Kneecap hurts when bending

Knee pain occurs in most people over 50 years of age, sometimes even in young people. It is not surprising - such sensations are caused by the natural aging of the body, in which large joints subject to heavy loads wear out first. Sometimes the knee hurts only when bending, or different types of painful symptoms are combined with each other. It is worth understanding the causes and consequences in more detail.

Why does the knee hurt when bending - the most common reason

Arthrosis is not only the most “popular” cause of damage to the musculoskeletal system: localization of the disease in the knee joint is also recognized as the most diagnosed. This joint of bones has a complex structure; it supports the weight of the entire body every day, so it suffers more than others. When the cartilage of the knee becomes drier, its blood supply and nutrition are disrupted, and small cracks gradually appear. If you do not renew the nourishment of the cartilage, it will deteriorate.

At the initial stage of arthrosis, aching pain after physical activity and a crunching sensation are disturbing. Gradually, it appears more often; in the morning, stiffness bothers you, and in the evening - aches. Later, the knee hurts when bending and extending, because every movement in the presence of thinned, deformed cartilage is painful. Usually, at first one knee hurts more, then the pain spreads to the second joint. The causes of joint arthrosis are:

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1. Past injuries;
2. Heavy physical work;
3. Obesity;
4. Diseases of the circulatory system;
5. Professional sports.

In people at risk, pain due to arthrosis may appear earlier, by the age of 30-35. Women who are overweight and have varicose veins are especially susceptible to the disease - they have all the prerequisites for the development of arthrosis.

Inflammatory pathologies

“Leading” among inflammations of the knee joint. In this condition, the knee can be invaded by bacteria (infectious arthritis), suffer from salt deposits (gouty arthritis), or occur for no apparent reason in young people (juvenile arthritis). Rheumatoid arthritis is even more dangerous because it is an autoimmune disease that is difficult to treat and progresses rapidly, causing bone destruction. The result of any arthritis without treatment is knee deformation and sharp, sometimes unbearable pain.

Pain in the knee when bending is characteristic of any arthritis in the acute stage. If there is an acute phase, pain appears even at rest, it is combined with:

1. Swelling;
2. Edema;
3. Pain on palpation;
4. Redness;
5. An increase in local temperature.

When you move your knee, a feeling of fullness appears in the joint, the kneecap swells and feels hot to the touch. Severe exacerbation leads to the inability to walk, but with rest the symptoms gradually subside. If the cause of the pathology is bursitis (inflammation of the joint capsule), the symptoms do not decrease even at night, the knee joint swells and seems to “burn from the inside.” Synovitis (inflammation of the synovial membrane) manifests itself in a similar way, but the pain syndrome is usually less severe than with arthritis and bursitis.

Injuries as a cause of knee pain

If a person has fallen in the recent past, hit his knee, and the leg begins to hurt, most likely there is a joint injury. Without proper treatment, it is injuries that in the future lead to the development of arthrosis, arthritis, and bursitis, so they cannot be ignored. With any injury, the main symptom is pain in the knee during extension and flexion, because when moving, the affected soft tissues, nerve roots and burst vessels also shift. The peculiarity of the pathology is pain in only one knee.

Most often the joint suffers from bruises. You can get a bruise even at home, or after a fall. A bruise (hematoma) forms at the site of the knee; usually minor swelling and blue discoloration go away on their own within a week. It is worse if, as a result of a direct blow, a serious bruise or incorrect movement of the leg, the following occurs:

1. Subluxations, joint dislocations;
2. Sprained or torn ligaments;
3. Cracks, fractures of bones, articular surfaces, patella.

Joint injuries usually manifest as sharp pain in the knee at first; later the symptom becomes aching and subtle, but intensifies with movement. If you have a serious injury, it is impossible to step on your foot, much less walk.

Other diseases of the knee area

There are a number of other diseases of the knee joint area in which it hurts when bending. This:

1. Tendinitis (inflammation of the tendon). Occurs in athletes, manual workers, and after injuries. During exacerbation, the pain is sharp, it is impossible to bend the leg, and it is very difficult to walk.
2. Baker's cyst. Formed after injuries in the popliteal fossa, it causes pain from inside the knee, the joint looks swollen at the back. It may not cause symptoms, but only in small sizes.
3. Inflammation of the lymph node. If the process is not generalized, then the cause can only be a direct infection from abrasions, wounds, infectious arthritis and a purulent process in the joint.
4. Osteoporosis. Usually, with calcium deficiency, the process of softening and thinning of bones starts from the spine and large bones, sometimes affecting the joints.
5. . Damage to the hip bone joints always negatively affects the knees, and the pain is quite capable of radiating to the underlying parts of the limb.

A more rare cause of swelling and pain only in the right or left knee is an aneurysm of the popliteal fossa; vascular surgeons deal with this problem. Rare causes of pain include Hoffa's disease, neuropathy, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, and Charcot arthropathy.

Sharp pain and other symptoms of knee damage

When the patient feels a strong, sharp pain in the knees during extension or other movement, and it is accompanied by a click, this means the appearance of lumbago. An alarming sign - fluid accumulates in the joint, which accompanies inflammation or infection. When severe knee pain is accompanied by a crunching sensation, aching sensation and pressing sensations, an advanced stage of arthrosis occurs.

Still sharp pain symptoms are characteristic of a traumatic injury to the leg or post-traumatic overload. Also, in exacerbation, sharp pain reminds of itself:

1. ;
2. Synovitis;
3. Meniscopathies;
4. Gout.

If your knee hurts when bending and straightening for no reason, and the sensation increases over time, you should urgently visit a doctor. Perhaps a tumor process is taking place, and the tumor is growing rapidly and compressing the nerve roots. Pain in the joint when climbing stairs is most often a sign of arthrosis, especially in combination with crunching. In order not to guess why your knee hurts, you need to contact a surgeon, traumatologist or orthopedist, undergo diagnostics (ultrasound, X-ray, MRI, biochemical tests) and get an appointment for therapy.

Treatment for pain syndrome

When your knees hurt, for any reason, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will help relieve the pain. Usually they are applied to the knee in the form of an ointment or gel - thanks to rapid absorption, the symptoms go away in literally 10-15 minutes. Tablets (Ibuprofen, Ketanov, Diclofenac) act more powerfully - the joint ceases to be painful, and the effect lasts more than a day.

If the cause of joint pain when bending or at rest is arthrosis, it is important to add exercise therapy, physical therapy, massage and taking chondroprotectors to therapy. They restore knee cartilage and strengthen it. Injections into the joint with hyaluronic acid work even more effectively - this is a real salvation even with severe destruction of the knee joint.

Other treatment methods for knee damage:

1. Antibiotics for infectious arthritis;
2. Hormonal injections for arthrosis, rheumatoid arthritis;
3. Preparations for the removal of urate in gout.

In case of injuries, you need to apply ice - this will immediately subside the pain; heating the knee is strictly prohibited! On the contrary, for chronic diseases without exacerbation, treatment with heat, UHF, microcurrents, and compresses on the leg will be useful.

Folk remedies

You can reduce discomfort if your knee hurts when straightening, using unconventional means. They are best used for chronic pathologies, because in the acute phase there is a risk of increased inflammation. Here are the famous recipes:

1. Buy clay at the pharmacy and dilute it with water until it becomes a paste. Place on the leg and wrap it in cellophane as a compress. Wrap it up and leave it overnight. Make compresses in a course of 10 days.
2. If the pain is severe, apply a piece of salted pork lard to your leg and bandage it for several hours or overnight. The symptoms will subside.
3. Mix equal parts dandelion and lilac flowers, add comfrey herb. Pour 50 g of mass into 0.5 liters of vodka and leave for 10 days. Rub the sore leg.

To prevent damage to the musculoskeletal system, it is important to eat right, not have bad habits, move more, but take care of your legs - then the health of your joints will remain for a long time.

Pain in the knee area is a common phenomenon, familiar to both children and adolescents, and representatives of the older generation. The knee joint is forced to withstand the weight of a person’s body, and when playing sports and an active lifestyle, it experiences increased loads. Pain in the joint is caused by various reasons, to determine which it is necessary to know its anatomical structure.

In the knee, the large bones are connected by ligaments and tendons, placed in an articular capsule with many vessels and nerves. Between them there are interarticular cartilages - menisci, due to which the joint is able to move freely when flexed. The cartilage is lubricated with joint fluid located in special sacs (bursae). This design has good shock-absorbing properties.

Classification of pain

Pain that arises in the knee for no apparent reason or periodically makes itself felt indicates certain problems, the diagnosis of which begins with determining the nature of the pain. If identical symptoms are present, the nature of the pain will help determine the cause of the disease.

It hurts in the cup, under it and above:

At rest

Tendinitis. Occurs when tendons are damaged, with prolonged heavy stress, injuries, infections, rheumatic diseases, allergies to certain drugs, as well as due to certain anatomical features, weakened or improperly developed tendons, and postural disorders. It is characterized by persistent long-term pain, sometimes sudden, but more often growing with inflammation.

Meniscus damage. Its rupture is often difficult to diagnose and occurs both in the form of longitudinal damage and from the inside to the outside. Sometimes the cartilage is torn off or crushed by the bones of the joint. The injury is accompanied by hemarthrosis and the inability to straighten the leg at the knee when bending. If the rupture process occurs gradually, then nagging pain and slight swelling are observed. Often hemarthrosis resolves within a week, and the person does not seek medical help, but periodically repeated pinching causes arthrosis deformans, in which removal of the meniscus is ineffective.

Irina Martynova. Graduated from Voronezh State Medical University named after. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical resident and neurologist of the BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\". Ask a question>>

In move

The cause of the pathology is increased load or damage, accompanied by tension in the patellar ligament. Often found in teenage athletes from 13 to 15 years of age. It manifests itself as pain and swelling in the area of ​​the tibia tuberosity.

Iliotibial band syndrome

It manifests itself as pain on the outer surface of the knee from above due to inflammation of the attachment site of the tibia. The tract is not used when bending the leg, but acts as a stabilizer to prevent inward rotation of the limb.

Constantly

Ligament damage. Occurs after injuries and falls. An anterior cruciate ligament rupture is characterized by a crunching sensation in the knee area followed by severe pain, swelling, hemarthrosis, and limited flexion motion. As a rule, one knee is affected - left or right. With a complete rupture, stability is lost, the knee loses its ability to support body weight and takes an unnatural position.

Knee extension. With this pathology, the knee expands and bends in the opposite direction. Accompanied by swelling and dangerous ligament rupture.

Septic or rheumatoid arthritis. Causes joint deformation, which is characterized by persistent malaise, fever and stiffness of movement.

Osteoporosis. Its appearance is associated with age, while the cartilage loses its elasticity, the joint ceases to function normally and hurts with varying intensity.

Gout. It is characterized by a sudden increase in pain, hyperemia, signs of swelling with bright red skin above the knee. The pain is often unbearable when bending, and unbearable when touched by anyone. The condition can last from several hours to 5-10 days, after which the symptoms subside. It is caused by metabolic disorders, due to which there is an excessive concentration of uric acid in the blood.

Left or right

Patella displacement, which extends to the outside of the joint in a position perpendicular to the natural state, which causes difficulty in straightening the leg and is characterized by severe swelling.

Chondromalacia patella - a condition characterized by pain in the center of the knee, to the left or right of it and resulting from a violation of the structure of the cartilage - it softens and loses its physiological elasticity. Often this type of pathology occurs in professional athletes or with congenital characteristics of the body - high position of the patella or weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.

Diagnostics

There are many causes of knee pain, and at its first manifestations you should consult a doctor. For a correct diagnosis Detailed information about the location of pain will be required. After determining the nature of the pain, the doctor may resort to to the following diagnostic measures:

1. X-ray. The main research method for knee pain. Reveals specific changes that characterize a specific disease - deformations, fractures, cracks, dislocations, ruptures and damage to ligaments, the presence of cysts, arthritis and arthrosis, osteoporosis and other changes in the knee joint.
2. CT scan. Allows you to determine arthritis, cancer, arthrosis, the condition of the joint space and the characteristics of knee injuries.
3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Allows you to examine bone tissue as accurately as possible for tumors, bruises, fractures and the presence of infection, and show defects in cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
4. Blood analysis, which includes the following studies:

1. General analysis, which reveals leukocytosis, increased ESR in the case of rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis, possible anemia.
2. Biochemical, revealing increased uric acid levels in gout.

1. Joint puncture. It is carried out by inserting a needle into the joint cavity and extracting a small amount of exudate for examination for transparency, protein and blood cell content, and specific microorganisms.

Treatment

Regardless of the cause of knee pain, you need to immediately reduce the load on it. In most cases, in case of acute pain, the patient is recommended to rest in bed, and while walking to use a cane or crutches and orthopedic shoes. Often the problem is solved with the help of conservative treatment, which performs the task of relieving pain and eliminating swelling during acute manifestations of the disease, after which the stability and mobility of the joint is restored.

Conservative treatment methods involve the use of the following methods:

1. Medication, in which the following groups of drugs are used:

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics, which in case of severe pain are injected into the joint, which ensures long-term elimination of the unpleasant sensation and preservation of the functions of the joint. If pain occurs when bending, applications and local remedies are used along with NSAIDs.
2. Chondroprotectors. Injected into the knee to restore the elasticity and integrity of the meniscus.

1. Physiotherapy

Regardless of the cause of the pathology in the knee joint, physiotherapy is an integral part of complex treatment and provides the following therapeutic effects:

1. Regenerating;
2. Anti-inflammatory;
3. Anesthetic;
4. Improves and normalizes blood circulation in the affected area.

For this purpose:

1. Phonophoresis and ultrasound treatment;
2. Electrophoresis;
3. Laser and magnetic laser effects;
4. DMV treatment;
5. Magnetotherapy.

When is surgery necessary?

Treatment of the knee by surgical intervention is carried out after injuries, the consequences of which cannot be eliminated with medication, or after ineffective conservative methods. As a rule, this is necessary at the third stage of osteoarthritis with the following indications:

1. Destruction of most of the cartilage tissue.
2. Severe pain that occurs at rest.
3. If painkillers are ineffective.

Rheumatologist - city clinic, Moscow. Education: FGBNU NIIR named after V.A. Nasonova, Astrakhan State Medical Academy.

Signs that you urgently need to see a doctor

At the first sign of discomfort or pain in the knee, you need to take the pressure off your legs and give them more time to rest. But certain types of pain indicate pathologies or damage to the knee that require medical attention. You should consult a doctor immediately in the following cases:

1. If there is pain when bending the knee or if it does not allow you to step on your leg.
2. When a joint tumor is detected.
3. With joint deformation.
4. When your knee hurts all the time.
5. For pain, redness and swelling in the knee area with the presence of fever, which indicates the infectious nature of the pathology.

Who is susceptible to joint pain?

The main risk factors and causes of knee injuries and diseases include the following:

1. Age. Each age category of people is characterized by the occurrence of certain pathologies in the knee joint: for adolescence, these are tendinitis and Osgood-Schlatter disease, and for older people, gout and osteoporosis are characteristic.
2. Body weight, exceeding the norm, increases the pressure on the knee joint when bending or moving in a standing position, which causes problems with cartilage tissue and various deformities to the left or right of the kneecap.
3. Heavy loads. Any activity that requires regular tension in the muscles around the knee ligaments can cause excessive stress to which the body will react painfully. This can only cause illness if there is insufficient rest.
4. Passive lifestyle. Causes stagnation in the joint and weakening of ligaments and muscles, which, in turn, lead to the risk of injury and the occurrence of knee diseases associated with metabolic disorders.
5. Spinal diseases, in which gait is impaired. The knee joint receives unnatural loads and hurts, which provokes injuries and the development of pathologies. A similar negative effect is observed when wearing uncomfortable shoes that do not support the feet well.
6. Old knee injuries. Increases the risk of re-injury.

According to traumatologists, of all the joints of the human body, none brings such severe suffering as with problems in the knee joint. This should motivate you to take special care of this part of the body. It is necessary to take into account all the risk factors that lead to problems in the knee, and in case of injury or pain, immediately consult a doctor, which guarantees less lengthy and costly treatment.

Every second person experiences pain in the knees. Pain in the knee when straightening after a long stay in one position is not yet a reason to panic. But constantly recurring pain indicates the presence of changes in the knee joint and requires consultation with a doctor.

The knee joint is the most used joint in the body and is constantly exposed to stress. Many muscles are involved in bending the knee, and when their work weakens, there is an increased load on the joint and its membranes. Discomfort and pain in the knee joint are a manifestation of reversible or other processes that can only be identified by a specialist.

Causes of knee pain during flexion and extension

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There are many factors that cause pain when bending, so it is important to undergo a full examination to identify the underlying cause, make a diagnosis and prescribe a course of treatment. In case of a complicated condition, all procedures are performed in a hospital setting. The causes of disturbances may be local changes and disturbances in the functioning of the whole organism.

Local reasons:

Common diseases that cause pain:

Find out the consequences of knee bruises from a fall and how to treat the injured joint.

Causes not related to disease:

1. Difficult working conditions.
2. Playing sports with uneven loads.
3. Excess weight.
4. Pregnancy.

Another reason is oncological diseases, the detection and treatment of which occurs only in a hospital setting and under the supervision of the attending physician.

Symptoms of changes in the knee joint

1. When bending the knee, a feeling of discomfort or pain occurs, accompanied by a characteristic crunching sound.
2. Aching or cutting sensations in the knee joint.
3. Increase in local temperature.
4. Persistent pain after physical activity.
5. Pain in the knee when straightening after sleep.
6. Going up or down stairs causes pain in the knee joints.
7. Swelling of the joint and changes in the skin are symptoms of an infectious inflammatory process or degenerative changes in the articular surfaces and cartilage tissue. There may be an accumulation of fluid in the joint capsule.
8. Crunching in the knee when bending and limited movement when walking. Paroxysmal painful spasms lasting from several minutes to several hours.
9. Throbbing pain and muscle cramps that occur after a slight load on the knee joints, for example, when kneeling for a few minutes or during a short walk.

Diagnostics

Treatment of the knee begins only after the patient has undergone a complete examination. Identifying the direct and indirect causes that cause pain when bending the leg will become the basis for a correct diagnosis.

The examination is carried out using the following methods:

1. Examination by doctors of several specialties.
2. X-ray types of examination.
3. Ultrasound.
4. Laboratory types of research.
5. CT scan.
6. MRI.

Find out the main causes of knee pain on the inside, behind the knee at the back and on the outside on the side and how to treat them.

Therapeutic and rehabilitation measures

The treatment is complex: treating the cause of the disease, reducing symptoms and restoring cartilage in the joint.

For local injuries of the knee joint that cause pain when bending, anti-inflammatory drugs, ointment dressings and compresses are prescribed. Then physical therapy and physiotherapeutic procedures are added. The prognosis is favorable.

Even “advanced” joint problems can be cured at home! Just remember to apply this once a day.

Treatment of more complex changes in the knee requires a broader range of drug therapy. For this purpose, the following groups of drugs are prescribed:

1. Antibacterial drugs.
2. Anti-inflammatory drugs.
3. Preparations that restore tissue trophism.
4. Medicines that normalize blood circulation.
5. Vitamin complexes.

Depending on the severity of the disease, treatment can take place in a hospital or clinic. All physical stress on the knee joint is excluded. Medicines are prescribed in the form of tablets or injections. Before use, an allergic reaction test is always carried out.

You can relieve pain when bending with the help of specific ointments and compresses. Ointments are selected symptomatically. Compresses are made for no more than two hours (as they cool, they are removed earlier). Wearing a special knee brace or applying an elastic bandage is only recommended by a doctor.

Basic drug treatment is supported by the appointment of physiotherapeutic procedures, therapeutic exercises and massage.

1. UHF.
2. Electrophoresis with drugs.
3. Warming up with paraffin.
4. Mud treatment.
5. Herbal baths.
6. Magnetotherapy.

Therapeutic gymnastics is carried out under the guidance of a specialist. For home use only after appropriate training and instruction. There should be no acute pain in the joint after physiological procedures or therapeutic exercises. If pain occurs, physical therapy is stopped. Treatment is adjusted and continued only after the permission of the attending physician.

For all types of pathologies of the knee joints that cause pain during flexion and extension, a salt-free diet is prescribed. Preference in food is given to fruits and fresh vegetables. The cooking process should be steamed or in the oven. You can have boiled foods without spicy seasonings.

Folk remedies for treating knee joints

Herbal preparations will help treat inflammatory processes in the knees. For example, herbal teas are good for relieving inflammation and swelling:

1. drink a decoction of flax seeds three times every day. This will improve metabolism and trophism of inflamed tissues in the joint. It is prepared like this: pour two tablespoons of flax seeds into 300 ml of hot water, boil for 10 minutes and leave for about an hour. Take the resulting decoction throughout the day;
2. juniper berry tea has a mild diuretic effect and a good anti-inflammatory effect;
3. decoctions of clover and parsley also have a general strengthening and antitumor effect;

1. a drink made from mint herb and birch leaves is useful for any changes in the knee joints. Pour a glass of boiling water into equal parts of 100 g of dry collection and leave in a thermos for one hour. Drink during the day;
2. eating pumpkin in any form has a good effect on the general condition, reducing the inflammatory process in the knees;
3. carrot juice with lemon and cucumber juices enrich the body with vitamins;
4. A cabbage leaf can be applied to a sore knee for any type of illness. The leaf is crushed a little to release the juice and wrapped around the knee. Cover the top with compress paper or polyethylene. If there are no skin lesions or allergic reactions, you can smear a cabbage leaf with honey and apply it to your knee. Cover everything with wool or cotton cloth. Leave for 2 to 4 hours.

Preventive actions

First of all, the load on the knee joints is limited, and bed rest is recommended. If you experience severe pain in the knee joint and adjacent muscles when flexing and extending, you should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. It is necessary to balance the diet, limit the content of salt and foods that retain fluid in the body. Vegetable and fruit juices will help establish water-salt metabolism in the body and fill all organs and systems with vitamins.

A timely treatment and preventive course will help avoid serious complications:

1. Suppuration in the knee joint.
2. Surgical interventions.
3. Destruction of cartilage tissue.
4. Degenerative changes in bone tissue.

Preventive examination and consultation are required if:

1. constant pain;
2. discomfort in the knee joints;
3. frequent relapses of chronic knee diseases.

In addition, important for prevention:

1. Changing working conditions and rational distribution of loads when playing sports.
2. Wearing special fixing bandages and bandages for the knee.
3. Fight against bad habits (long stay on bent knees, crossed legs).

Taking care of your knee joints is the key to normal functioning of the lower extremities and good health. Healthy knees and legs will help you go a long way in life.

How to forget about joint pain?

1. Joint pain limits your movements and full life...
2. You are worried about discomfort, crunching and systematic pain...
3. You may have tried a bunch of medications, creams and ointments...
4. But judging by the fact that you are reading these lines, they did not help you much...

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