Elderly people very often suffer from pain in their knees when going down stairs or when performing other movements of flexion and extension of the limbs. Also, similar symptoms can occur during normal walking. This is explained by the fact that in such situations the thigh muscles are involved in the work. They must become quite tense for the knee joint to perform its function.
You need to understand that these parts of the body have a complex structure. Knee joints are forced to cope with a huge amount of stress every day. Therefore, it is not surprising that it is in these parts of the body that malfunctions occur. If we talk about why the knee hurts when bending and straightening, going down stairs or going up, then there can be a large number of reasons for this. Perhaps the person is engaged in too much physical activity or suffers from other pathologies.
Mechanical damage
In this case, the joints experience extremely strong stress due to the fact that the person is too active in sports. Typically, people who run, squat, jump, lunge, etc. suffer from such problems. This is explained by the fact that such exercises are of the same type. When performing frequent movements, during which all parts of the knee must be used, a person experiences too much stress.
This can lead to injury, meniscus tear, muscle inflammation and other pathologies. Also, if the knee hurts when bending and walking, then perhaps the person has previously suffered a fracture, bruise, or suffered from other injuries. In this case, the pain intensifies as soon as the body weight is transferred to the sore leg.
If we talk about the signs of this type of damage to the knee joint, then in this case there will be swelling and discoloration of the damaged area, the appearance of hematomas and bruises. If a person’s knee hurts, but he cannot remember any mechanical effects on his legs, then in this case there is a possibility to believe that he suffers from joint diseases.
In this case, you need to pay attention to additional symptoms. If no pain is observed during rest, but at night the joints begin to ache, then it is quite possible that we are talking about more serious pathologies. It is also worth paying attention to swelling in the knee area, fever, leg deformities and clicks that appear during flexion and extension of the limb.
Possible complications
The course of many inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic diseases is accompanied by spontaneous hemarthrosis (bleeding into the joint cavity), the development of secondary reactive synovitis, and the appearance of flexion contractures. In the absence of medical intervention, the cartilage layer of the joint is gradually completely destroyed, and the bones are irreversibly deformed. Due to fusion of the joint space, ankylosis occurs. The knee joint is completely immobilized - the person becomes disabled.
Arthrosis
As a rule, this disease most often affects the knee joint. This pathology is characterized by a very long development. That is why for many years a person may not even suspect that he is suffering from an illness. However, during the development of pathology, destruction of cartilage tissue in the knee joint occurs. Ultimately, this leads to slight deformation of the limbs and their improper functioning.
If we are talking about an elderly person, then in this case, most likely, we are talking about idiopathic arthrosis. In this situation, the patient notes that his knee not only hurts greatly when bending, but also begins to make a characteristic crunching sound. As a rule, with idiopathic arthrosis, both limbs are affected at once.
There is also a type of arthrosis that occurs in people who have recently been treated for serious pathologies or after an injury to the knee joint. In this case, we can talk about patients of any age. In addition, problems can occur in both joints at once or in only one.
Features of the development of arthrosis
At the initial stage of arthrosis development, a person complains that his knee hurts greatly when going down the stairs or bending his limbs. At first, the syndrome does not torment the patient much. However, the pain gradually intensifies and worsens during increased loads on the knee joints.
If you do not begin treatment for this disease, in this case pain will begin to accompany the patient even in a calm state. This is because arthritis destroys the cartilage, capsules, and other important components of the knee joint. There are several types of this pathology.
With primary arthritis, we are talking about mechanical damage to tissue. If we talk about secondary pathology, then it is usually diagnosed against the background of inflammatory processes that are localized in completely different parts of the body.
Causes of knee pain
Pain that appears when going up or down the stairs is a signal that there are disturbances in the functioning of the musculoskeletal system in the body. Painful sensations often appear:
- for damage and injury;
- for various developmental defects;
- for various diseases;
- for other reasons.
In case of damage, injury
Even a mild injury is accompanied by hemorrhage into the soft periarticular tissues, which causes swelling, damage to the nerve roots and pain. If the knee is damaged, traumatic hemarthrosis may occur, in which blood enters the internal cavity of the joint and severe inflammation begins, requiring immediate treatment.
For developmental defects
The knee joint may no longer bend due to developmental defects. For example, this is caused by a defect in the form of a high position of the patella, a large joint space and femoral condyles extended backwards. In this case, surgery is performed before the child reaches the age of five, because in the future the present deformity of the femoral condyles will become an obstacle to successful treatment.
Other causes of pain
Also, the appearance of pain in the knees is caused by neoplasms, inflammation, infectious pathologies of the joints, degenerative changes that occur and the onset of vascular disorders.
For example, this is meniscopathy, which causes pain when climbing stairs. The disease appears when taking an unsuccessful step, hitting the knee or twisting the foot. In this case, the person feels severe localized pain inside the joint. In this case, mobility is sharply limited.
A disease such as bursitis is closely related to damage to the joint capsule and the inflammatory process that begins in it. The pathology develops rapidly, and the knee joint increases in volume. If such serious symptoms appear, you cannot do without going to the clinic for treatment.
Arthritis is damage to cartilage accompanied by inflammatory processes. In this case, the cartilage, the capsule itself and the internal synovial membrane are affected. When walking, there is a crunching sensation in the knee, discomfort, and swelling begins. It is very difficult for patients with arthritis to climb stairs, and during acute periods people practically do not leave the house.
Other causes of knee pain:
- large body weight and strong pressure on the joint;
- increased load during sports activities;
- performing heavy intensive work;
- low content of vital calcium in bone tissue.
Bursitis
This pathology is an inflammatory process that occurs in the synovial bursa. As a rule, such a disease is caused by the accumulation of exudate containing pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms. In this case, we will talk exclusively about pain. Unlike arthritis, bursitis does not cause problems with the functioning of the limbs. In this case, the patient will not complain that his knee hurts when going down the stairs, but he will experience pain.
Meniscus tear
A knee injury can happen to anyone. Typically, this happens when the patient accidentally hits his knee on a hard surface. This can also happen to an athlete who is too active in squats or jumps.
If we talk about how to determine the presence of a meniscus tear, then in this case it is worth paying attention to the sound during flexion and extension of the knee joint. If a click is observed, followed by severe pain, then in this case we are definitely talking about this pathology.
Other causes of knee pain
There are a huge number of factors that lead to unpleasant sensations. If we talk about why the knee hurts when going down the stairs, bending the legs and walking, then the elderly and those who suffer from excess weight are primarily at risk. Those who have been diagnosed with circulatory disorders in the legs, inflammation of tendons and joints should also be careful.
The development of rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, gout, oncology of the extremities or spinal disease leads to similar symptoms. There are a number of other specific pathologies that also lead to a person’s knee pain when bending, going up and down stairs. Only a doctor can diagnose a particular disease. He must do the appropriate research.
Good to know
During the examination, the doctor must clarify with the patient what kind of pain he is experiencing. Therefore, it is important to describe the symptoms as accurately as possible. The pain can be sharp, dull, etc. The doctor will also clarify the location of the discomfort. Unpleasant sensations can be observed on the outside or inside of the knee. It also matters whether the knee hurts above or below the joint when descending stairs or during other manipulations.
In addition, before contacting a specialist, it is recommended to note how long the pain lasts. Sometimes unpleasant symptoms last no more than a few seconds. Other patients are forced to cope with pain for days and nights.
How to treat diseases
When determining treatment tactics, the doctor takes into account the type of pathology, the severity of its course, and the severity of symptoms. An integrated approach to therapy is practiced. It is aimed at eliminating all signs of the disease and preventing its progression. Patients are recommended to exercise a gentle motor regimen and wear soft knee pads or semi-rigid elastic orthoses.
Diagnostics
To determine why the knee hurts when bending and walking, the doctor must first conduct x-ray studies. A photograph of the diseased part of the body will clearly show what exactly the patient is suffering from. In some situations, a visual examination of the limbs and palpation is sufficient.
Specialists conduct standard blood tests and pay attention to the patient's medical history. Of course, the age of the sick person is also taken into account. Based on the data obtained, the specialist finds out why a person’s knee hurts when going down the stairs. Treatment is developed based on the data obtained. An individual course of therapy is usually developed.
Treatment options
Most often, medications are used to get rid of problems. As a rule, doctors prescribe painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In some situations, additional rehabilitation therapy may be required.
If a person has knee pain when going down the stairs, then he should adhere to the principles of proper nutrition, especially if we are talking about weight problems. It is also important to ensure that heavy loads are not placed on your knees. This can only damage them even more and lead to inflammatory processes.
When to see a doctor
The vast majority of knee joint diseases respond well to conservative therapy if a person seeks medical help when the first, mild symptoms occur. Even when diagnosing pathologies that are still incurable, it is possible to quickly achieve stable remission. At this stage, the disease is almost clinically silent and does not spread to healthy joint structures.
It is advisable to consult a general practitioner - a therapist. After carrying out a series of diagnostic measures, he will refer the patient to a rheumatologist, orthopedist or traumatologist.
Folk remedies
The most effective remedy for knee pain is onion. If a person has severe knee pain when bending, then in order to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms, it is necessary to chop and fry a small onion along with the husk. After this, the mixture is poured with half a liter of boiling water and cooked for 15 minutes. Next, the finished broth should be filtered and taken twice a day. This folk remedy will help strengthen your bones. In addition, onions have many other beneficial properties. For example, it strengthens the immune system.
If a large amount of insoluble salts are found in the joints, then black radish is suitable. For treatment, you need to eat a few spoons of this natural product before meals. Radish is also applied to sore joints for 5 minutes daily.
Another good way is to use honey. They need to generously lubricate the affected knee and wrap it in several layers of toilet paper. Mustard plaster soaked in hot water is placed on top. After this, the limb is wrapped in cellophane and a down scarf. A person must spend the night in this state. The next morning he will experience significant improvements.
You can also use compresses. If the pain is severe, then you need to mix lilac flowers, chestnut leaves and dandelion in equal proportions. The mixture is placed in a glass jar and filled with vodka. After this, the liquid should be covered with a lid and stored in a cool, warm place for two weeks. After this time, you need to soak cotton wool or cotton cloth in the infusion and apply it to the diseased part of the body. Cling film and a warm scarf are placed on top. The compress is done at night. As a rule, only two procedures are enough for the patient to feel a significant improvement in his condition.
First aid
If mild pain occurs when walking, then only a short rest is often enough to eliminate it. To get rid of moderate or severe pain, you can take one tablet of any non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) - Nise, Ketorol, Ibuprofen. Voltaren, Fastum, Bystrumgel ointments also cope well with discomfort in the knee. Cold and heat should not be used as first aid until the cause of joint pain is determined. This can trigger muscle spasms or increase inflammation.
Features of the use of natural remedies
In addition to the basic treatment of the knee joint, experts allow the use of herbs. However, when resorting to such recipes, you should always remember that even the most harmless products can cause an allergic reaction. In addition, under no circumstances should you take herbs for longer than the specified period. Such funds have a cumulative property. If the content of certain components in the body is exceeded, this can lead to intoxication.
Elderly people should be especially careful with herbs. Today you can find a huge number of recipes using poisonous herbs. In addition, procedures that involve heating the diseased area are not always allowed. If inflammatory processes occur in the human body, then such manipulations can only aggravate the situation. Therefore, traditional medicine should be used very carefully and only after consulting a doctor.
Prevention measures
To prevent joint diseases, doctors recommend controlling body weight, not subjecting your knees to increased stress, and quitting smoking. Athletes need to use knee pads and bandages during training, and additionally take chondroprotectors and balanced complexes of vitamins and microelements. And people who lead a sedentary lifestyle should engage in physical therapy and gymnastics daily.