Pain, discomfort and crunching in the knee when walking can turn any walk into a real challenge. Pain in the knee joint is usually accompanied by fever, chills, and fatigue. Pain syndrome is an alarming signal. If such symptoms appear, you should listen to your own body, because pain is an alarming signal, usually warning of functional impairment and instability of the knee joint. The stability of the knee joint depends on many factors: the condition of the ligaments, tendons and muscles of the joint, as well as the elasticity of the intra-articular cartilage plates - the menisci.
Warm-hot-cold
Most often, the knee of the right or left leg hurts when walking in the case of chronic arthritis, ligamentitis, tendonitis and tendovaginitis.
This is a long-term inflammation of the joint itself, ligaments, tendons or their membranes. Acute processes cause pain all the time. Synovitis and bursitis - intra-articular inflammation - give sharp pain if you bend the knee (there may be discomfort when walking, but when climbing stairs and even in a sitting position, the pain will be stronger). If your knee hurts on the outside or on the inside when walking, the most common cause is injuries to the ligaments, tendons, muscles, or neurological problems.
Assess the outside temperature of the knee. If it is warmer to the touch than the second, non-painful joint, this indicates inflammation. An important sign that will help the doctor determine the disease is an unpleasant sensation inside the knee, as if something is grinding there or the bones are rubbing against each other. The more detailed you describe your knee pain to your doctor, the faster he can help.
Possible causes of knee pain when walking
Acute pain in the inner part of the knee, as well as swelling in the knee joint, are sure signs of meniscus damage. In case of damage to the meniscus, incorrect redistribution of loads in the joint occurs, as a result of which the joint gradually collapses. Advanced meniscopathy leads to destruction of the joint capsule of the knee joint. If, as a result of unsuccessful body movement, you feel a kind of “click” accompanied by sharp pain, this may indicate a meniscus tear, which can lead to disability and long-term treatment. In some cases, partial or complete resection of the meniscus may be indicated.
Another possible cause of pain may be an inflammatory process of the synovial membrane of the knee joint capsule (a type of bursitis). The cause of such inflammation is often mechanical injuries and microcracks.
The accumulation of fluid in the cavity of the knee joint and the associated inflammatory process are also often associated with pain. Such accumulation of intra-articular fluid is accompanied by excruciating pain and difficulty moving.
Damage to the articular tendons of the knee is a closed injury and can occur due to a sharp turn and a fixed position of the foot. If only a few fibers are damaged, the person feels only mild discomfort in the joint. When the ligaments are completely torn, the pain becomes acute, sometimes unbearable. Over time, the pain goes away, but the problem does not end there. By leaving this condition unattended, the patient runs the risk of developing deforming arthrosis of the joint over time.
The inability to step on your leg due to pain is a sure sign of instability of the knee joint. Tendinitis, or “jumper’s knee,” is usually common among those who overdo sports. Due to constant stretching, microtears and cracks occur in the tendon fibers. In this case, the inflammation affects the tendon between the kneecap and the tibia.
Pain in the outer part of the knee occurs due to dystrophic changes in the articular surface, which again leads to permanent inflammation. The source of inflammation is usually localized at the junction of the bone and ligament. It also happens that inflammation covers the entire tendon. In this case, they talk about gonarthrosis.
Knee pain never occurs out of nowhere. As a rule, they are preceded by other symptoms. If knee pain is felt not only during exercise, but also during normal walking, you should consult a specialist. Unpleasant sensations when walking can be a harbinger of arthrosis or rheumatism.
Knee pain can occur due to excess body weight. In this case, you should reduce the load on your joints through diet and moderate physical activity.
Knee pain when climbing stairs can result from inflammation of the bursa under the internal joint space. Knee pain when walking is a sign of knee arthrosis. Against the background of arthrosis, articular cartilage, due to hidden degenerative processes, disintegrates into fibers and becomes thinner. Cartilage tissue loses its shock-absorbing properties and no longer softens the shock of the joint from physical activity.
Knee pain when walking can occur in both adults and children. Primary arthrosis in childhood develops against the background of congenital anatomical defects.
Bring back the flying gait
If your knee hurts severely and it hurts to walk, a doctor should answer the question of how to treat it. If the pain began after an injury, you need to contact a traumatologist, in other cases - a surgeon. Diagnosis must be made quickly and treatment must be started in a timely manner. If you delay it, then acute arthritis is more likely to turn into chronic, which can no longer be completely cured, since the joint tissues will already be destroyed and arthrosis will develop - deformation of the joint tissues.
When the knee hurts when walking, treatment may include both rest and dosed exercise or, more often, physical therapy. It all depends on the diagnosis.
Treatment of the spine and joints includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), physical therapy, and exercise therapy. NSAIDs simultaneously relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Physiotherapy provides ample opportunities for treating joints:
- magnetic therapy - improves blood flow in the joint area and helps with all diseases of the knee joints;
- electrophoresis is a way to deliver medicine to the joint area in an atraumatic way, avoiding the negative effect of the medicine on the body;
- osteopathic methods and manual therapy help restore the correct position of the body and normalize the load on the joints of the legs.
Therapeutic gymnastics, including the use of suspended unloading structures, is used in rehabilitation when the acute period is stopped and there is no severe pain. Rehabilitation is necessary to restore mobility to the legs and consolidate the effect of therapy. For some joint diseases, sanatorium treatment is indicated, which is intensive physiotherapy.
Discomfort in the knee joint: treatment in Stoparthrosis
Comprehensive treatment will help:
- Drug therapy. Includes taking medications: painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, chondroprotectors and glucocorticosteroids. Medicines are prescribed in the form of ointments and gels, tablets and injections.
- Physiotherapy. Relieves residual pain and inflammation, improves blood supply to tissues, enhances their recovery.
- Massage and therapeutic exercises. Helps restore leg mobility, improves blood flow and strengthens.
- If discomfort behind the knee is accompanied by severe pain, the doctor offers the patient blockades and intra-articular injections. They work almost immediately.
Contact your doctor and save yourself from worrying complaints!
Are you experiencing discomfort in your knee when bending? The reason may be a serious illness. A visit to an experienced specialist will help cure it and protect it from complications. The Stoparthrosis clinic is attended by a qualified orthopedic traumatologist. He will conduct an examination, identify the cause and prescribe an effective therapeutic course. Here, diseases of the musculoskeletal system are treated with more than 20 modern methods.
Treat until it hurts
To prevent your knees from hurting when walking for a long time, you need to monitor your weight, protect yourself from injuries and promptly consult a doctor at the first sign of pain.
To avoid microtraumas, for jogging you need to choose a springy surface (not asphalt, but special treadmills or dirt), and select the right shoes. Timely correction of posture and other orthopedic problems will help avoid overloading the knees and keep them healthy.
Monitoring your general health will allow you to detect gout, diabetes, rheumatism in time - diseases that negatively affect the health of the joints, but if treatment is started on time, the health consequences will be minimal.
Heaviness in the legs causes, methods of diagnosis and treatment
It is necessary to distinguish physiological heaviness in the legs from pathological. Discomfort and fatigue of the legs in a healthy person are caused by a sedentary lifestyle, excessive physical activity, obesity, taking certain medications, wearing uncomfortable shoes, stress, emotional distress, and poor ecology.
Discomfort and pain in the legs are caused by various diseases, most often these are pathologies of the lower extremities: atherosclerosis, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis, neuropathy, ischemia, chronic venous insufficiency. Due to poor circulation, peripheral nerves experience oxygen starvation, which will result in swelling of the legs, motor and sensory disorders.
Symptoms of heaviness in the legs may be a manifestation of other diseases. These include:
- Kidney diseases. Chronic renal failure, immunoinflammatory damage to the renal glomeruli, glomerulosclerosis begins with complaints of a feeling of fatigue and heaviness in the limbs, swelling of the legs, and pressure changes.
- Spinal diseases. With osteochondrosis of the lumbosacral region, back pain radiates to the lower extremities; it is difficult for a person to walk, stand up, or sit. As pathology develops, sensitivity in the legs decreases, vegetative-trophic disorders occur, and muscle reflexes are impaired.
- Heart failure, cardiomyopathy, stenosis, occurs with loss of habitual mobility of the lower extremities, changes in the appearance of the joint, and restless legs syndrome. Specific symptoms include pain in the heart area, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and fainting.
- Joint diseases. Arthritis and arthrosis of the lower extremities are characterized by pain when walking, stiffness, swelling, deformation of the foot and fingers. The movements are accompanied by crunching, clicking, the skin over the affected joint is burgundy or red and hot to the touch.
- Blood diseases. Heaviness in the lower extremities, subcutaneous hematomas, bleeding from the nose, kidneys, gums, stomach - signs of hemophilia, anemia, leukemia.
Speaking about the problem of heaviness in the legs, we must take into account flat feet, clubfoot, old age, infections, menopause in women, injuries, burns, postoperative rehabilitation, and diabetes. Heaviness in the legs also occurs during pregnancy due to hormonal changes, under the pressure of excess weight.
Preventing pain in the right knee
To avoid pain in the right knee, it is necessary to limit the load on the leg. For athletes and people engaged in work activities that primarily involve the right knee, supporting orthoses can be selected. Try not to kneel on a hard surface. In addition, you can follow general recommendations:
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight increases the risk of developing arthrosis, so your body weight should be appropriate for your height and age. A healthy weight reduces stress on your knees and reduces the likelihood of joint injuries.
- Wear comfortable shoes. This helps maintain even load on the joints and avoid injury.
- Warm up before physical activity. Don't forget to warm up your muscles before training. Stretching the muscles in the front and back of your thighs reduces tension in the tendons and ultimately reduces stress on your knees.
- Choose the right exercise. When working out at the gym, choose rowing machines or cross-country skis. Such exercises train the muscles well and do not damage the knees.
- Swim or walk. When exercising outside the gym, give preference to swimming or walking.
- Strengthen your muscles. Strengthen the leg muscles that support the knee joint. Be sure to consult an expert if you are planning to engage in weight lifting exercises.
- Maintain adequate physical activity. Decreased physical activity leads to weakened muscles and an increased risk of injury.
Symptoms
Any injury or damage to the knee joint leads to pain and other associated symptoms. The most common signs and symptoms that may accompany knee pain are: redness, warmth, swelling and stiffness of the joint.
Swelling can occur in any part of the body due to the accumulation of fluid in the tissues. If this occurs in the knee area, the enlarged tissues compress the joint and it becomes stiff.
Infectious diseases of the joint often cause crepitus - a crunching sound in the knee. Joint instability can be caused by a fracture, ligament or tendon rupture, or progressive degenerative diseases.
Depending on the cause of your knee problems, the severity and location of the pain may vary.