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 minor problems in the legs leads to a noticeable loss of mobility.
More than half of all joint diseases occur in the knees as 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 prevailing mechanism of joint damage:
- Inflammatory processes in the joint (arthritis) and periarticular bag (bursitis). With arthritis, the knee joints increase in size, crunch when bent. General well-being worsens, body temperature rises. Bursitis is characterized by the presence of a rounded protrusion in the area of the joint, 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 - arthrosis. In this case, for a long time there is a gradual destruction of the internal articular surfaces, excessive growth of bone tissue. Since the load on the knee continues to exist, the destroyed joint does not have time to recover and collapses even more. Arthrosis is characterized by starting pains, i. e. in the morning or after a long rest, the knees hurt when bending and walking. Soreness goes away after squats or other stress on the joint. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee joints in advanced stages note difficulty in climbing and descending stairs, the appearance of pain even at rest.
- Traumatic consequences - intra-articular fractures, bruises, dislocations and sprains. For any type of joint injury, it is advisable to contact a specialist who will decide what to do - immobilize the joint or, conversely, give it a functional load.
Causes of joint pain in the knees in pregnant women
Knee pain during pregnancy is explained by a sharply increased load on the joints of the lower extremities due to weight gain due to the uterus, fetus and amniotic fluid. In addition, in the last trimester, many people experience abnormal fluid retention (edema) and weight gain, which also creates 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 articular ligaments. Thanks to relaxins, the ligaments of the pelvic joints are primarily stretched, 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. Within a few weeks after childbirth, a woman leaves the body with excess water, the production of relaxins stops, weight decreases, so the discomfort in the knees disappears.
Causes of pain during sports
When running and playing sports "on the feet" (volleyball, tennis, football), the knee joint experiences much greater stress than when walking. The fluid produced in the joint for its normal operation does not have time to form in sufficient quantities, and therefore the friction of the articular 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 a workout (especially after running or jumping) there is pain in the knee joint, this does not mean that you need to give up sports altogether. 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. Bruises 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 that his knee hurts, infectious arthritis should be excluded, which usually occurs some time after an 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 - the body temperature rises, lethargy, 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 "volatility" of the lesion - within a short time, inflammation passes from one joint to another.
Treatment and prevention of knee pain
The appointment of treatment for the knee joint should be handled by a specialist who, after the examination, will find out why the knee hurts and how to treat this case. Treatment of pain in the knee joints aims to reduce inflammation and degenerative processes. To do this, all patients with pathology in the knees are recommended:
- limit the physical load on the joint (including refuse to carry weights, walk up the 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 required to completely immobilize the knee with the help of a splint or plaster;
- 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 painkillers, anti-inflammatory (corticosteroid hormones and nonsteroidal drugs) and antibacterial agents;
- outside the stage of exacerbation, undergo a course of physiotherapeutic procedures (mud applications, ultrasound and electrophoresis treatment);
- load the affected joint correctly - with the help of therapeutic exercises. One of the best such exercises is the "bicycle" - in the supine position, imitate the course of the pedals of a bicycle.
- in extremely advanced degenerative processes in the joint, surgical knee arthroplasty is preferable.
Treatment of joints with folk remedies
In addition to traditional methods of treating sore knees, folk remedies for relieving inflammation are also effective in many cases:
Lotions with ammonia-camphor solution
Mix half a glass of ammonia (10% solution) with 10 g of camphor alcohol, add 1 liter of salted water (this requires 1 tablespoon of salt per liter), shake until the sediment disappears. Warm the solution to a warm temperature in a water bath, moisten gauze in it and apply to the sore knee. Top with polyethylene. Keep up to half an hour, 2-3 times a day.
Cabbage leaf compress
Beat a leaf of fresh cabbage with a mallet, sprinkle lightly with salt so that the cabbage starts up the 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.
Tincture of cinquefoil
100 g of dry stems insist for 3 weeks per 1 liter of vodka. Take orally half an hour before a meal, 1 tbsp. l. , diluted in 50 ml of water. The tincture can be rubbed into a sore knee or made into lotions.
Ointment from beeswax
A piece of wax the size of a matchbox, 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, must be agreed with the attending physician, because out of ignorance a person can easily harm himself (for example, when using bee products externally in 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 infection from entering them (timely treatment of chronic inflammatory foci), at reducing the load (fighting excess weight, wearing fixative bandages) and strengthening the ligamentous apparatus of the joint and bones (gymnastics, swimming, cycling, drinkingeating foods rich in calcium).
Remember that 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.