The main purpose of the knee joint is to ensure normal motor activity of the lower limb and achieve stable position of the torso. In this case, the most important role is assigned to this part of the body - participation in the processes of flexion and extension of the limb.
Despite the complex structure and sufficient strength of this joint, it can be subject to various complications due to injuries, thermal effects, physical overloads, chronic infectious processes and, as a consequence, severe inflammatory processes with an increased likelihood of limitation of movements and accumulation ofCan. Of seepage. To prevent such undesirable manifestations, it is recommended to immediately contact a qualified specialist for a thorough diagnosis and drawing up a competent treatment plan.
The knee is the most complex and largest joint in the human body.
Every day, a serious load is exerted on the knee joint. It is responsible for the process of flexion and extension of the lower limb, supporting a person's weight and ensuring his stable position. It is the knee that gives usAllows walking, jumping, running, sitting and turning.
The ability to perform these actions is ensured by the following components:
- tendons;
- bones;
- cartilage;
- Ligaments and muscles.
This explains why pain in the knee joint can occur in people of any age group. Only after finding out the cause of the disease, we can talk about effective treatment and complete recovery.
Reasons why there is pain in knees
So, the knee joint has an important role in the human body: it is responsible for the motor activity of the leg, keeps the body in a stable position and supports the weight of the person. In addition, the knee has a complex structure, which is represented by many interconnected elements.
If a person has knee pain and is trying to find a solution what to do, it is first important to find out the factors causing the trouble. As a rule, in all situations due to the diseaseAre similar.
The risk factors are almost the same in all cases: musculofascial dysfunction. This creates significant stress, which causes compression and destruction of the cartilage. As a result, a person begins to experience unpleasant sensations, which can lead to pain in the knee joint. Signals damage, and begins to look for a way to eliminate the pathological process.
Injury
If you don't know what to do when knees ache, pay attention - the reasons may be hidden in joint injury. This is the part of the body that is injured more often than others. As a result, the joint becomes dysfunctional. Which is accompanied by pain.
Such discomfort can be caused by ligament damage. Representatives of professional sports activities are often prone to injuries. In addition, people who do not follow running technique may have pain and ligament problems. Often, footballKnee damage occurs as a result of being hit by a ball during a game of football.
It should be noted that such injuries occur frequently. Moreover, discomfort can occur not only during the intensity, but also after it.
In the event of a fracture, several bones can be destroyed at once. More often than others, this occurs in elderly patients and those susceptible to degenerative pathologies.
In case of severe damage to the joint, surgery, physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy are performed.
bursitis
The main purpose of the joint capsule is to ensure easy sliding of the ligaments and improve the functioning of the knee joint. Old injuries and unexpected shocks can cause damage and cause inflammation.
The presence of bursitis is indicated by the following symptoms: swelling, pain, limitation of motor activity, increased temperature in the knee joint.
If your knees hurt badly, to understand what to do and how to treat this disease, you must first undergo a thorough diagnosis. Only an individual approach to the problem will allow you to draw up the correct treatment plan. And will allow to select effective drugs with anti-inflammatory effect. You should also adhere to the rest regime for the knee joint.
In advanced forms of bursitis, they resort to more serious measures – surgical intervention and special injections are administered.
displacement
We are talking about the displacement of the knee cap from its normal position, which is accompanied by pain of increased intensity.
In this case, only an experienced specialist can answer the question of what to do if there is pain below the knee - after a thorough diagnosis and examination.
To identify fractures and draw up the correct treatment plan, they resort to X-ray examination. In advanced situations, surgical intervention is performed.
Often dislocation of the knee joint can cause pain. This is a very serious injury that occurs after a strong blow.
degenerative disorders
One of the common pathologies associated with degenerative changes in tissues is osteoarthritis. In this case, the size of the cartilage decreases, which is accompanied by impaired motor activity of the joints and pain. As a rule, such pathological processes in the bodyThese are caused by age-related changes that occur in people aged 55-65 years.
Despite the irreversibility of degenerative changes, there are treatments that can deal with the discomfort and help improve the quality of life. In advanced forms of the disease, implants are installed surgically.
autoimmune diseases
We are talking about inflammatory processes that affect the joints. They are characterized by a malfunction of the immune system, as a result of which it begins to consider its own tissues as foreign and destroy them.
This process is accompanied by the following undesirable manifestations: inflammation, pain and degenerative changes in the joints, erosive lesions of bone tissue.
Taking into account the clinical picture, the specialist will tell you exactly what you need to do if your knee joint hurts. As a rule, the patient is advised to take the following medications:
- anti-inflammatory drugs;
- steroid hormones;
- Antirheumatic drugs and biological agents;
- Analgesics and others.
salt accumulation in joints
It is a metabolic disease associated with the deposition of uric acid salts in the body's tissues. The main symptoms of gout are: severe swelling, limited physical activity and intense pain. To break down urate crystals, special medications are prescribed, as well as inflammationAnti-inflammatory medicines are also given.
infectious processes
Even a small scratch in the knee area can contribute to the spread of the infectious process to nearby tissues and organs, including the joint area.
In people with a weak immune system, it poses a real threat to the body. That is, any damage to the skin can worsen the condition of such a patient.
What not to do when your knees hurt?
No matter why you have knee pain, below we will tell you what not to do to prevent the condition from getting worse:
- Avoid knee injuries;
- Avoid foods that contribute to weight gain (fried and fatty foods, confectionery, high-salt foods, potatoes, sweet carbonated drinks, fast food);
- Avoid any excessive physical activity associated with sports;
- If your knees hurt and you do not know what to do with such discomfort, as the reviews indicate, it is better to give up addictions (excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and smoking tobacco);
- Avoid wearing tight shoes, avoid high heels;
- Reduce the likelihood of stressful situations;
- Ensure healthy, complete sleep;
- Avoid staying in one position for a long time.
In what cases is it necessary to visit a doctor?
If pain in the knee area is caused by minor skin damage, minor injury or deformity of the joint, there is no need for medical intervention. In such situations, self-treatment is allowed.
With more serious processes, an urgent need to visit a specialist. First of all, this is due to the possibility of damage to the joint capsule, which can facilitate the penetration of pathogenic bacteria into the body.
If the consequences of the injury are not eliminated in time, the functionality of the joint may be lost. It is necessary to consult a doctor in the following situations:
- Your knees are hurting badly, and you have no idea what to do;
- Pain syndrome of increased intensity does not go away for several days;
- There is swelling, redness and fever in the joint area;
- increased body temperature;
- Decrease in motor activity, injuries.
Experienced specialists conduct a thorough diagnosis of the condition of the knee joint, draw up a detailed treatment plan and select the most effective treatment even for the most advanced pathology.
knee pain treatment
Often people do not know exactly what to do when they have pain in the knee joint, and they try to deal with this trouble on their own. Unfortunately, uncontrolled use of medications and use of special ointments can lead to the opposite result. Could.
To get quick relief from pain, an integrated approach is needed. Within its framework, not only medications are used, but also physiotherapeutic procedures and special orthopedic devices are used. These include knee braces andBraces are included, which help prevent the possibility of recurrence and ensure a faster recovery period.
use of medicines
To relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid hormones, vasodilators and chondroprotectors are prescribed. Specialists prescribe painkillers with extreme caution, as they do not allow them to determine the true condition of the knee joint. Next we will talk in more detail about the drugs used:
- NSAIDs.Since the main task is to eliminate the inflammatory process and pain for discomfort in the knee area, doctors mainly recommend the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For this purpose, they resort to the help of special tablets and ointments. If the pain intensifies, patients are given intramuscular injections. If you have a little pain in your knees, in such a situation, when asked: "What should I do? ", any doctor will tell youWould advise to use ointments. Often, when the knee joint is injured, products containing glycosaminoglycan are used. In turn, to eliminate inflammation, they resort to compresses with dimethyl sulfoxide;
- Chondroprotectors.Regardless of whether your knees hurt after running or a long walk, or against the background of other pathologies, only an experienced doctor can advise what exactly to do. However, not all patients canThe general recommendation for is to take drugs containing chondroitin and glucosamine. Thanks to their use, it is possible to accelerate the process of restoration of cartilage tissue, prevent oxidative stress and ensure the growth of healthy cartilage cells. In addition, chondroprotectors prevent injuryContribute to a faster rehabilitation period after, reduce the likelihood of serious consequences and cause almost no side effects. Also, experts recommend taking complexes with a high content of minerals and vitamins;
- Antispasmodics and vasodilators.They help to improve tissue supply, and also help to restore connective tissue and eliminate inflammation. In the presence of chronic pathological processes, for example, if your knee hurts all year round, the discomfort againreturns, and you don't know what to do, you may need to take additional antibacterial therapy and immunobiological drugs.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
If you are wondering what to do if your knee hurts when walking, or if the discomfort is chronic, any experienced specialist will suggest undergoing physical therapy treatment. With its help, it is possible to increase the effectiveness of the use of medications, At the same time it is possible to ensure delivery of drugs to deep subcutaneous layers.
Physiotherapeutic procedures help to improve blood flow, eliminate pain and reduce the source of inflammation, as well as normalize motor activity and ensure the removal of purulent exudate.
Even if your child has knee pain and you're trying to figure out what to do, the following physical therapy options will be most effective:
- Effect on the body of magnetic fields;
- laser therapy;
- exposure to electric current in combination with the administration of drugs;
- UHF;
- Application of galvanic electric current;
- Use of therapeutic mud;
- therapeutic effects of ultrasound;
- massage treatments;
- Paraffin therapy;
- amplipulse therapy;
- Treatment with medicinal leeches;
- acupuncture;
- cold treatment;
- Diadynamic therapy and other similar procedures.
The duration of a course of physiotherapy usually reaches 7-10 procedures. However, a prerequisite is to consult a specialist before taking treatment measures.
uvt for knee pain
The UVT method is in wide demand to eliminate pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It is based on short-term exposure to low-frequency sound waves on the affected joint.
The powerful analgesic effect during a shock wave therapy session is achieved through the following processes:
- Improves blood flow;
- growth of new blood vessels;
- Better metabolism.
It should be noted that under the influence of shock waves, a reduction of fibrotic processes is observed in the tissues inside the knee joint.
The greatest effectiveness is achieved using the UVT method for the deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in tendons. This technology is characterized by increased safety and has virtually no side effects.
The UVT specialist will clearly determine the number of treatment sessions and their duration, and will also give valuable recommendations regarding the implementation of other restorative procedures.
need to puncture
If there is significant swelling, specialists remove the purulent contents that limit the normal functioning and supply of the joint. To drain the exudate, a puncture is performed using a syringe under the influence of anesthetics.
If the desired result is not achieved during physiotherapeutic procedures and the use of drugs, the doctor injects hyaluronic acid into the knee joint or performs periarticular anesthetic blockade. When purulent inflammatory processes are detected, treatment with drugs is recommended. The procedure is combined with washing the knee joint with medicinal solutions (lavage).
Surgical intervention for pain in the knee area is performed in rare cases, mostly in advanced situations.
exercise therapy for knee pain
Often, experts recommend performing therapeutic exercises when experiencing pain in the knee. By regularly performing simple exercises, the patient can quickly restore the motor activity of the joint, relieve pain and improve the health of this part of the body. Can provide optimal load on. These beneficial effects are achieved by improving muscle tone. You can achieve the desired results after 8-10 sessions. It is important to exclude any sudden movements during physical therapyIs.
The following exercises are suitable to do at home:
- The patient takes the "lying down" position and stretches his legs forward. Next, he performs alternate flexion and extension of the fingers of the lower extremities;
- In the "lying" position, you need to straighten your legs. Next, the patient rotates his legs in different directions, trying to bring them closer to the floor;
- In the "lying" position and with the legs extended, the patient should try to raise his toes towards the knee joint;
- The patient takes the "lying" position. Then he places both hands under the knee and slowly tries to bend the limb. In this case, the knee should be smoothly raised towards the chest;
- In the "lying down" position, it is necessary to make movements with your legs, similar to cycling.
preventive measures
Questions like: "What to do if your kneecap hurts? ", or "What measures to take if your knees hurt after a long walk? " will lose their relevance if you follow simple preventive measures. . This includes:
- Elimination of infectious processes and conditions after knee injury should be carried out under the supervision of a professional specialist;
- It is imperative to eliminate pathological processes of chronic or hereditary nature (gout, diabetes, tonsillitis);
- Maintain normal weight by removing excessively sweet, salty and fatty foods, as well as alcoholic beverages from the diet;
- Engage in moderate exercise;
- Once a year, take chondroprotectors and be examined by a specialist;
- Follow the rules of healthy sleep;
- Take about 2-3 liters of still water daily;
- Eliminate any possibility of hypothermia;
- Wear only comfortable shoes and clothes;
- Avoid staying in one position for a long time.