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 injuries, thermal influences, physical overload, various complications due to chronic infectious processes and, as a result, serious inflammatory processes with an increased likelihood of limitation of movements and accumulation. of exudate. To prevent such undesirable manifestations, it is recommended to immediately contact a qualified specialist to carry out a complete diagnosis and draw up a competent treatment plan.
The knee is the largest and most complex joint in the human body.
Every day, the knee joint undergoes significant stress. 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, bend and turn.
The ability to perform these actions is guaranteed by the following components:
- tendons;
- Bones;
- Cartilage;
- Ligaments and muscles.
This explains why knee joint pain can occur in people of any age group. We can talk about effective treatment and complete recovery only after discovering 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 on what to do, first of all it is necessary to know the factors that cause the discomfort. As a general rule, the causes of illness are the same in all situations.
The risk factors are identical in almost all cases: musculofascial dysfunction. This leads to significant tension, which causes compression and destruction of the cartilage. As a result, a person begins to experience unpleasant sensations indicating 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 frequently than others. As a result, joint dysfunction occurs, which is accompanied by pain.
These discomforts may be due to ligament damage. Representatives of professional sports activities are often susceptible to injuries. In addition, pain and problems with ligaments can occur in people who do not follow the running technique. Often, knee damage occurs as a result of being hit by a ball during a soccer match.
It should be noted that these types of injuries occur quite frequently. 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 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 gliding of the ligaments and improve the functioning of the knee joint itself. Chronic injuries and unexpected blows can cause damage and lead to inflammation.
The presence of bursitis is indicated by the following signs: swelling, pain, limitation of motor activity, increased temperature in the knee joint.
If your knees hurt a lot, to know what to do and how to treat this ailment, you must first conduct a thorough diagnosis. Only an individual approach to the problem will allow you to draw up the correct treatment plan and select effective medications with anti-inflammatory effect. You should also follow a rest regimen for your knee joint.
In advanced forms of bursitis, more serious measures are resorted to: surgical interventions and special injections are performed.
Dislocations
We are talking about a displacement of the kneecap from its normal position, which is also accompanied by more intense pain.
In this case, only an experienced specialist can answer the question of what to do if there is pain under the knee, after a thorough diagnosis and examination.
To identify fractures and develop the correct treatment plan, a radiological examination is used. 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 strong blow.
Degenerative disorders
One of the common pathologies associated with degenerative tissue changes is osteoarthritis. In this case, the cartilage decreases in size, 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 between 55 and 65 years old.
Despite the irreversibility of degenerative changes, there are treatments that can address discomfort and help improve quality of life. In advanced forms of the disease, the implant is installed surgically.
Autoimmune diseases
We are talking about inflammatory processes that affect the joints. They are characterized by dysfunctions of 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 lesions of bone tissue.
Taking into account the clinical picture, the specialist will tell you what exactly you should do when your knee joints hurt. As a rule, the patient is recommended to take the following medications:
- Anti-inflammatory medications;
- Steroid hormones;
- Antirheumatic drugs and biological agents;
- Painkillers and others.
Salt deposition in the joints.
This is a metabolic disease associated with the deposition of uric acid salts in the body's tissues. The main signs of gout are: severe swelling, limited physical activity, and severe pain. To break down urate crystals, special medications are prescribed, as well as anti-inflammatories.
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 weakened immune systems, this poses a real danger to the body. That is, any damage to the skin can worsen the condition of said patient.
What not to do when your knees hurt?
Regardless of the reason your knees hurt, here's 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, sweets, foods high in salt, potatoes, sweet carbonated drinks, fast food);
- Avoid any excessive physical activity associated with sports;
- If your knees hurt and you don't know what to do with such discomfort, as the reviews indicate, it is better to give up addictions (excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages and tobacco smoking);
- Avoid wearing tight shoes, avoid high heels;
- Minimize the likelihood of stressful situations;
- Ensure complete and healthy sleep;
- Avoid staying in one position for a long time.
In what cases is a visit to the doctor necessary?
There is no need for medical intervention if the pain in the knee area was caused by minor skin damage, minor injury, or joint deformation. In such situations, self-medication is allowed.
In more serious processes, there is an urgent need to visit a specialist. First of all, this is due to the likelihood 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 about 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 comprehensive 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.
Knee pain treatment
Often, people do not know what exactly to do when their knee joints hurt and try to cope with the discomfort on their own. Unfortunately, uncontrolled use of special medications and ointments can give the opposite result.
To quickly relieve pain, an integrated approach is required. Within its framework, not only medications are used, but also physiotherapeutic procedures are performed and special orthopedic devices are used. These include knee pads and braces, which help prevent the likelihood of relapses and ensure a faster recovery period.
Medication use
To relieve pain, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, steroid hormones, vasodilators and chondroprotectors are prescribed. Specialists prescribe painkillers with extreme caution, since they do not make it possible to determine the real condition of the knee joint. Below we will talk in more detail about the medications used:
- NSAIDs.Since eliminating the inflammatory process and pain is the key task for discomfort in the knee area, doctors mainly recommend the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. To do this, they resort to the help of special pills and ointments. If the pain becomes painful, patients receive intramuscular injections. If your knees hurt slightly, in this case, when asked: "What should I do? ", any doctor will recommend that you use an ointment. Often, when the knee joint is injured, products containing glycosaminoglycan are used. In turn, to eliminate swelling, compresses with dimethyl sulfoxide are used;
- 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 you on what exactly to do. However, the general recommendation for all patients to relieve pain is to take medications with chondroitin and glucosamine. Thanks to its 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 likelihood of serious consequences and cause almost no 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 and 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 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 drugs, as well as ensure the delivery of drugs to the deeper 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's knees hurt and you are trying to decide what to do, the following physical therapy options will be the most effective:
- Impact on the body of a magnetic field;
- Laser therapy;
- Exposure to electrical current in combination with drug administration;
- ultrahigh frequency;
- 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 physiotherapy course usually reaches between 7 and 10 procedures. However, a prerequisite before carrying out treatment measures is consultation with a specialist.
UVT for knee pain
The UVT method is in great demand to eliminate pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. It is based on brief exposure to low-frequency acoustic waves in the affected joint.
The powerful analgesic effect during shock wave therapy sessions is achieved through the following processes:
- Improved blood flow;
- Development of new blood vessels;
- Improved metabolism.
It should be noted that under the influence of shock waves, a decrease in 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 on the tendons. The technique is characterized by greater 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 on the implementation of other restorative procedures.
The need to perform a 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 with a syringe is performed under the influence of anesthetics.
If the desired result is not obtained during physiotherapy 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 (lavage).
Surgical intervention for knee pain is performed in rare cases, most often in advanced situations.
Exercise therapy for knee pain.
Often, when experiencing knee pain, experts recommend performing therapeutic exercises. By regularly performing simple exercises, the patient can quickly restore the motor activity of the joint, relieve pain and provide optimal load on this part of the body. These beneficial effects are achieved by improving muscle tone. You can get the desired result after 8-10 sessions. It is important to exclude any sudden movements during physiotherapy.
The following exercises are suitable to do at home:
- The patient takes a "lying" position and stretches his legs forward. Next, he performs alternating flexion and extension of the fingers of the lower extremities;
- While in the "lying" position, he should straighten his legs. Subsequently, the patient turns his feet in different directions, trying to bring them closer to the ground;
- In the "lying" position and with the legs extended, the patient should try to extend the toes towards the knee joint;
- The patient assumes the "lying" position. He then places both hands under the knee, attempting to slowly bend the limb. In this case, the knee should be gently raised towards the chest;
- Being in a "lying" position, it is necessary to perform leg movements similar to riding a bicycle.
Preventive measures
Questions like: "What to do if the nerve in your knee hurts? " or "What measures to take if your knees hurt after a long walk? " will lose their relevance if simple preventive measures are followed. These include:
- Elimination of infectious processes and conditions after a knee injury should be carried out under the supervision of a professional specialist;
- It is mandatory to eliminate pathological processes of a chronic or hereditary nature (gout, diabetes, tonsillitis);
- Maintain a normal weight by eliminating excessively sweet, salty and fatty foods, as well as alcoholic beverages, from the diet;
- Perform moderate exercise;
- Once a year, take chondroprotectors and undergo an examination by a specialist;
- Follow the rules of healthy sleep;
- Drink 2 to 3 liters of still water daily;
- Eliminate any possibility of hypothermia;
- Wear only comfortable clothing and shoes;
- Avoid staying in one position for a long time.