The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor.
When we experience knee discomfort, we rarely think about damage to the joints. After forty, it seems like there’s nothing to worry about: at this age, your joints will inevitably hurt. In fact, it is very important to find out in timewhy there is pain in the knee joint: This could be a signal of injury, illness, or even problems with the nervous system.
What can be damaged in the knee?
The knee is one of the largest joints in the human body. It consists of:
- joint,
- the end of the femur and tibia,
- muscles,
- vessels,
- nerves
- ligaments,
- kneecap,
- menisci,
- joint capsule.
All these parts can be damaged, although not all of them can hurt: there are no nerve endings in the bones.
Pain in the knee can be caused by damage to the femur and tibia, as well as nearby muscles.
Parts of the injury, such as a dislocated joint, a torn or torn meniscus, will reduce mobility. Damage to even small vessels will cause hematoma and inflammation, which will cause discomfort when trying to move the leg. The joint capsule is an excellent environment for infection: after viral and bacterial infections, patients often complain of complications and pain in the joints. And if there is a nerve disease, the patient will feel a sharp shooting pain in the knee even with a completely healthy joint.
Knee pain due to injury
Injuries are one of the most common causes of pain. Knees can be damaged by an unfortunate fall, playing sports, or sudden movement; even uncomfortable shoes can cause complications.
- Knee bruise- quite weak and very frequent damage. With it, the knee swells, turns red, and the temperature of the joint may rise slightly. If a bruise occurs, a knee massage may be required;
- Ligament ruptureoccurs when the leg or thigh is twisted too much in an unnatural direction. A complete rupture of the ligaments causes severe pain and excessive joint mobility;
- Meniscus tearcan be caused by high load, unnatural position, a blow to the leg, or twisting of the shin. This is a common and difficult to diagnose injury that interferes with normal leg movement;
- Fractures of the knee, leg or hipcombined with soft tissue damage, causing unbearable pain, excessive mobility and deformation of the knee.
Such injuries can be diagnosed by a surgeon or traumatologist. A visual examination is often sufficient, but you may be sent for an x-ray (if a fracture or dislocation is suspected) or a tomography if the doctor suspects ligament or meniscus damage.
What joint diseases can cause pain?
Any damage to the joint, be it destruction of cartilage, infection in the joint capsule or inflammation of the bones, will cause aching pain and decreased mobility. The disease is not always localized specifically in the knee: general joint diseases will affect the entire body. The knees will deteriorate faster due to the high load.
- Arthritis- inflammation of the joint, which can develop after injury, infection or problems with metabolism;
- Bursitis- inflammation of the joint capsule, which leads to severe discomfort when trying to move the joint;
- Atperiarthritisthe tendons, muscles and ligaments that surround the knee joint become inflamed. Pain is felt with increased load on the bent leg, for example, when going down the stairs;
- Chondropathy— gradual destruction of the cartilage that surrounds the joint and softens friction and shock;
- Neoplasmsthey compress the vessels and can deform the joint capsule, which will cause pain and limit mobility;
- AtosteoporosisCalcium is gradually washed out of bones and joints, tissues become weak and fragile. The disease is accompanied by aching pain and increased risk of injury;
- Osteomyelitis- inflammation of bone tissue. Swelling is visible in the affected area, the temperature rises, and the patient experiences severe acute pain;
- Diseasesof various natures - for example, influenza and tuberculosis - can cause complications due to infection that has entered the joint capsule. In these cases, there is an increase in temperature, weakness, and pain in several joints at once.
To diagnose these diseases, an X-ray, magnetic resonance or computed tomography scan is performed, which shows all parts of the affected joint. If inflammation is suspected, the doctor will advise you to take a general and biochemical blood test and take a puncture of the synovial fluid. To exclude infectious diseases, you may be referred for additional tests and fluorography.
Knee pain due to nerve damage
Much less often, pain in the knees appears due to a disorder of the nervous tissue. It is accompanied by sharp shooting pains, and numbness and tingling may begin in the leg.
- Neuritis- inflammation of the nerve in one or more areas. With it, the patient feels throbbing pain and loses sensitivity, mobility may decrease, the leg begins to involuntarily contract at the knee;
- Pinched nerve- a common consequence of inflammation, neoplasms and injuries. Due to physical pressure on the nerve roots in the knee, burning pain, numbness, loss of mobility and even paralysis occur.
To diagnose nervous diseases, MRI or CT is used, depending on the patient’s contraindications. If the pain is caused by a pinched nerve, blood and synovial fluid tests may be needed to determine the cause of the joint deformity.
Is it possible to determine from the symptom why there is pain in the knee joint?
The exact cause of the pain can only be understood by a specialist and after appropriate tests. However, it is quite possible to roughly determine at least the affected area:
- If you feel numbness or tingling in addition to pain,nerve damage;
- Increased knee temperature and swelling -signs of inflammation;
- General weakness, fever and poor health -joint diseases after illness;
- The pain is felt not only in the knees, but also in other joints, for example, in the shoulder or fingers: it can be likeosteoporosis, and the consequencesinfectious disease;
- Sharp pain in the joint when trying to bend or straighten the leg, and very weak when at rest.bursitis or advanced chondropathy;
- Impaired mobility in a joint without loss of sensitivity isjoint destruction, neoplasm or arthritis;
- Fractures, dislocations and bruises will be preceded by a blow or fall, which you are unlikely to ignore. Whereinjoint dislocation, ligament and meniscus damageaccompanied by excessive mobility in the knee.
Having roughly determined the cause of the pain, you can prepare for a visit to the doctor and take the necessary tests and pictures. This will reduce diagnostic time and speed up recovery. Do not try to treat a sore knee yourself, as you may mistake the cause of the disease and worsen the condition. Severe pain can be relieved with analgesics, and it is better to consult a doctor about anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors, bandages and physiotherapy.