The main purpose of the knee joint is to ensure normal motor activity of the lower limb and achieve a stable position of the torso. In this case, this part of the body is assigned the most important role - 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 injury, thermal influences, physical overload, various complications due to chronic infectious processes and, as a result, serious inflammatory processes withincreased risk of movement limitation and accumulation. of exudate. To prevent such adverse manifestations, it is recommended to promptly contact a qualified specialist for a thorough diagnosis and development of a competent treatment plan.
The knee is the most complex and largest joint in the human body.
Every day, a significant load is placed on the knee joint. It is responsible for the process of flexion and extension of the lower limb, supports the weight of a person and ensures its stable position. It is the knee that allows us to walk, jump, run, squat and turn.
The ability to perform these actions is provided by the following components:
- Tendons;
- Bone;
- Cartilage;
- Ligaments and muscles.
This explains why pain in the knee joint can occur in people of any age. We can talk about effective treatment and complete recovery only after finding out the cause of the disease.
Reasons why knees hurt
So, the knee joint plays 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 a person. In addition, the knee has a complex structure, represented by several interconnected elements.
If a person has knee pain and is trying to find a solution to what to do, first of all it is necessary to know the factors causing the discomfort. As a rule, the causes of illness are the same in all situations.
The risk factors are the same in almost all cases: musculofascial dysfunction. This results in significant tension, which causes compression and destruction of the cartilage. As a result, a person begins to experience unpleasant sensations, signaling damage to the knee joint, and begins to look for a way to eliminate the pathological process.
Injury
If you don't know what to do when your knees hurt, pay attention: the reasons may be hidden in an injury to the joint. This is the part of the body that is injured more often than others. As a result, joint dysfunction occurs, accompanied by pain.
Such discomfort may be due to ligament damage. Representatives of professional sports activities are most often susceptible to injury. Additionally, pain and ligament problems can occur in people who do not follow running technique. Often, knee injuries occur as a result of a ball hit - during a football match.
It should be noted that such injuries occur quite often. In addition, discomfort can occur not only during an exacerbation, 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 people prone to degenerative pathologies.
In case of severe joint damage, surgical intervention, physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy are carried out.
Bursitis
The main purpose of the joint capsule is to ensure easy gliding of the ligaments and improve the functioning of the knee joint itself. Chronic injuries and unexpected blows can cause damage and cause inflammation.
The presence of bursitis is indicated by the following signs: swelling, pain, limitation of motor activity, increased temperature of the knee joint.
If your knees hurt very much, in order to understand what to do and how to treat this disease, you must first carry out a thorough diagnosis. Only an individual approach to the problem will allow you to develop the right treatment plan and select effective drugs that have an anti-inflammatory effect. You should also adhere to a rest regime for the knee joint.
In advanced forms of bursitis, they resort to more serious measures - surgery and special injections are performed.
Dislocations
We are talking about a displacement of the kneecap from its normal position, which is also accompanied by pain of increased intensity.
In this case, only an experienced specialist can answer the question of what to do with pain below the knee - after a thorough diagnosis and examination.
In order to identify fractures and develop the correct treatment plan, they resort to X-ray examination. In advanced situations, surgical intervention is performed.
Often, a dislocation of the knee joint can cause pain. This is a fairly serious injury that occurs after a violent blow.
Degenerative disorders
Osteoarthritis is one of the common pathologies associated with degenerative changes in tissues. In this case, the size of the cartilage decreases, which is accompanied by impaired motor activity of the joint and pain. As a rule, these pathological processes are caused by age-related changes in the body that occur in people aged 55-65 years.
Despite the irreversible nature of degenerative changes, there are treatments that can cope with discomfort and help improve quality of life. In advanced forms of the disease, the implant is placed surgically.
Autoimmune diseases
We are talking about inflammatory processes that affect the joints. They are characterized by malfunctions in the immune system, as a result of which it begins to perceive its own tissues as foreign and destroy them.
This process is accompanied by the following undesirable manifestations: swelling, pain and degenerative changes in the joints, erosive damage to bone tissue.
Taking into account the clinical picture, the specialist will tell you exactly what you need to do when your knee joints hurt. Typically, the patient is recommended to take the following medications:
- Anti-inflammatory medications;
- Steroid hormones;
- Antirheumatic drugs and biological agents;
- Painkillers and others.
Salt deposits in the joints
It is a metabolic disease associated with the deposition of uric acid salts in body tissues. The main signs of gout are: severe swelling, limited physical activity and severe pain. In order to break down urate crystals, special medications are prescribed, as well as anti-inflammatories.
Infectious process
Even a minor scratch on the knee can contribute to the spread of the infectious process to nearby tissues and organs, including the joint area.
In people with a weakened immune system, this represents a real danger for the body. That is, any skin damage can worsen the condition of such a patient.
What not to do when your knees hurt?
Whatever the reason your knees hurt, below we'll tell you what not to do to avoid making the situation worse:
- Avoid knee injuries;
- Avoid foods that contribute to weight gain (fried and fatty foods, sweets, foods high in salt, potatoes, sugary soft drinks, fast food);
- Avoid excessive physical activity associated with sport;
- 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);
- Avoid wearing tight shoes, avoid high heels;
- Minimize the likelihood of stressful situations;
- Ensure healthy and complete sleep;
- Avoid staying in the same position for a long time.
In what cases is a visit to the doctor necessary?
No medical intervention is necessary if knee pain is caused by minor skin damage, a minor injury, or deformity of the joint. In such situations, self-treatment is allowed.
With more serious processes, it is urgent to consult a specialist. First of all, this is due to the risk 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 hurt a lot and you have no information on what to do, what to do;
- Pain syndrome of increased intensity does not disappear for several days;
- There is swelling, redness and fever in the joint area;
- Increased body temperature;
- Decreased motor activity, bruising.
Experienced specialists carry out 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 pathologies.
Treatment of knee pain
Often people aren't sure what to do when their knee joints hurt and try to deal with the discomfort on their own. Unfortunately, uncontrolled use of medications and the use of special ointments can give the opposite result.
To quickly relieve pain, an integrated approach is necessary. In this connection, not only medications are used, but also physiotherapeutic procedures and special orthopedic devices are used. These include knee pads and splints, which help prevent the risk of relapse and ensure a faster recovery period.
Use of medications
To relieve pain, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, steroid hormones, vasodilators and chondroprotectors are prescribed. Specialists prescribe painkillers with extreme caution, since they do not allow them to determine the real condition of the knee joint. Next we will talk in more detail about the medications used:
- NSAIDs.Since the elimination of the inflammatory process and pain is the key task in case of discomfort in the knee area, doctors mainly recommend the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. For this purpose, they resort to special tablets and ointments. If the pain becomes painful, patients receive intramuscular injections. If your knees hurt slightly, in this case, when you are asked: "What should I do? "", any doctor will advise you to use ointment. Often, when the knee joint is injured, products containing glycosaminoglycan are used. In turn, to eliminate swelling, they resort to compresses containing dimethyl sulfoxide;
- Chondroprotectors.Whether your knees hurt after running or after a long walk, or against the background of other pathologies, only an experienced doctor can tell you what exactly to do. However, the general recommendation to all patients for pain relief is to take medications 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 contribute to a faster rehabilitation period after injury, minimize the risk of serious consequences and practically do not cause side effects. At the same time, experts recommend taking complexes with a high content of minerals and vitamins;
- Antispasmodics and vasodilators.They help improve tissue supply, also help restore connective tissue and eliminate swelling. In the presence of chronic pathological processes, for example, if your knee hurts for a whole year, the discomfort returns and you do not know what to do, you may need to take additional antibacterial treatment and immunobiological drugs.
Physiotherapeutic procedures
If you are wondering what to do if your knee hurts when walking or the discomfort is chronic, any experienced specialist will offer you to undergo physiotherapy treatment. With its help, it is possible to increase the efficiency of the use of drugs, as well as to ensure the delivery of drugs to deeper subcutaneous layers.
Physiotherapeutic procedures help to improve blood circulation, eliminate pain and reduce the source of inflammation, as well as normalize motor activity and ensure the elimination of purulent exudate.
Even if your child's knees hurt and you're trying to figure out what to do, the following physical therapy options will be most effective:
- Impact on the body of a magnetic field;
- Laser therapy;
- Exposure to electric current in association with drug administration;
- Ultra-high frequency;
- Application of galvanic electric current;
- Use of therapeutic mud;
- Therapeutic effects of ultrasound;
- Massages;
- Paraffin therapy;
- Amplified therapy;
- Treatment with medicinal leeches;
- Acupuncture;
- Cold treatment;
- Diadynamic therapy and other similar procedures.
The duration of one physiotherapy course usually reaches 7-10 procedures. However, a prerequisite before carrying out therapeutic measures is consultation with a specialist.
UVT for knee pain
The UVT method is in great demand for eliminating pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It is based on short-term exposure to low-frequency acoustic waves on the affected joint.
The powerful analgesic effect during shock wave therapy sessions is achieved through the following processes:
- Improved blood circulation;
- Development of new blood vessels;
- Improved metabolism.
It should be noted that under the influence of shock waves, a decrease in fibrotic processes in the tissues inside the knee joint is observed.
The greatest efficiency is achieved by using the UVT method for deposition of calcium phosphate crystals in tendons. The technique is characterized by increased safety and practically no side effects.
UVT specialists will clearly determine the number of treatment sessions and their duration, and will also give valuable recommendations regarding the implementation of other restorative procedures.
The need to perform a puncture
In case of significant swelling, specialists remove the purulent contents that limit the normal functioning and supply of the joint. To drain the exudate, a puncture is made using a syringe under the influence of anesthetics.
If the desired result is not achieved during physiotherapeutic procedures and the use of medications, the doctor injects hyaluronic acid into the knee joint or performs a periarticular anesthetic block. When purulent-inflammatory processes are detected, drug treatment is combined with the procedure of washing the knee joint with a medicinal solution (washing).
Surgical intervention for knee pain is performed in rare cases, most often in advanced situations.
Exercise therapy for knee pain
Often, with knee pain, experts recommend performing therapeutic exercises. By regularly performing simple exercises, the patient can quickly restore motor activity in the joint, relieve pain and ensure optimal load on this part of the body. These beneficial effects are achieved by improving muscle tone. You can achieve the desired result after 8-10 sessions. It is important to exclude any sudden movements during physiotherapy.
The following exercises can be practiced at home:
- The patient adopts a "lying" position and stretches his legs forward. Then, he performs alternating flexion and extension of the fingers of the lower limbs;
- In the "lying" position, you need to straighten your legs. After that, the patient turns his feet in different directions, trying to bring them closer to the floor;
- In the "lying" position and with legs extended, the patient should try to extend their toes towards the knee joint;
- The patient assumes the "lying" position. Then he places both hands under the knee, trying to slowly bend the limb. In this case, the knee should be gently raised towards the chest;
- In the "lying" position, it is necessary to perform movements with the legs similar to those of a bicycle.
Preventative measures
Questions like: "What should you do if your knee nerve hurts? "or "What steps should you take if your knees hurt after a long walk? "» will lose their relevance if you follow simple preventive measures. These include:
- Elimination of infectious processes and conditions after knee injury should be carried out under the supervision of a professional specialist;
- It is obligatory to eliminate pathological processes of a chronic or hereditary nature (gout, diabetes, tonsillitis);
- Maintain normal weight by eliminating excessively sweet, salty and fatty foods from the diet, as well as alcoholic beverages;
- Get 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 plain water per day;
- Eliminate any possibility of hypothermia;
- Wear only comfortable shoes and clothing;
- Avoid staying in the same position for a long time.