The joints of a person's lower extremities are responsible for the free and active movement of the body in space. So, the occurrence of even minor problems in the legs leads to a noticeable loss of mobility.
More than half of joint diseases occur in the knee joint, which is one of the largest joints that can withstand the load of the entire human body.
The main cause of knee pain
All diseases in which the knee hurts can be divided into several groups depending on the common mechanism of joint damage:
- Inflammatory processes in joints (arthritis) and peristaltic sacs (bursitis). With arthritis, the knee joint increases in size, creaking when bending down. The general condition worsens, body temperature rises. Bursitis is characterized by the presence of a round protrusion in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joint, which is an accumulation of fluid. The cause of inflammatory diseases lies in the penetration of infection into the joint (through a wound, cut, internal infection).
- Degenerative joint damage - dry joints. In this case, over a long period of time there is a gradual destruction of the inner surfaces of the joint, an overgrowth of bone tissue. Because the load on the knee continues to exist, the destroyed joint does not have time to recover and even collapses. Arthritis is characterized by pain that begins, that is, in the morning or after a long rest, the knee hurts when bending and walking. Soreness disappears after squatting or other stress on the joint. Patients with severe knee osteoarthritis report difficulty in climbing up and down stairs, and pain occurs even at rest.
- Traumatic consequences - fractures in the joints, bruises, dislocations and sprains. For any type of joint injury, you should contact a specialist, who will decide what to do - immobilize the joint or, conversely, give the joint a functional load.
Causes of knee pain in pregnant women
Knee pain during pregnancy is explained by the increased load on the joints of the lower extremities due to weight gain from the uterus, fetus and amniotic fluid. In addition, during the last trimester, many people experience fluid retention (edema) and unusual weight gain, which also puts excessive pressure on the legs and makes it difficult for the knee joint to function properly.
During the last weeks of pregnancy and childbirth, there is a strong production of relaxin, which softens the ligaments and joints. Thanks to relaxation, the ligaments of the pelvic joint are mainly stretched, but other joints, including the knee, can also be affected.
With all these conditions, pregnant women experience knee pain both at rest and at night. Within a few weeks after giving birth, the woman leaves the body with an excess of water, the production of relaxants stops, the weight decreases, so the discomfort in the knees will disappear.
Causes of pain when playing sports
When running and playing "foot" sports (volleyball, tennis, football), the knee joint is under much more stress than when walking. The fluid that is produced in the joint for normal functioning does not have time to form in sufficient quantity, and thus the friction of the joint surfaces increases.
In the case of a past knee injury, the degeneration of the joint under the influence of sports can progress rapidly. If after a workout (especially after running or jumping) you experience pain in your knee joint, this doesn't mean you need to give up sports altogether. You just need to reconsider your options for loading the knee and replacing the sport or doing gentler leg exercises.
Causes of knee pain in children
The most common cause of knee pain in children is an injury that occurs as a result of excessive physical activity. Bruising 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 or her knee hurts, septic arthritis, which usually occurs sometime after an exacerbation of another bacterial (tonsillitis, otitis media, bronchitis) or viral infection, should be ruled out. . With such inflammation of the joints, the joints look 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 knee, the child will be included in the inflammatory process and the elbow, as well as the small joints of the fingers. This type of arthritis is characterized by the "volatility" of damage - within a short time, the inflammation passes from one joint to another.
Treating and Preventing Knee Pain
The appointment of treatment of knee joints should be by a specialist in charge, after examining, he will find out the cause of knee pain and how to treat this case. Treatment of pain in the knee joint is aimed at reducing inflammation and degeneration. To do this, all patients with pathology of the knee are recommended to:
- limiting physical load on the joint (including refusal to carry weights, walking up stairs); Women are advised not to wear high heels, because due to the unreasonable redistribution of body weight, the pressure on the joints increases. In some cases (complicated dislocations), complete immobilization of the knee is required with the help of a splint or plaster;
- oral chondroprotectors - preparations containing substances necessary for the structure of the joints (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine). Chondroprotectors are prescribed for oral use in the form of tablets and externally as part of ointments and gels. In the hospital can also put these substances directly into the knee joint;
- the use of analgesics, anti-inflammatory drugs (corticosteroid hormones and non-steroidal drugs) and antibacterial agents;
- in addition to the exacerbation period, undergo a course of physiotherapy (application of mud, ultrasound and electrophoresis);
- load the affected joint correctly - with the help of therapeutic exercises. One of the best such exercises is "cycling" - in a supine position, imitating the path of a bicycle pedal.
- In the process of extremely severe degeneration in the joints, knee arthroplasty is the most preferred.
Treatment of joints with folk remedies
In addition to folk remedies for knee pain, folk remedies for knee pain are also very effective in many cases:
Shower gel with ammonia-camphor solution
Mix half a glass of ammonia (10% solution) with 10 g of camphor alcohol, add 1 liter of brine (one liter of water requires 1 teaspoon of salt), shake until the residue is gone. Warm the solution to a warm temperature in a basin of water, moisten gauze in it, and apply it to the affected knee. Polyethylene head. Hold for up to half an hour, 2-3 times a day.
Compress cabbage leaves
Use a mallet to smash a fresh cabbage leaf, sprinkle lightly with salt so that the cabbage begins to water. Place on the knee for several hours, secure with a bandage. Another variation of this method is to apply a thin layer of honey to the cabbage leaves, otherwise the procedure is still the same.
Cinquefoil
100 g of dried stems can be used for 3 weeks for every 1 liter of vodka. Drink half an hour before meals, 1 tbsp. l. , diluted in 50 ml of water. Alcohol can be rubbed into a sore knee or made into a lotion.
Ointment from beeswax
A piece of wax the size of a matchbox, yolk and honey (1 tbsp. L) Mix everything in a bowl of water, use a cotton swab to cover the painful joint overnight.
Folk methods, as well as therapeutic exercises, must be approved by the attending physician, because, without knowledge, a person can easily harm himself (for example, when using medical devices). bee products in patients with allergies or when trying to develop dislocated joints with physical exercises).
Prevention of diseases of the knee joint is aimed at preventing the penetration of infection (timely treatment of chronic inflammatory foci), reducing the load (preventing overweight, wearing a fixed bandage) and strengthening the ligamentous apparatus of the bones. joints (exercise, swimming, cycling, drinking calcium-rich foods).
Remember that good and timely treatment of the knee joint, as well as the prevention of injury and recurrence of joint diseases, will allow you to maintain active mobility for many years.