fossa.
Tendinitis (inflammation of the ligaments and tendons) is characterized by swelling and discomfort in a specific area. It increases with flexion-extension of the knees and contraction of the muscles associated with the affected tendon, and gives to the neighboring muscles of the lower leg and thigh.
Ischemic pain- occur due to impaired blood supply in the knee joint. The reason may be a sharp change in weather, a long stay in the cold and excessive physical activity. As a rule, the pain is localized symmetrically, that is, in both knees, has the same intensity and does not affect the mobility of the joints.

The appearance of acute or chronic knee pain should not be ignored, so it is necessary to go for a consultation with a doctor. After the diagnosis, the specialist will tell you what to do in a particular case. Treatment may consist of tablets, ointments, rubbing, physiotherapy, surgery.

Diagnostics

First, the orthopedist examines the patient's diseased knee, conducts motor tests and collects an anamnesis to make an accurate diagnosis. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe the following examinations:

Instrumental- using radiography. Ultrasound, CT, MRI or densitometry.
At laboratory research they take general, biochemical tests, a smear and a blood test for bacterial microflora, conduct a serological study, puncture the bone marrow and joint fluid.
Invasive methods suggest arthroscopy.

Based on the results of tests and examinations, the specialist establishes a diagnosis and tells you how to treat knee pain in your case.

Treatment of knee pain

Why joints hurt, doctors can determine. Therefore, a timely visit to a specialist is an important component for the quick and correct elimination of the problem that has arisen. However, whatever the cause of knee pain, the first thing to do is to reduce the stress on the joints. Often, during a period of acute pain, the patient requires bed rest, followed by activation of the leg. It is recommended to use a cane or crutches when walking, wear soft and comfortable shoes. In some cases, the doctor prescribes orthopedic insoles.

At home, the primary means of drug treatment for knee pain are chondroprotective, analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. The forms of release of these drugs can be different (gels, creams, ointments, injections, tablets). The specialist prescribes one or another form of the drug, depending on the type, degree and location of the damage.

The most effective, for example, Ibuprofen, Diclofenac. But they do not affect the cause of the disease.
If your knee is swollen and hurts, then you ice compress will help. You can take an ice pack and apply to the damaged area. After a while, the pain will start to subside.
Chondroprotectors, on the contrary, do not reduce pain, but with prolonged use they contribute to the restoration of damaged cartilage tissues, restore joint function and reduce the number of relapses of the disease. Among the most common are Alflutop and Don.
overlay fixing bandage can also help. But you must be sure that it can be done with your injury, otherwise you can only aggravate the situation.
If your knee hurts when you sit in one place for a long time, then need to move a little. A sedentary lifestyle or sedentary work is very dangerous - there is a risk of gaining excess weight, which will put a load on the knee joints, and also all the time without movement - it is very harmful, the knees stagnate.

Medical treatment is usually supplemented by a course of physiotherapy. This allows you to quickly relieve pain, reduce the course of treatment, reduce the dose of drugs.

It is equally important to follow a diet - eating plant foods rich in vitamins, fish dishes and seafood helps to restore articular cartilage. And, of course, when the pain can be overcome, we must try to make sure that it does not return anymore: lead a healthy lifestyle, strengthen the body and not subject it to excessive stress.

(Visited 1 966 times, 1 visits today)

Often, patients complain that their knees hurt, ache, crunch or swelling appears in them. At the same time, similar symptoms can occur not only in older people, but also in a teenager. Sometimes this is a sign of banal fatigue and stress on the legs if you had to walk or stand in one place for a long time. But there are situations when pain in the knee joint occurs due to the development of serious diseases that require immediate treatment. Why does this happen and when should you rush to the doctor?

To understand the question of why the knee hurts, you need to consider its structure. The articulations are the connection of the patella with the tibia and femur. Those parts of the bones that touch each other have a coating of hyaline cartilage. Cartilage tissue forms a kind of lining - the menisci. On all sides, the joint is surrounded by a protective capsule, which is filled with synovial fluid that provides nutrition to the cartilage. From the outside, the joint is protected by ligaments and tendons.

In order for the knee to move normally, 6 synovial bags are needed. The surrounding soft tissues contain nerve endings and blood vessels that feed the joint.

Commonly Diagnosed Causes of Knee Pain

There are various causes of knee pain. Therefore, it is important to determine what in your case led to such a state. In some cases, this may indicate a disease that requires mandatory treatment. Joint pain can be caused by:

Violation of blood circulation, as a result of which the nutrition of tissues is disturbed. This pathology is often diagnosed among adolescents. This is because during the period of active bone growth, there may be a violation of their nutrition and supply with the substances necessary for growth. At the initial stage, the pain is very strong, but over time, the soreness decreases. As a rule, the pain is concentrated in one place. With hypothermia, pain may increase.
Gonarthrosis. The disease affects the joints and is diagnosed in almost half of patients. The disease develops for a long time and does not manifest itself in the first stages. Its main symptoms include: pain at rest, it is difficult for a person to walk for a long time and climb stairs. When moving, a crunch is heard, the mobility of the knee decreases. Gradually, the cartilage begins to wear out, and the distance between the bones decreases. In this case, the vessels and nerve endings are compressed, osteophytes appear, and the knee is deformed.

Meniscopathy. In most cases, the pain affects only one (right or left) knee. This can happen as a result of an injury. The main symptom of meniscopathy is a click in the joint, after which severe pain occurs. With an exacerbation of the disease, the patient is tormented by acute pain, which is characterized as stabbing and throbbing. Deformation of the knee joint with such a disease does not occur, however, the developing inflammatory process can affect the synovial bag.
Arthritis is a pathology preceded by an inflammatory process. This is one of the reasons why knee pain in women and young people. In this case, the pain in the knees is severe, the skin on them turns red and swelling of the limb appears. At night, the pain intensifies, and it can also disturb the patient during the change of weather. Weak immunity and excess weight can provoke the development of the disease.
Bursitis is associated with an inflammatory process in the area of synovial bags. The characteristic features of the disease are: swelling, redness of the skin of the knee and a decrease in the amplitude of its movement. In this case, the cavity of the bag begins to fill with exudate, which may contain pathogens. Bursitis develops as a result of injury to the knee or high physical stress on the joint. To notice the inflammation, just press on the skin in this place. Along with severe pain in the knee area, the patient develops general weakness. If bursitis was preceded by an infectious disease, then the patient's body temperature rises. If the disease was diagnosed at the initial stage of development, then you can cope with it at home, using compresses and observing bed rest. When the disease becomes chronic, a puncture will be required to remove the fluid that has begun to accumulate in the cavity of the knee joint.

Synovitis is a lesion of the synovial membrane associated with an inflammatory process. Accompanied by swelling and burning in the knee area.
Periarthritis is mainly diagnosed in overweight women over 40 years of age. Patients complain of discomfort when straightening their legs or climbing stairs. Pathology extends to the muscles, joint capsule, ligaments and tendons. In this case, aching pain is accompanied by swelling of the limb.
Chondromatosis. The disease is associated with the appearance of nodules in the cartilage tissue. Dehydration of the knee joint begins, which leads to limited mobility of the leg and a crunch during movement. Due to pinching of soft tissues, the patient is in severe pain.
Tumor in the bone. As a result of the occurrence of a neoplasm, which leads to compression of the tissues and the vessels and nerve endings located in it, the patient's knee joints can also hurt.
Baker's cyst is a small hernia that often occurs in young people and even children. In most cases, the cyst is not dangerous and does not cause discomfort to the patient. But there are times when the hernia begins to actively increase in size, which prevents flexion and extension of the leg. In this case, surgery is performed to remove it.

Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Ginzburg L.Z. talks about Baker's cyst in detail.

Sometimes the cause of the pain is pregnancy. Many young mothers recall how their knee joints hurt in the second half of pregnancy. This is due to the fact that during this period the weight of a woman can increase significantly, which creates a high load on the knee joint of the expectant mother. What to do if the knees of pregnant women hurt, only a doctor can say, since self-treatment during this period can harm not only the mother, but also the baby.

The listed causes of pain in the knee area are called by physicians the main ones, although there may be other factors that provoke pain in the knee joints.

Diseases that cause knee pain

There are pathologies that do not have a direct connection with the knee joint, but can provoke a condition in which the knee joints hurt. These include:

Fibromyalgia is diagnosed in approximately 5% of all inhabitants of the planet. The exact causes of development are still not known, but doctors suggest that trauma, psychological stress, and accelerated serotonin metabolism can lead to fibromyalgia. The patient complains that the muscles near the joint hurt, sleep disturbance, indigestion, fatigue, convulsions and numbness of the extremities. Inflammation is not observed. In addition to the fact that there is aching pain, stiffness of the movement of the limb appears, convulsions are possible. For treatment, painkillers, antidepressants, massage, physiotherapy exercises and a special diet are used.
Neuralgia of the sciatic nerve, which is pinched by the vertebrae. .

Gout is a disease that appears as a result of improper metabolism of uric acid, which begins to be deposited in the form of salts in the joints. It hurts all over the knee. Often gout is diagnosed in a man who does not eat right and abuse alcohol. The skin in the area of the affected joint becomes red. At night, the pain is stronger than during the day. An attack of gout can disturb the patient from 2 days to 2 weeks. To diagnose the disease, the patient is given a blood test, in which you can see a high level of uric acid. As a therapy, a special diet, bed rest and taking drugs to reduce the level of uric acid are prescribed.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory disease of the connective tissue that can occur as a result of a decrease in immunity. In this case, there is stiffness after a long rest, discomfort when the weather changes. Why it begins to develop, doctors have not yet figured out. It can occur in anyone, regardless of age and gender. Factors that can provoke the development of rheumatoid arthritis include: regular hypothermia and psycho-emotional overstrain. If there is no treatment, the disease often leads to disability or even death of the patient, due to renal failure or complications of an infectious nature.
Osteoporosis is the pathological formation of bone tissue in humans. The pain of osteoporosis is aching and very difficult to relieve. In patients with this diagnosis, the bones become brittle, so fractures are more likely.

They talk in detail about osteoporosis in the program “Live healthy” with Elena Malysheva.

Osteomyelitis is a disease of a bacterial nature, which is characterized by boring painful sensations. The skin in the articulation area turns red. Any movement causes discomfort. Osteomyelitis is dangerous because it can contribute to the death of the bone marrow. The main reasons for its appearance include injuries and ingestion of Staphylococcus aureus. Therefore, traumatic and hematogenous types of osteomyelitis are distinguished. For treatment, antibacterial drugs are used or an operation is performed, during which pus and dead tissue are removed.
Paget's disease is associated with abnormal formation of bone tissue. This leads to spinal deformity. Tubular bones are affected. It is very difficult to diagnose this disease, because it has no special symptoms. The only thing that can alert the patient is if the knee hurts at night, at the same time the affected area becomes warm.
Infectious diseases, the signs of which are pain in the knee joint. After antibiotic therapy, these symptoms disappear.
Dysplasia of the hip joint. The patient has pain on the entire surface of the leg, and not just the knee joint.

If the knees hurt due to systemic diseases or problems with the skeleton, then it is not always possible to cope with the pain. But, regardless of the cause, treating knee pain should be a must. This helps to prevent further development of the pathology.

Causes associated with trauma

There are a number of pathological processes that provoke pain in the knee joints. However, it does not always appear immediately after injury. Sometimes a certain period of time may pass. The most common injuries include:

Full or . The victim develops a "retractable" articulation syndrome. The patient experiences severe pain, the articulation loses stability, hemarthrosis develops.
The bruise is characterized by slight soreness. The bruise has no serious consequences. The resulting hematoma disappears on its own after a few weeks.
Meniscus tear. The cause may be a blow to the articulation area, where swelling appears. When the acute period is overcome, there remains soreness when climbing stairs.

Dislocation of the knee joint. This is the name of the exit from the articulation of one of the parts of the joint.
Tendon rupture is rarely diagnosed. In this case, there is a sharp pain, which eventually becomes aching. During the movement, the left knee or right knee hurts.
A fracture can occur as a result of a strong blow or a fall from a height. Signs of a fracture: sharp, stabbing pain, pallor of the skin and swelling, inability to stand on the leg. At the time of the fracture, you can hear a characteristic crunch; with an open fracture, the bone can damage the skin.

Doctors of the Sport Clinic of Professor Kuznetsov talk in detail about injuries.

Varieties of pain

Treatment is prescribed by a doctor, after he makes an accurate diagnosis. To do this, he will first take an interest in the nature of pain and prescribe additional examinations. Therefore, the patient needs to understand what the nature of the pain felt by the patient is:

Acute - may indicate a torn ligament or injury to the meniscus. It also becomes a companion of bursitis or reactive arthritis.
Pulling - characteristic of synovitis or bursitis.
Pulsating - accompanies meniscus injury or deforming.

Aching - becomes a consequence of arthrosis.
Burning - appears when the sciatic nerve or bone tuberculosis is infringed.
Drilling is a sign of osteomyelitis.
Stitching - one of the symptoms of a cyst of the synovial bag, osteoporosis or meniscus injury.
Shooting - can be caused by pinching of the nerve.
Periodic - thus, inflammation manifests itself in the muscles or tendons.

Diagnosis of pathology

To determine why there is pain in the knee joint or clicks in the leg, the doctor will prescribe an examination. The main diagnosis is to carry out:

Urine and blood tests.
Taking a smear to determine the microflora.
Bone marrow puncture or synovial fluid sampling.
arthroscopy.
Ultrasound.

Radiography.
Densitometry.
Computed or magnetic resonance imaging.

First aid

If the knee hurts or aches, the first thing to do is to ensure complete rest for the limbs. After the leg is immobilized, home treatment comes down to taking anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics (Ibuprofen, Paracetamol, etc.).

A cold compress helps relieve soreness. It can be used when the knee joints hurt due to an injury. The immobilized limb needs to be slightly elevated. If there is a wound, then it needs to be treated with any antiseptic preparation.

It is important to remember that this is only first aid, and not the main treatment. How to treat the main problem can only be said by a doctor after an examination and additional examination.

Details about the causes, symptoms and treatment of pain in the video below.

Treatment Methods

Treatment of knee pain should begin with determining the exact cause of their occurrence. When the diagnosis is made, the doctor will tell you how and how to treat knee pain. For this, drug therapy, folk remedies, massage, physiotherapy exercises or surgery can be used.

Medical and surgical treatment

To get rid of discomfort, if the knee or joint hurts, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics (if the cause is a viral infection) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen, etc.). To relieve the inflammatory process, Diclofenac, Lornoxicam, etc. are prescribed.

Also, the patient needs an appointment ("Teraflex", "Chondroitin", etc.). For local therapy, ointments with a warming effect are used: Dolobene, Diclofenac, Troxevasin, etc.

In some cases, when the knee joint hurts, surgery may be required. Such pathologies include the accumulation of fluid in the articulation cavity, which must be removed.

If a cyst is present, hydrocortisone blockade is used or surgery is performed. If the pain in the knee joint appeared after an injury, then sometimes it is necessary to reposition the bone. After that, a plaster, tight bandage or orthosis is applied to the joint. If it is necessary to relieve the load from the knee joint, the patient is prescribed to wear orthopedic devices.

Systemic pathologies require an integrated approach to treatment. In such cases, glucocorticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs and immunosuppressants are used. performed by injections of chondoprotectors directly into the joint.

How to treat knees that hurt a lot, the doctor will tell after a comprehensive examination of the patient and determining the reasons that led to this.

Massage and exercise therapy

When the knee bothers the patient when standing up or straightening, a crunch appears, it is hard to stand for a long time, and discomfort occurs even at night, massage and special exercises will help get rid of the pain syndrome and restore mobility.

The doctor may recommend special exercises. In this case, all exercises should be performed slowly, without sudden movements. If the knee hurts a lot, then you need to start with the simplest exercises, gradually increasing the load.

While lying on your back or sitting on a chair, you need to alternately bend and unbend your legs, make rotational movements, take them to the side and pull them up to your stomach. After exercise, you need to give the limbs a little rest and proceed to the massage.

In this video, Dr. Popov will show super exercises to relieve pain in the knee joints, and this exercise will also help heal the joints from the most severe joint diseases.

The average duration of a massage session should be 20 minutes. At this time, the specialist rubs the entire surface of the knee, presses on the cup. It is important that the patient does not experience acute pain in the knee. At home, you can rub or knead sore knees.

Treatment with folk remedies

When the legs begin to swell and go numb, there is discomfort when they are straightened, the knees crunch and hurt, what to do in such cases? Specialists in traditional medicine offer their methods of therapy. At the same time, it must be remembered that such treatment is long and it will not work to get rid of the pathology in a short time. The average duration of such therapy is 2 months. On the Internet you can find reviews on the use of a variety of methods and tips on how to relieve pain with their help.

Treatment of folk remedies for pain in the knees can be as follows:

Compress with decoction of cinquefoil. To prepare it, 2 tablespoons of dry grass are poured with 2 cups of boiling water and infused for several hours.
At home, you can take a decoction of oats. To prepare it, 1 cup of grain is poured with 1 liter of water and boiled for 30 minutes over low heat. After that, the broth should be infused for 10-12 hours. Two glasses of broth must be divided into several parts, which are drunk during the day. The course of using the decoction is 2 weeks.

Good reviews for mustard compress. It should be applied every evening to a sore spot and left overnight. For such a compress, 1 tablespoon of mustard, soda and honey is mixed. The very next day, patients feel a decrease in discomfort.
To relieve pain and improve blood circulation at home, a compress made from grated horseradish and potatoes, which are taken in equal parts, helps. Such a remedy is applied to a sore spot and washed off with warm water after 15 minutes. The duration of its use is 10 days.
Rubbing with hot pepper tincture gives a good effect. To prepare it, you need to fill a liter jar halfway with crushed hot pepper and pour alcohol to the top. A week later, the tincture is ready.

When choosing treatment with folk remedies, you need to remember that this should be done only after consulting with your doctor, since complications may develop with improper therapy.

Who is susceptible to pathology

It is noted that in some people, pain in the knee joints appear much more often than in others. Doctors identify a certain risk group. It includes patients who:

There is a hereditary predisposition to diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
Primary pathologies contributing to the development of pain in the area of the knee joints were diagnosed.
There is excess weight.

Being overweight is one of the causes of knee problems.

There were injuries.
The knees are under constant stress as a result of playing sports.
Had knee surgery.
The muscular corset in the knee area is poorly developed.

Prevention

Avoid hypothermia of the feet.
It is rational to combine work with rest.
Avoid high stress on the joints.
Timely treatment of any infectious diseases.
When playing sports, you need to protect the joints with special devices.
Monitor your weight and, if necessary, do everything possible to reduce it (diet, sports, etc.).
People over 35 years of age periodically need to take chondroprotectors.
Watch your diet, which should be dominated by foods rich in fiber and vegetable oils. At the same time, it is necessary to limit the consumption of sweets, flour products and animal fats.

When medical attention is needed

Sometimes, the knee may start to hurt due to normal fatigue: after a long walk or standing in one place. In such cases, it is enough for a person to rest so that his condition returns to normal, and the discomfort disappears. But there are also situations when urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary. You need to visit a doctor who will determine the causes and treatment of soreness if:

For more than 2 months, the patient has a constant or intermittent pain of a aching nature, which can disturb even at night.
Pain sensations arose suddenly, for no apparent reason, or differ in intensity.
Knee while moving.
The patient feels instability in the area of the knee joint.
A person daily suffers from discomfort or even pain in the area of the knee joint. For its occurrence is characterized by a certain time or certain conditions.

The patient has other signs of pathology such as high body temperature, rash, etc.
Aching pain arose along with a violation of the mobility of the limb or deformity of the joint.
The person is constantly in pain.
There are signs of inflammation. These include: swelling of the limb, redness of the skin, fever at the site of pathology.

Delaying a consultation can be very dangerous, as there are pathologies that, without the necessary treatment, can lead to the development of serious complications or even disability.

The knee joint is considered one of the most difficult. At the same time, every day he has to cope with huge loads, which at a certain point in time can provoke injuries and diseases.

Diseases of the knee joints develop gradually. At first, the pain is very mild and does not really bother the person. However, as the pathology progresses, pain increases. They are joined by tissue edema and limited mobility in the joint.

To avoid disability, it is necessary to begin treatment of diseased knee joints at the first sign of injury or illness. From this article, the reader will learn how to treat when knees hurt.

Causes of joint pain

In most cases, knee pain indicates the presence of some kind of disease. Their intensity increases gradually. An exception is pain in injuries: their peak is reached at the time of the traumatic effect and gradually decreases.

Pain in the knee joint most often occurs for the following reasons:

Gonarthrosis. This pathology is very common. It is detected in 50% of elderly patients who turn to doctors with pain in the knees. The pathology manifests itself with the following symptoms: pain is absent until the patient does not move; pain appears when getting up from a squat and walking for a long time; when moving, a distinct crunch is heard; joint mobility is limited. Over time, this pathology can lead to joint deformity.
Meniscopathy. Usually this disease causes pain in one knee. It develops as a result of injury or periodic excessive stress on the joint. During the period of exacerbation, the pathology is manifested by acute, throbbing pains. In most cases, it does not threaten the very structure of the joint, but if left untreated, it can provoke inflammation of the synovial bag.
Insufficient blood supply to the joint. Teenagers often face this problem. Their bones grow too fast. The vessels do not keep up with this growth, so the joint receives less nutrition. As a result, the patient begins to feel quite severe pain in the knee, localized at a certain point on the knee and not spreading to neighboring tissue areas. Over time, the intensity of pain is significantly reduced.
Arthritis. This is an inflammatory process that can develop not only in the elderly, but also in young people. It is noteworthy that this pathology is most often detected in women. The disease is characterized by painful sensations, depending on the time of day. Usually at night their intensity increases.
Bursitis. This is the name of the inflammatory process affecting the synovial bags of the joint. You can determine the disease by the characteristic symptoms: hyperemia of the tissues of the knee, swelling in the affected area, limited mobility. With bursitis, a fluid containing the causative agent of inflammation accumulates in the synovial bag.
Synovitis. This pathology differs from bursitis in more intense pain and severe swelling of the joint.
periarthritis. The disease appears mainly in obese people older than 40 years. Patients feel problems with climbing stairs, as it is accompanied by pain in the knees. Pathology affects not only the joint capsule, but also the tendons of the knee. Pain in periarthritis is aching in nature and is accompanied by swelling.
Chondromatosis. This disease leads to the formation of areas of connective tissue in the cartilage of the joint. The result is dehydration of the joint, limitation of its mobility and severe pain.
Chondropathy of the kneecap. In this pathology, cartilage is completely replaced by connective tissue. This disease always develops due to injuries and leads to disability.
Benign or malignant bone growth. The tumor causes compression of the nervous tissue and blood vessels, which provokes severe pain.
. This is inflammation of the knee, leading to loss of joint functionality. With it, the tendons of the joint are primarily affected. Such a pathology can develop in any person.
Osteochondritis of the knee. With this pathology, the cartilage tissue begins to exfoliate from the bone tissue. At first, the patient's knee does not hurt very much, but then the intensity of the pain increases. Over time, an inflammatory process is certainly added to the exfoliation.

These are not all the reasons for the development of pain in the knees. There are so many of them that it is impossible to talk about them in one article, so we drew the reader's attention to the most common of them.

Pain in the knees with organ pathologies

Treatment of knee joint pain sometimes does not work. The reason for the failure lies in the fact that a person is trying to treat one of the pathologies of the knee joint, but the source of the problem is in a completely different place.

For example, pain in the knee area often causes the following pathologies:

This small list of diseases is enough to understand that it will be very difficult, and sometimes simply impossible, to cope with pain in the limbs without diagnostic measures. Therefore, before resorting to this or that type of treatment, you need to be examined by a doctor.

Pain in the knee joints can be caused not only by diseases of individual organs, but also by systemic diseases. The most common of them are:

Various autoimmune diseases that subsequently become the cause of pain in the lower extremities usually present with symptoms that are more characteristic of allergic reactions. Patients do not pay attention to them, and in vain, because autoimmune joint damage is much more severe than ordinary pathologies. These diseases require complex treatment and constant medical supervision. Otherwise, the prognosis will be unfavorable.

Diagnostics

To know how to treat when knee joints hurt, doctors must accurately diagnose. In modern medicine, the following procedures are performed to identify knee pathologies:

general urine and blood tests;
detailed blood biochemistry;
puncture of the joint cavity in order to obtain synovial fluid;
examination of exudate for bacterial microflora;
arthroscopy;
X-ray of the affected joints;
densitometry;

If necessary, doctors may prescribe additional methods of instrumental research. Moreover, to clarify the diagnosis, specialists from other areas of medicine can be involved in the examination.

In the event of discomfort in the knee area, it is necessary to provide the leg with complete rest. Then you should stop the pain. At home, this is easiest to do with the help of drugs such as Analgin, Paracetamol, Ibuprofen.

You can also use a cold compress to relieve pain. This method of pain relief is best suited for relieving pain from injuries. If there are wounds on the knee, then they must be treated with any antiseptic.

It should be remembered that even after the disappearance of discomfort, you still need to seek help from a doctor.

Medical treatment

After an accurate diagnosis is made, doctors prescribe the appropriate therapy. At the initial stage, a course of antibiotics is prescribed if the pathology is caused by an infection, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

To stop a strong pain syndrome, strong analgesics are used: Ketanov, Ketolong and others. If the pain is very strong, then Larfix and Ksefokam can be prescribed.

In some cases, conventional analgesics are powerless over pain. Then doctors prescribe painkillers containing narcotic substances: Tramadol or Promedol. In order to avoid addiction, injections of drugs are carried out in short courses.

To protect the cartilage tissue in the joints, patients are prescribed chondroprotectors.

Injections

They are resorted to when taking pills and powders does not have the expected effect. As a rule, the following groups of drugs are injected directly into the joint:

Hormones based on corticosteroids. They allow you to quickly anesthetize the joint and eliminate discomfort in severe arthrosis.
Chondroprotectors. They stop the process of cartilage destruction.
Hyaluronic acid. These are expensive injections, but they bring relief to the patient very quickly.

Injections directly into the joint are very effective, but at the same time painful and can cause complications later. Therefore, they are resorted to in extreme cases.

Ointments

These knee pain remedies are used when doctors want to minimize possible side effects. There are several groups of ointments:

non-steroidal: Nise, Ketonal, etc.;
capsacin ointments: Kapsikam, Espol, Finalgon;
aspirin ointments: Bom-benge, Viprosal.

Before you fully use this or that ointment, you need to apply a small amount of therapeutic agent to the skin and wait a while. This will identify possible allergies and, if necessary, switch to another drug.

plasters

These means for relieving pain in the joints are divided into the following groups.

A long list of autumn ailments includes aching knee pain. A stormy, rainy time makes the whole body ache, not just the bones. Often the legs hurt after intense workouts, heavy loads. But if there are no loads, then this serves as a warning that you have begun to develop arthritis or osteoarthritis.

If the knee aches at rest, then this is always a sign of the presence of a pathology, but which one, it is impossible to say right away. The true causes of the disease are established in the course of diagnostic and laboratory studies.

When the aching pain under the knee is very disturbing, then it's time to go to the orthopedist. If this is not done, then you can end your days in a wheelchair. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage thins and the surfaces of the joints come into contact with each other, causing pain. The affected area swells, the skin turns red. Viruses and infections can also cause pain.

Sometimes pinching of nerve endings between the discs of the spine is reflected by pain in the joints. Medicines, decoctions of herbs, and gymnastics sometimes help to alleviate the situation. Often the pain is the body's reaction to the weather - damp, dank.

In autumn, this problem begins to bother some people more often than usual, because they are looking for ways to get rid of it.

Why do knees ache

It turns out that bone formations that have been damaged at least once - dislocation, stretching, inflammation - change their structure, which becomes porous and allows moisture to pass through. Usually, on the eve of bad weather, the humidity of the air rises, then moisture, penetrating into unprotected tissues, causes aching pains familiar to many.

Some have even learned to predict rain or snow based on their own feelings. In autumn, the number of cloudy days increases, so the frequency of pain also increases.

Someone is trying to save the situation by wrapping up in a warm scarf and covering the knee with cellophane. And they're right, it helps to keep moisture out of the foot.

If your knees ache from time to time, reconsider your lifestyle, reduce the amount of physical activity, and improve your diet. The greatest danger is constant pain with swelling in the knees and a specific crunch.

Collagen fibers may be partially damaged or ligaments may be sprained.

Many complain of pain below the knees, when the legs literally “buzz”. This is either due to overwork, long walking in heels, or is a symptom of an ailment that needs surgical treatment.

If the elements of the lower leg are affected, pain will be felt in the lower part of the leg. This is not always critical and dangerous to health. You just need to understand in detail the causes of malaise. If deep vein thrombosis develops, then urgent treatment is required. With the formation of blood clots in the lower extremities, one of these clots can come off and clog the pulmonary artery. A person can instantly suffocate.

Therefore, with constant, periodically recurring pain below the knee, hurry to the doctor. The orthopedist will perform diagnostics, x-rays and determine why you are worried about the pain.

When the knee hurts, swells, moves poorly and unbends, you feel significant discomfort, then this is already serious. If the destructive forces are already at work, then it is almost impossible to heal the knee completely. You can only stop or significantly slow down the pathological process.

Some of the causes of knee pain include:

Gonarthrosis. The most common case of damage to the articular joints. Development takes a long time, while the mobility of the joint decreases, it becomes impossible to walk a lot, squat, and then get up from your haunches, climb the stairs. The knees start to crackle. With wear of the cartilage layer, the gap between the bone elements narrows. With the growth of osteophytes, squeezing of blood vessels and nerve endings occurs, the joint is deformed.
Meniscopathy or meniscus cyst. Usually one knee gets sick due to some kind of injury or regular unbearable load on the joint. The pain is quite sharp, throbbing. There is inflammation affecting the synovial bag.
Circulatory disorders, often found in adolescents due to rapid bone growth or hypothermia. Over time, the intensity of the pain decreases.
Arthritis. It occurs in young people as well as women. The knee not only hurts unbearably, especially at night, but it also becomes inflamed. The knee hurts for the weather. Among the reasons, doctors call a large body weight, age and weakened immunity.
Bursitis. Inflammation of the synovial bag of the knee when it is filled with fluid with pathogenic microflora. This happens after injury or increased load. It becomes difficult to move the leg, it swells. The person feels a general malaise.
Synovitis. Here, the synovial membrane of the joint is affected, the process is accompanied by swelling and burning pain.
Periarthritis. The disease is diagnosed in women over 40 who are obese. It is difficult for them to climb stairs, straighten their swollen legs. Pathology extends to almost all articular components - the capsule, ligaments, tendons, muscles.
Chondromatosis. With this disease, nodules from cartilage tissue form in the shell of the articular bag. The joint loses moisture, crunches when moving. When the tissue is pinched, pain is felt.
Chondropathy. Cartilage dies due to a knee injury. Any movement causes severe pain. You can't stand on your feet.
Tumor. The neoplasm compresses the soft tissues, which are lowered by nerves and blood vessels.
Baker's cyst. It occurs in children, young people. At first, it is small in size, does not pose a particular threat to health. But when it grows, the leg stops unbending. Only surgery can help.

The causes of pain in adults and children are similar, but there are some differences.

Sometimes preschool children complain of a sore knee from a lack of attention from their parents. And it also happens that the disease really worries the child and brings him inconvenience.

With accelerated growth, boys develop Osgood-Schlatter disease, then the knees begin to hurt in the evening or at night. In the absence of inflammation, after a few months, the adolescent's condition returns to normal.

Some systemic diseases also cause knee pain - osteoporosis, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget's disease. Among the causes of pain syndrome there are numerous injuries - bruises, torn ligaments, tendons, meniscus, fractures, dislocations.

The cause of knee pain in men is injuries. Skating - fell, played football - put his foot awkwardly, ran after the minibus - stumbled. Here is the pain and the swollen leg. Gradually, the bruise heals, and the man forgets about it. But sometimes, as a result of an injury, a piece of cartilage or meniscus can break off, which is infringed and brings pain when moving. From this, the joint can deform and stop straightening.

When the leg hurts from the knee to the foot, this is due to stretching or damage to the muscles, nerves, the appearance of blood clots inside the veins, arthrosis, popliteal cyst.

If the upper part of the limb from the thigh to the knee falls ill, then the causes may be varicose veins, osteochondrosis, inflammation, sprain, muscle strain, and impaired blood supply.

Pain under the knee at the back can be triggered by a purulent-inflammatory process, a meniscus cyst or its rupture, or vascular disease.

Soreness signals a violation of the functions of the body. If a person does not have serious diseases, then the problem is solved independently by increasing physical activity or losing weight.

What to do

If your knees are crunching and aching, and you cannot decide what to do about it, then go to the clinic and undergo an examination in order to start treatment in time. The diagnostic complex includes the delivery of laboratory tests, bone marrow puncture, smears for the presence of pathogens, x-rays, MRI, ultrasound and others.

At home, first of all, give your leg rest, take an anesthetic - paracetamol or analgin. Apply a cooling bandage to the knee, this is necessary in case of injury. Put the limb on an elevated place. Treat open wounds with an antiseptic. And then go to the doctor.

The orthopedist will determine the true cause of the disease and help relieve severe symptoms with the help of medications. Serious defects are treated only by surgery.

Articular meteopathy is helped to defeat several simple measures:

To alleviate the painful condition of the joints on days when the temperature dropped sharply outside, it became frosty, visit an infrared sauna or a bath with dry steam. Warming up in a hot bath or regular bath is not worth it. High humidity will only increase the swelling of the nerve roots and increase their sensitivity to external stimuli.
In the off-season, try not to overcool, dress warmer, take care of the problem area. Regularly lubricate the limb with ointment, make bandages from woolen fabric.
Rest and sleep cure any disease. Do not overwork during the day, because this will lead to an exacerbation of meteopathic reactions.

All of the above methods help to relieve discomfort. The problem can be effectively solved by eliminating its cause.

If during the change of weather the legs ache and break, then make an appointment with a rheumatologist or orthopedist. It is necessary to undergo an examination in any case, even if the pain occurs only in bad weather, and the rest of the time the state of health returns to normal.

Weather symptoms can signal an early stage in the development of a serious joint disease, such as osteoarthritis. Today, high-precision equipment is used to detect the disease, so it is not difficult to identify the pathology.

Therapeutic treatment will help get rid of pain, normalize metabolic processes in bone tissues, provide them with a sufficient amount of nutrients by stimulating blood flow.

The doctor can prescribe vitamins, chondroprotectors, various supplements, complex drugs. Also, the specialist will advise how to change your diet. Of the products you will need to eat fish, meat, buckwheat, pearl barley more often.

Today, there are good medicines that improve the condition of bones, stop their destruction, and weaken meteopathy at an early stage.

A healthy, strong body copes more easily with dependence on weather conditions and with various sores than a weakened one. Then in any weather you will feel great.

Since I myself had a knee injury and surgery, you can ask me questions below in the comments. I will be happy to help you.

What is the cause of knee pain? As mentioned earlier, the knee joint is subjected to enormous loads every day of our lives, which leads to its temporary dysfunction or uncomfortable pain.

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to understand the causes of the pain that has arisen, because the human body is a single system that is tightly connected to the outside world, external stimuli, and changes in the surrounding reality. Ailments can arise from any change in the quality of life.

Before starting treatment, you should consult a doctor so as not to harm yourself and clearly determine the cause.

Why knees hurt - causes associated with joint diseases

By and large, all the causes of knee pain can be divided into 2 types: those associated with physical exertion and injuries and those associated with any disease.

Arthrosis of the knee

In this case, the knees begin to hurt only with long or sharp physical exertion. This ailment does not cause discomfort at rest and begins to manifest itself with a sharp rise or a long climb up the stairs.

Systematic physical activity throughout life can also lead to this disease.

knee injury

Injury to the knee joint can lead to meniscopathy, which is a sharp and throbbing pain in one knee joint.

Insufficient blood supply to the joint

This problem is typical for adolescents, during the period of maturation of which, the development of the circulatory system does not keep pace with the rapid growth of bone tissue, which leads to impaired blood circulation in the joints. In this case, the child experiences a dull pain in the local area of the knee.

Tumor of the knee

As well as redness of the skin indicates the occurrence of arthritis. Excessive body weight leads to damage to the knee joint. There is a numbing dull pain, aggravated at night or with weather changes.

Great physical exertion or traumatic effect on the joint

It can also lead to bursitis, which is inflammation of the knee joint. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, the patient experiences weakness and malaise.

Loss of cartilage of the knee joint

Also known as chondropathy, it is diagnosed in the presence of extremely severe pain in one of the knee joints that occurs during movement and is accompanied by a strong crunch. The cause of this disease is also an injury or occupational pathology.

There are many more diseases, such as osteochondritis or fibromyalgia, as well as gout, osteoporosis, and many infectious diseases.

Any of these can lead to damage to the knee joints. Most of the pain in the knees is the result of an injury that triggered pathological processes in the body.

These types of injuries include:

Damage to the ligaments of the knee joint.
Torn tendon or meniscus.
Fracture or dislocation of the knee.

Physical activity can be a consequence of pain in the knee joint. If you experience discomfort after running, you should consider changing your diet, weight loss, and exercise therapy.

What actions should be taken and what to do with knee pain

Traditional medicine has been developing for several centuries and has accumulated vast experience in treating people with completely different ailments by previous generations.

Each of these treatments can relieve painful symptoms in the knees, save a person from edema or swelling.

Rubbing, compresses, tinctures - all these are quite effective means of treatment, let's dwell on them in more detail.

Cold water compress

As with any injury, cold should be applied to the affected area first. To obtain a more effective result, it is recommended to place the joint in an elevated position and apply gauze soaked in cold water to the knee.

Burdock juice compress

Burdock is one of the most common folk remedies for knee pain.

To prepare a compress, it is necessary to squeeze the leaves of burdock to obtain its juice, which must be mixed in equal proportions with ethyl alcohol, and then soak a gauze bandage in the resulting solution and apply to the affected area.

It is also necessary to insulate the compress with a large amount of cotton wool and a tight scarf bandage.

A useful product from burdock is also its vodka tincture, which is useful to take one tablespoon once a day.

horseradish leaves and burdock leaves

For the treatment of knees, mixed horseradish and burdock leaves are suitable. To do this, it is necessary to crush these leaves in a mortar and put the resulting slurry on sore knees. The effect will not be long in coming.

young birch leaves

They are an excellent remedy for relieving pain in the knee joints. Young leaves applied to the knees will relieve swelling and relieve pain. It is recommended to do this compress before going to bed and sleep with a fixing bandage.

The famous plant - golden mustache

This plant is a real storehouse in the treatment of joints and osteochondrosis. Rubbing a golden mustache with vodka tincture will relieve pain as soon as possible.

Camphor oil

A remedy used in Tsarist Russia as a cure for most diseases. It is enough to add a little mustard powder and egg white to get a valuable drug that can easily cure sore knee joints. It is recommended to do a compress at night.

Salt with honey

Finely ground salt and flower honey must be mixed in equal proportions and applied to the knee joint. The warming functions of salt and the healing properties of honey will have a healing effect on the joint in a fairly short time.

Baking soda

Baking soda is a folk remedy that must be applied to a previously steamed knee joint and kept for no more than 2 hours.

Then rinse the knee thoroughly and wrap it warmly. This remedy will relieve swelling and relieve pain.

Propolis tincture

A mixture of propolis tincture with vegetable oil must be heated in a water bath to human body temperature and rubbed into the knees at least once a day.

marsh cinquefoil

Also known as cinquefoil, it is a medicinal herb that must be applied with a compress twice a day and also taken orally.

pepper oil

If your knee joints are giving off aching pain, then pepper oil can help you. It is quite simple to make it, for this you need to take a few pods of hot pepper and mix them with any vegetable oil, after grinding them in a meat grinder.

After letting this mixture brew for several days, you will get a high-quality drug that can be used to rub the diseased knee composition.

A burning sensation may occur, turning into heat, somewhat reminiscent of the heat from mustard plasters. By the way, mustard can also help with aching pain.

To do this, mix mustard powder with honey or soda and rub the resulting slurry into the knee joint and leave overnight.

After each compress, you should carefully wrap the joint to keep it warm and speedy recovery.

Here's what to do if your knees hurt, but that's not all, there are also traditional medicine recipes. Treatment is also effective and has a positive result.

Knees hurt - treatment with folk remedies. Tinctures for treatment

The above compresses and rubbings are an excellent remedy to relieve local pain or swelling in the knee joint.

These tools are very effective, but it happens that they can not help. If your treatment does not help, and the pain in the knees does not stop, then you need to prepare a healing tincture that will help not only from pain in the knee joints, but also from many other ailments, ranging from injuries to colds or gastritis.

1. Bay leaf tincture

To prepare this tincture, it is necessary to boil 5 grams of bay leaf in one glass of water, then leave the resulting liquid to infuse for 3 hours, after wrapping the container.

This infusion must be taken orally throughout the day in small sips. This solution removes salt from the body and relieves knee pain.

2. Sabelnik, which we have already discussed above

Perfect for making alcohol tinctures. To do this, you need to divide the portion of the cinquefoil into two parts.

Mix one with any other medicinal herb, leave the other in its pure form and insist on an alcohol solution for 3-6 hours. Then you need to strain the resulting mixture, add alcohol to the container and that's it - the product is ready.

This tincture can be taken as an aperitif 30 minutes before meals for no longer than three weeks.

3. Decoction of oats

It is a well-known method of treating knee joints. The gluten contained in the seeds of oats, when taken orally, has a healing effect on the tendons and joints of a person.

To prepare a decoction, boil a glass of oats in one liter of water for about 10 minutes, and then leave for 10 hours. The resulting decoction should be taken orally for 1-2 weeks 3 times a day.

So, in these ways you can treat pain in the knee joint. But it is important for every person to remember that avoiding pain is much easier than long and tedious treatment.

To prevent diseases, it is necessary to monitor body weight, avoid obesity and move more. It is important to remember that a sedentary lifestyle leads to dysfunction of the knee joints, which in the long run will cause arthritis and arthrosis.

Be sure to warm up before physical exertion, do not overcool the joints to avoid inflammatory processes.

Following these tips, if your knees hurt, treatment with folk remedies will help relieve pain. And thus, you will protect yourself from the occurrence of diseases in the future, which will be quite difficult to cure.

Read my interesting articles