The knee is made up of two bones and three ligaments. Pain in the knee can occur for many reasons, sometimes mild and temporary, but often intense and long-lasting. Diseases such as bursitis, osteoarthritis, tendonitis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osgood schlatter can cause severe pain in the knee, while intense pain can also occur as a result of movements such as straining the knee. Although there are things that people can do themselves to reduce knee pain and prevent injuries, for more precise and long-term solutions, a specialist doctor should be consulted and the appropriate treatment method should be applied.
Index Structure
The knee joint consists of the calf bone called fibula and the kneecap bone called patella. There are three ligaments in the knee: anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate, medial and lateral collateral ligaments.
Anterior cruciate ligament
It prevents the femur, the thigh bone, from going backwards over the tibia, the shin bone, or holding the tibia and preventing it from going in front of the femur.
Posterior cruciate ligament
It holds the femur and prevents it from moving forward on the tibia or holding the tibia and preventing it from moving behind the femur.
Medial and Lateral Collateral Ligaments
They hold the femur and prevent it from going sideways.
What is Knee Pain?
Knee pain is pain caused by an injury caused by a tear in one of the ligaments or cartilage in the structure of the knee, or by medical conditions such as gout, arthritis and various inflammations. Knee pain is a common condition that can occur in anyone, regardless of age.
Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain can be caused by many conditions, if the pain is in both knees, it is usually due to arthritis. If the pain is in one knee, there are different causes. For each cause of knee pain, the location and intensity of the pain varies.
Bursitis
Most joints in the body or on the top of bones have small sacs called bursae, which act as a cushion for tendons, muscles, bones or skin. When bursa sacs become infected, they can cause pain even when no movement is being made. Inflammation of these sacs is called bursitis. Symptoms of bursitis include pain in the affected area, the onset of redness, swelling, sensitivity and increased temperature. Although it mostly occurs in the bones in the hips, shoulders and elbows, it takes a while for the infection to develop in this disease, which also affects the knees. However, in some different cases, infection and symptoms may occur suddenly.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, also known as calcification, is more common especially in older people. Osteoarthritis occurs in the knee when the cartilage tissue and the joint part of the knee are weakened as a result of damage due to many reasons. If a doctor is not consulted or treatment is not applied for arthritis, this damage to the knee grows and progresses further. The pain makes itself felt slowly at first, but as the damage to the cartilage grows, the pain continues to increase rapidly. Sometimes there are also sudden attacks of pain. If the person does not move for a long time, the swelling in the knee grows and the pain gradually increases. Patients often describe the pain in the knee as a feeling of aching inside the knee with a lack of strength in the joints. People with arthritis in the knee; As they walk, climb stairs and make movements such as squatting, they cause more pain. For knee arthritis, some exercises, physical therapy applications and treatments such as injections are applied first. In cases of arthritis where these treatments do not work, prosthetic surgery treatment is chosen. If the calcification is only in one part of the knee joint, partial knee replacement surgery is performed, while full knee replacement surgery is performed if the calcification has spread to the knee joint.
Tendonitis
Tendonitis, also called tendonitis, is a disease that occurs when one of the tendons becomes infected. Tendonitis can cause intense pain and sensitivity around the joints. Tendonitis, which is mostly felt in the front of the knee, increases its severity more when climbing or climbing slopes and stairs.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, also commonly known as joint inflammation, can cause knee pain by infecting the membrane or other internal organs inside the knee joint. This pain can prevent any movement during the day from being performed easily. Apart from pain, symptoms include swelling, redness and warmth of the kneecap. Another symptom of rheumatoid arthritis that should be taken seriously is stiffness that lasts for more than half an hour in the morning.
Gout
Gout, also called dropsy, causes swelling, pain, sensitivity and heat in the joints. It is caused by an excess of uric acid in the bloodstream, which is formed by the combination of oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. Gout often manifests as pain in the joint of the big toe. Attacks can occur suddenly and can also cause a burning sensation that can wake you up at night.
Dislocated kneecap
Kneecap dislocations, also called patella dislocations, are often caused by accidents or trauma and are serious. After the trauma, the knee suddenly rotates, causing intense pain and a feeling that the knee has shifted to the outside. With bleeding in the joint, swelling occurs in the knee and begins to restrict the person's movement.
Osgood Schlatter
Osgood Schlatter's disease, which usually occurs in adolescence and in men, occurs when the ligament called patella, which is located between the tibia and the kneecap and connects them, becomes infected in the tendon. This disease is characterized by swelling, tenderness and pain in the lower part of the knee, which increases in intensity with movement. However, when the person rests the leg, the pain is observed to decrease.
Athlete Injuries
It is very common for athletes who suffer injuries during sports that involve contact, such as football and wrestling, to have knee pain. At the same time, the pain in the muscles of athletes who overload their knees is seen as knee pain.
Cruciate Ligament Injuries
Cruciate ligament injuries, which are mostly seen with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament, also cause knee pain. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries, which usually occur when a person receives a blow or suddenly changes direction or speed while running, cause intense pain in the entire leg, primarily in the knee area. Posterior cruciate ligament injuries, which usually occur when a high force is applied to the knee, are not common.
Cartilage Damage
It is very common for cartilage, which is a soft tissue that carries the load, to be damaged and injured. When the cartilage is damaged, the lubricity and flatness of the joint surface is disrupted, so that the knee swells and starts to ache with the friction. It is also seen that the pain, which can be reduced by resting, sometimes does not go away in this way. The pain continues to increase as the load is placed on the knee.
Anterior Knee Pain Syndrome
Also called patellofemoral pain syndrome, it is pain that occurs around the patella, or kneecap. This disease manifests itself by causing pain as the knee moves or bending the knee spontaneously when climbing stairs or after sitting in one place for too long.
Straining the Knee
As the person strains the knee, it causes the tissues in the knee to stretch. This pain caused by straining the knee is temporary.
Overweight: (H3) As the person gains weight, the load on the knees continues to increase and therefore the knee joints begin to be damaged. In people with more than normal weight, knee pain increases as the weight exerts pressure and forces the knee and starts to cause problems for the person.
Meniscus
The menisci, which are located inside the knee joint and are C-shaped and have a total of 4 menisci, two in each knee, begin to wear out as the person ages and this causes knee pain. In addition to aging, sudden bending of the knee, locking or swelling of the knee can also cause a tear in the meniscus, which in turn causes knee pain.
Other
Trauma can occur when a person sprains the knee, falls and hits the knee, stands incorrectly, does not warm up before starting exercise or stretches the muscles incorrectly, and these traumas can cause knee pain. In such cases, the knee should be treated immediately, otherwise there may be more severe and permanent damage than pain.
Symptoms of knee pain
- Overstretching the knee during exercise
- Pain after bending and unbending the knee
- Recurrent pain between the tibia and kneecap after running or jumping
- Unstable pain when standing up
- Noise from the knee during injury
- Swelling with pain in the lower part of the kneecap
- Deformation of the kneecap
- Pain in both knees, stiffness and swelling of the knees
- Redness and burning of the knee
- Bruising in the knee
- Sudden severe pain
- Conditions that increase the risk of knee pain(H2)
- Previous knee injury
- Being overweight
- Muscles are not flexible enough
- Muscle weakness
- Sports that require contact
Ways to Prevent Knee Pain
- Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight
- Strengthening muscles through movement
- Doing exercises to strengthen the knee muscles
- Warm up and stretch before and after exercising
- Walking during periods when there is no pain
- People with arthritis in the knee use canes and similar tools while walking
How is Knee Pain Diagnosed?
A person with knee pain should first consult a specialist doctor. The doctor examines the swelling, pain, sensitivity, heat and bruising, if any. In addition, he/she observes how the lower leg can move in different directions. Some more serious knee injuries may require a CT scan, ultrasound or MRI. However, if the doctor thinks that the knee may be infected, he or she may also order a blood test and anthrocentesis, which involves taking fluid from the knee with a syringe.
Knee Pain Treatment
Treatment of knee pain varies depending on the cause of the pain in the knee. These treatments include medication, movement, vehicle, injection and surgery. If you have rheumatoid arthritis or gout, the doctor may prescribe certain medications to reduce the severity of the pain and contribute to treatment. At the same time, strengthening the knee muscles makes the knees stronger, more resilient and helps to create a balance. Depending on the pain, the doctor may recommend physical therapy or exercises to strengthen the knee. For slipped knees, arched knee braces can also be used to relieve the slippage. If arthritis in the knee is becoming severe, injections of medication may be given to reduce symptoms. Although the injection is not always effective, it can often reduce the intensity of the pain for several months. Hyaluronic acid is injected into the knees to lubricate the joints to supplement the joint fluid, which is expected to increase the mobility of the knees and reduce pain. Surgery is also a solution for knee pain.