Which doctor should I treat with knee pain when flexing? Let's figure it out. If a person has acute pain, it is always unpleasant. Especially if it interferes with walking, unbending and bending the leg. What could cause this symptom? What is the danger of the pathology that causes pain? With what means can I get rid of the disease?
A lot of joints are involved in walking, including the knee joints, which are one of the largest. In terms of functionality, these joints are complex, they withstand strong physical activity every day. However, despite this, the knee is purely from an anatomical point of view - the joint is weak, prone to destructive (degenerative) processes and injuries. For pain in the knee during flexion, therapy will be determined by the specific cause, which is determined only by the doctor.
Below we consider the symptoms and treatment of arthrosis of the knee joint.
It is not necessary to postpone the call to a specialist, because this pathology is very dangerous.
Causes
The causes of pain in the knee joint during flexion are many, and therefore it is important to be thoroughly examined to determine the root cause, diagnose pathology and prescribe a treatment course.
If the condition is with complications, then all procedures are carried out in stationary conditions. The causes of defects can be local disturbances and changes in the functioning of the whole organism.
Injuries and loads
The main and most common source of acute pain in the knee joint during flexion are injuries to the knee joint and increased stress on it. Such phenomena often occur in adolescence after sports - a typical pathology of the knee joint, called Osgood-Schlatter disease, that is, osteochondropathy of the primary nature of the tibia. The pain in the patient appears during the descent of the stairs, however, it especially intensifies when the leg is bent at the knee. This condition lasts up to a month and ends, as a rule, with an absolute recovery. However, sometimes this pathology can develop into a chronic form.
Arthrosis
What else can knee joint pain mean when bent? If crunch and discomfort appear in the knee, this may indicate the onset of arthrosis. Most often, no one attaches particular importance to these symptoms, and this is wrong.
Symptoms and treatment of knee arthrosis are interrelated.
This pathology is characterized by:
- discomfort when trying to get up after a long sitting, in the morning after waking up;
- pain at night, as well as after active exertion;
- burning sensation when climbing stairs;
- pain in the knee with a long stay in a standing position;
- weakness in the legs.
The sensation of pain when the knee is bent can also cause bursitis - the process of inflammation of the joint bags. In this case, the joints are less painful, their mobility decreases, the affected area swells.
The cause may also be a disease of the patellar cartilage. The localization of pain is noted in the front of the knee, intensifies while moving down the stairs, with prolonged sitting it acquires a aching character, with movement the knees crackle. And what does swelling of the knee mean?
Knee joints are more likely than others to experience rheumatoid arthritis. When it develops, pain occurs when the knee is bent, an increase in the temperature of the epidermis over the inflamed area, swelling, fever.
Sciatica, that is, an inflammatory process in the sciatic nerve, can also be a source of pain.
Non-disease-related causes are as follows:
- difficult working conditions;
- playing sports when the loads are uneven;
- pregnancy;
- overweight;
- oncological pathologies, the diagnosis and treatment of which is carried out exclusively in stationary conditions and under the supervision of a qualified specialist.
How is pain in the knee joint manifested during flexion?
Symptoms of knee deformity
- During bending the knee, uncomfortable pain appears, which is accompanied by a specific crunch.
- Cutting or aching pain in the knee joint.
- Persistent pain after physical exertion.
- Fever.
- Extension of knee pain after sleep.
- Climbing or descending stairs causes heaviness in the knee joint.
- Change in skin integument and joint swelling are signs of an inflammatory infection process or a degenerative change in cartilage tissue and joint surfaces.
- Fluid may accumulate in the joint bag.
- Crunch when bending at the knee and limited movement during walking;
- Muscle cramps and throbbing pain that occurs after a small load on the knee joints, for example, when a person kneels for several minutes or during a short walk.
- Paroxysmal cramps, which can last for several minutes or several hours.
Burning in the knee joint may also be present during flexion.
Diagnostic Features
Start treating the knee only after the patient has been fully examined. Establishing the main and secondary causes that cause pain when bending the leg is the basis of a correct diagnosis.
The survey is carried out using the following methods:
- a medical examination, which is carried out by different specialists;
- X-ray examination types;
- laboratory research;
- Ultrasound
- MRI
- CT scan.
Initially, you need to contact the local therapist. He will schedule diagnostic measures and send him to a specialist - an orthopedist, rheumatologist or surgeon. In case of injury, contact a traumatologist.
It is necessary to establish the main causes of discomfort under the knee, from the inside, from the outside, from behind and from the side, as well as methods of treatment.
How to treat knee joint and flexion pain ?
How to treat pain in the knees
No matter what the cause of pain during knee flexion, it is necessary to first reduce the load on the joints.
Often in the acute period, the patient should observe bed rest and gradually activate the limb, use crutches or a cane during movement. Shoes should be comfortable and soft; in some cases, orthopedic insoles are used.
With conservative treatment occurs:
- decrease in the severity of pathological symptoms;
- increasing the functional activity of the patient as a whole and the affected leg in particular;
- slowing down the development of pathology.
After a comprehensive diagnosis, the specialist makes a diagnosis and determines the complex therapy for pain in the knee joint during flexion. First of all, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal and painkillers are used. If the pain cannot be tolerated, then most likely, anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs will be injected directly into the joint. Due to this, painful symptoms stop for a long period and the patient's working capacity is preserved. In addition, chondroprotectors are introduced into the joint cavity, which restore the elasticity of the cartilage and its mechanical integrity, as well as the artificial replacement of the synovial fluid used as a lubricant.
Local therapy
Excellent results can be obtained thanks to local therapy (applications in the form of gels, compresses, ointments and aerosols). These drugs are an addition to NSAIDs. The advantages of local treatment are that it acts directly on the affected focus and practically does not cause side effects.
All diseases of the knee joints must be diagnosed in the initial stages. Only in this case the treatment will become effective. At the same time as medications, the patient is prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures, and in remission, special physiotherapy exercises are prescribed.
Surgical intervention
With the advanced state of the disease, traditional therapeutic methods will not allow to obtain significant results, in connection with which the intervention of the surgeon will be required. The most common operation was arthroscopy - a procedure that allows you to:
- clarification of the diagnosis;
- elimination of meniscus particles if they suddenly break away, as well as free cartilage bodies;
- cleansing the joint cavity;
- administration of drugs;
- cartilage transplant production.
If the case is especially neglected, then endoprosthetics are performed when the joint is completely replaced by an artificial one.
Thus, the conclusions are as follows: it is unacceptable to self-medicate with joint pathologies, since the patient cannot make the correct diagnosis himself and receive the correct treatment. You need to contact a specialist and not delay the treatment process.
For all types of diseases of the knee joints that cause the patient discomfort during extension and flexion, a salt-free diet is required. In food, preference is given to fresh vegetables and fruits. Food should be cooked in the oven or steamed. Cooked foods that are not seasoned are also allowed.
Home Knee Treatment
Inflammatory processes in the joints of the knees will help treat herbal preparations. For example, herbal teas cope well with swelling and inflammation.
Every day you need to drink a decoction of flaxseeds three times. Due to this, material metabolism and trophism of affected joint tissues will improve. It is prepared as follows: two tablespoons of raw material are poured with 300 ml of hot water, boiled for ten minutes, infused for about an hour. Ready broth should be drunk throughout the day.
Decoctions of parsley and clover also differ in antitumor and general strengthening effect.
Juniper berry tea has a slight diuretic effect and excellent anti-inflammatory effect.
A drink from birch leaves and peppermint herbs is beneficial for any damage to the knee joints. The same amount of dry collection (100 grams) is taken, poured with boiling water and infused for one hour in a thermos. You need to drink during the day.
Eating pumpkins in different forms perfectly affects the well-being of the patient as a whole, reduces the inflammatory process in the joints.
Carrot juice in combination with cucumber and lemon enriches the body with vitamins and eliminates crunching in the knee joint when bent.
Cabbage leaf can be applied to the inflamed knee for any type of disease. The sheet is slightly wrinkled so that juice stands out from it, they wrap the knee with it. Then cover with polyethylene or paper intended for compresses. In the absence of allergic reactions and skin lesions, you can grease the cabbage leaf with honey and also attach it to the sore knee. Cover with a cotton or wool cloth. Hold for two to four hours.
Patients with a hypersensitive reaction to certain substances and herbs from recipes need to refrain from alternative methods of treatment.
Is it dangerous when the knee pops up when bent? This happens when the articular surfaces of the bones that form it move. Dislocation, in which the knee flies out, leads to a decrease in the quality of life of a person, sports and physical labor become impossible. The result is a complication - patella-femoral arthrosis.
Warning Signs and Risk Factors
Discomfort in the knee joints appears due to certain risk factors, when there are special conditions, for example, the general condition of the body, harmful environmental factors, the patient’s lifestyle.
The risk group for pathologies of this nature includes people who have:
- hereditary abnormalities;
- diseases of the peripheral and central nervous system;
- abnormal development of connective and cartilage tissue;
- neurodysfunctions;
- pathology of endocrine glands (adrenal gland functioning defects, acromegaly, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, thyrotoxicosis);
- second to fourth degree obesity;
- allergic reactions in response to different agents;
- liver and kidney diseases (pyelonephritis, urolithiasis, renal failure, hepatitis C + B);
- bronchial asthma;
- reactive deviations of the immune system.
An alarming pathological sign of the design of the knee joint is a crisp sound with such biomechanical actions as extension, bending or rotation. This symptom indicates joint destruction, that is, a violation of metabolic processes, abrasion of the cartilage of the periosteal bone from the bony distal areas and thickening of the capsule joints with weak production of synovial fluid. Excess weight in combination with the constant use of the lower extremities or increased load on the knee joints contributes to the destruction of the cushioning structure, due to which pathological processes occur and pain occurs in the knee joint when bent. What to do to prevent this from happening?
Recovery period and prevention
First of all, it is necessary to limit the load on the joints, it is advisable to observe bed rest. If in the knee joint and muscles adjacent to it there are strong discomfort during extension and flexion, it is necessary to consult a specialist and be thoroughly examined. You need to balance your diet, limit the content of foods and salt in it, which trap fluid in the body. Fruit and vegetable juices establish water-salt metabolism, fill all systems and organs with necessary vitamins.
If patients are over 45 years old, it is advisable to correct the hormonal background and eat foods containing gelatin. All patients with musculoskeletal diseases are recommended spa treatment, as well as an examination every six months with the attending physician.
During the recovery period, the working conditions should be changed, the loads should be distributed rationally when playing sports. The patient also needs to wear bandages and fixing bandages for the knee.
It is necessary to fight bad habits (to cross legs, sit on bent knees), take care of your joints. Thanks to healthy legs and knees, life will be without discomfort.