What are the causes of knee pain?
Knee pain is common among many individuals and many reasons may lead to it, and the method of treatment varies according to the factor causing the occurrence of this pain. Follow the following article with us to be able to learn a lot of information regarding this topic.
Causes of knee pain
- Exposure to fractures: A fall or a strong collision when accompanied by a feeling of pain may indicate the presence of some fractures, and for this reason, a doctor should be visited immediately. The fracture may not accompany the knee stopping at first, but over time, it becomes stiff.
- Ligament rupture: Excessive exercise in some types of sports such as football, and this rupture results in very severe pain and swelling in the affected foot and the inability to achieve it.
- Osteoarthritis: It is also known as the roughness of the knee, and this is a chronic disease in which there is a gradual disintegration of the articular cartilage and makes the knee very rigid, and it affects people with age.
- Arthritis: It is accompanied by many symptoms such as pain, swelling, and many other things, and its treatment must be started immediately to avoid its hazardous complications.
- Bursitis: The bursa is a disc filled with many fluids, and its purpose is to reduce the intensity of friction that occurs between each of the tendons, muscles, and bones. Its treatment requires rest and no effort.
- Meniscus tear: This occurs as a result of a sudden and incorrect movement, which causes very severe pain and the inability to move normally.
- Gout: It has many symptoms, such as pain and swelling in the affected foot, and redness in the surrounding skin area.
Causes of knee pain when bent
Individuals feel pain in the knee when bending it as a result of the friction of the kneecap bone with the thigh as a result of erosion in the cartilage area that is located under the kneecap, many people may experience pain when bending the knee more than 90 degrees, and many reasons lead to cartilage erosion, including:
- Excessive use of the knee: Individuals may develop knee pain when doing a lot of violent movements that may cause many problems over time, and this often happens among athletes.
- Knee bone out of place: This results in friction with the knee, which results in severe pain, and many people may be born in this way, while others develop it over time.
- Weakness of the thigh muscle: The thigh muscle has a major role in stabilizing the knee in its natural place, and its weakness leads to the knee moving from its place, causing friction.
- Knee injury: Any damage to the knee area may play a major role in feeling knee pain when bent.
Pain when bending the knee in prayer
Many people may suffer from pain when bending the knee in prayer as a result of many reasons, the movements that are made during prayer cause pressure on the joint, and that is why it is better when you feel this to seek the help of a physiotherapist to do some exercises that work to strengthen the muscles of the thighs.
Causes of knee pain while sleeping
Despite the multiplicity of reasons that may lead to knee pain, the evening periods are harsher and more severe for many people, and this is due to many factors, including:
- Persistence on one side only when sleeping all night, which leads to stiffness in the joints, which increases the severity of the pain.
- There is a decrease in the secretion of the hormone cortisol, which works to prevent infections at night.
Causes of leg and knee pain
- Excessive use of the knee joint as a result of many violent sports and wrong movements.
- Infections in the knee joint, such as arthritis, osteoarthritis, and degenerative arthritis.
- Infection with sterile osteonecrosis, which causes a shortage of blood that reaches the bone tissue, causing severe pain and swelling.
- The occurrence of bursitis in the knee in what is known as the formation of the bursa, a condition in which fluid accumulates in the knee area.
- Exposure to bone fractures such as dislocation of the knee joint or rupture of any of the ligaments and tendons.
- Exposure to any injury while doing some exercises.
- Suffering from some diseases such as lupus erythematosus, gout, sickle cell anemia, and Crohn’s disease.
- Exposure to bacterial infections in the knee area.
Causes of knee pain from the inner side
Osteoarthritis
Also known as degenerative arthritis, it results in erosion of the cartilage, which causes the bones and joints to rub against each other, and this causes pain in the knee from the inside due to the presence of great pressure on the joint when doing any of the normal daily activities.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Arthritis is considered an autoimmune disease, and this causes pain in the knee on the inner side, in addition to the presence of many other symptoms that accompany it, and the pain is more severe, especially in the morning periods.
Medial collateral ligament injury
The medial-lateral part is surrounded by the outer part of the inner part of the knee in order to stabilize the joint, and if this ligament is stretched, it causes a twist in the medial collateral ligament, and this injury occurs upon collision during the practice of any of the violent sports and the symptoms that appear immediately after this happens:
- the appearance of swelling;
- Inability to balance when standing.
- Suffering while bending or straightening the knee.
- A popping sound.
Anserine cyst inflammation
The cyst is a small pouch that contains fluids and its main role is to reduce the friction that occurs between the joints, and it is present in many areas in the human body, and in the knee area, there is a cyst between the medial collateral ligament and the three tendons, which are Sartorius, Grablus, and the half-tendon, which is called Anserine or Goose leg.
Frequent use of this cyst causes it to secrete a larger amount of fluid, and this results in swelling and causing severe pressure on the knee area, and this condition is medically called anserine cyst inflammation, and many reasons lead to this, including:
- Osteoarthritis.
- Suffering from obesity.
- A rupture of the meniscus.
- Knee rotation while walking.
- Tightening of the hamstring muscles.
Irritation of the medial plica
The plica is defined as small folds that occur in the joint cavity and the medial flexure covers the knee from the inside, and overuse of the knee causes irritation in the medial flexure and this causes the thickness of these flexors to increase and gets stuck between the bones, which causes severe pain in the inner part of the knee, and the injured person is unable to bend or straighten the knee well, and he may hear the sound of bones being fractured.
Knee pain when bending and straightening it
When suffering from knee pain when bending and straightening it, this is accompanied by many other symptoms, including:
- The appearance of pain behind the kneecap bone.
- Feeling pain on both sides of the knee.
There are many methods that the doctor follows in order to make a proper diagnosis of this pain, including:
- Do blood tests or x-rays to ensure that there is no inflammation such as arthritis.
- MRI.
- Arthroscopy greatly helps to identify the shape of the knee cartilage and its problems.
When symptoms appear and are confirmed through the diagnosis made by the doctor, the next step is treatment, and one of the best methods used for that is:
- Apply ice packs to the affected area for 15 to 20 minutes a day, 4 times.
- Take some medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Take some painkillers prescribed by the doctor in order to ensure a stronger effect than regular painkillers.
- Losing excess weight in case of obesity.
- Wear appropriate shoes that are very comfortable.
- If all of the previous treatment methods fail, the doctor resorts to surgical intervention to cut some ligaments in order to facilitate the patient’s movement.
Knee pain treatment
Many methods can be used to treat knee pain, including:
Medication treatment
Where the doctor diagnoses the condition well in order to know the appropriate treatment for it, and an example of these medicines:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: If knee pain is caused by arthritis, the following drugs are prescribed: ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac sodium.
- Injections of corticosteroids: they work to reduce the severity of pain caused by arthritis, and this injection is characterized by the fact that its effect remains for several months.
- Using lubricants: An example of this is hyaluronic acid, which plays a major role in repairing cartilage and restoring it to what it was, and this is done by stimulating the cells, as it facilitates movement and relieves knee pain.
Home treatment
- Ensure complete rest and avoid pressure on the affected area in any way.
- When sitting or relaxing, be sure to place a pillow under the injured foot and raise it from the rest of the body.
- Apply some ice packs to help calm inflammation and swelling, and repeat this more than once a day.
- Wrap the affected leg with a pressure bandage to reduce swelling.
- Use a crutch when you have to move to avoid pressure on the knee.
- Do a light knee massage in order to improve blood flow to the affected area.