It hurts to straighten the knee: looking for the cause

Author of the article: Victoria Stoyanova, category 2 doctor, head of the laboratory at the diagnostic and treatment center (2015–2016).

Article publication date: 03/15/2013

Article updated date: 05/11/2020

Acute pain always frightens a person. Moreover, if it does not allow you to walk, bend and straighten your leg. What can cause this symptom? What is dangerous about the pathology that caused the pain? How to deal with this? Let's figure it out.

The process of walking involves many joints, including one of the largest – the knees. These joints are complex in terms of functionality; they withstand enormous physical loads every day. But, despite these factors, purely anatomically the knee is a weak joint, prone to injury and degenerative (destructive) processes. If your knee hurts when bending, treatment will depend on the specific cause, which only a specialist can determine. In order not to delay seeing a doctor, you need to know why it is dangerous.

Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis

Why does my knee hurt?

The knee joint is one of the most resilient in our body. However, degenerative processes often begin in it. They occur, for example, due to a genetic predisposition - in those whose relatives have already been treated for osteoarthritis. For many, pain occurs due to external factors - poor lifestyle, bad habits, injuries.

Knee pain during extension often appears after intense physical activity. It progresses especially in older age, when the cartilage tissue wears out on its own. The most common causes that lead to pain during extension are:

intense running;
prolonged carrying of heavy objects;
previous injuries;
bacterial infections;
age-related changes;
genetic predisposition;
poor circulation due to lack of movement;
degenerative-dystrophic changes in arthrosis;
deficiency of synovial fluid in the body;
pinched nerve fibers.

Whatever the cause of pain during extension, knee pads will never hurt

Osteopathic doctors, representatives of alternative medicine, have their own view of knee pain:

Treatment methods

In acute conditions, first aid must be provided correctly. If the leg does not bend after an injury, the injured limb must be provided with complete rest until the ambulance arrives. It is strictly forbidden to try to straighten the joint using physical force. It is also necessary to take the patient to the hospital in case of limited physical activity in combination with elevated body temperature. Main treatment methods:

drug therapy (pain-relieving injections, ointments and compresses, hormonal drugs, injections for inflammation of the knee joint);
physiotherapeutic procedures (acupuncture, electrophoresis and galvanization, magnetic therapy, laser therapy, ozokerite applications, UVT therapy);
therapeutic exercises and massage (improves blood circulation, helps restore mobility);
swimming;
surgical intervention.

Gymnastics can be active or passive (exercises are performed with the help of an external force without the patient’s muscular participation). The second type is more often used when the leg does not bend as a result of injury. During the first period of treatment, bed rest is required. Then the joint must be developed using prescribed physical activity. The course of recovery and rehabilitation is carried out under the supervision of a doctor.

Orthopedic surgeon Andrey Yurievich Sidenkov comments:

In the absence of results from conservative treatment or in advanced pathology, surgical treatment is performed. The choice of the nature of the intervention is made by the doctor based on examinations. Prolonged immobilization of the knee may be necessary, especially if the knee does not bend completely immediately after surgery. In case of serious pathology, an operation such as prosthetics is prescribed - a complete replacement of the joint with an artificial one.

Sometimes the knee does not bend due to overwork or chronic fatigue. As a rule, establishing a sleep and rest routine helps normalize the situation with the knee joint.

What happens when the knee extends

When we perform habitual flexion-extension movements, a huge number of structures are involved - bones, muscles, cartilage, nerve endings, synovial fluid, etc. If the knee cartilage has an integral, undamaged structure, a person does not even notice these movements. If the surface of the cartilage is destroyed, during extension the nerve endings are affected - pain and discomfort appear.

If there is not enough synovial fluid in the body, the cartilage quickly wears out because there is no lubrication between them. Damaged areas form on the surface - the joint ceases to function normally, and every extension movement causes pain.

You can partially replenish collagen reserves, which takes part in the synthesis of synovial fluid, from food products - meat and fish by-products, jellied meat. But this is usually not enough. To restore the functionality of the joint, it is better to insert the Noltrex synovial fluid prosthesis into it and stop the friction.

Does it hurt to straighten your knee? Avoid self-medication with jellied meat and gelatin

Why do knee problems occur?

Knee lock can be true or false. In the first case, there is a real physical barrier, due to which the leg at the knee does not fully extend. A false reason is the absence of physical obstacles in the functioning of the joint, but the presence of pain due to which the leg does not fully extend at the knee. There are often cases when both factors are combined - pain and physical obstacle. This usually happens after injuries accompanied by dislocations and fractures. If there were no injuries to the legs, but the knee does not fully straighten and hurts, we are most likely talking about serious diseases of the musculoskeletal system, including:

arthrosis;
synovial fold syndrome;
amyotrophic sclerosis.

If the legs are difficult to straighten at the knees, but there is no pronounced pain, the reasons can be very diverse. For example, this is often observed in women after prolonged walking in high heels. There are often cases when the knee does not straighten after an injury, and in such a situation it needs to be developed - to restore the mobility of the joints with the help of physical exercises.

Another large group of patients who, for example, experience difficulty in straightening their knee after sitting, need the help of a neurologist, since their problem is related to malfunctions of the nervous system. As paradoxical as it may sound, knee problems often arise when muscle contractions are unbalanced. Causes may include injury, atrophy and myopathy. But usually we are talking about a neurological deficit, for which only a specialized specialist can choose effective treatment.

What diseases can cause pain in the knee when extending?

Sometimes this symptom occurs from fatigue, after active physical activity. But sometimes it accompanies serious pathologies, depending on which the nature of the pain changes:

Osteoarthritis – pain is constant and severe, intensifies with movement. If gonarthrosis is not treated, it can lead to disability.
Arthritis - pain develops gradually, subsides in the morning and becomes more active at night. The disease is chronic inflammatory in nature. It differs from arthrosis in the presence of inflammation.
Bursitis is intense pain, accompanied by stiffness of the knee joint. Inflammation of the knee bursa is also dangerous.
Synovitis is a dull and aching pain that intensifies with flexion and extension. The cause is a pathological accumulation of synovial fluid in the joint.
Osteochondrosis is a sharp pain, accompanied by pain in the back, neck, and other parts of the spine. The disease is accompanied by damage to the spine and intervertebral discs, but is also dangerous for the knees.
Osteoporosis – the pain can be aching and dull, as well as sharp. The reason is pathological fragility of bones.
Scoliosis is always combined with back pain due to the curvature of the spine.

Knee pain occurs due to problems with the spine

Pain in the knee joint: causes

Pain in the knee joint can occur due to the following diseases:

arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis);
damage to the menisci (meniscopathies);
arthritis (joint inflammation);
arthrosis of the hip joint (coxarthrosis);
circulatory disorders of the knee joint;
inflammation of the knee tendons (periarthritis of the crow's foot bursa).

Pain in the knee joint with gonarthrosis

Gonarthrosis accounts for 30 to 40% of cases of pain in the knee joint. Knee arthrosis is most often diagnosed in people over 40-45 years of age. The pathological process can develop in one or both knee joints. At first, the intensity of the pain is mild, and discomfort occurs only after a long walk. As the disease progresses, severe pain in the knee joint is noted, disturbing a person when walking even short distances.

It becomes difficult for the patient to rise from a chair, get up from his haunches, go down and up the stairs. The sore knee does not bother him at rest, at night, except in cases of excessive stress on the knee the day before.

In the following stages of gonarthrosis, pain is supplemented by a crunching sensation in the knee (during walking) and deformation of the joint. This symptomatology becomes more and more pronounced every year.

Pain in the knee joint due to meniscopathy

Meniscopathy (damage to the menisci), along with gonarthrosis, is also a common cause of pain in the knee joint (up to 40% of cases).

The meniscus of the knee can be damaged at any age, equally often in both women and men. Damage to one knee joint is predominantly observed.

Meniscopathy can be classified as an injury, but it can often occur out of the blue. A characteristic feature of damage to the knee menisci, in contrast to gonarthrosis, is a rapid and often quite unexpected development, which is provoked by unsuccessful movement when running, walking, jumping, skiing, etc.

The damage is accompanied by a crunching sensation in the knee, a feeling of acute pain in the knee joint, the intensity of which is so high that the victim cannot move. After a slight easing of the acute pain, which usually occurs after 10-15 minutes, the patient’s ability to move is restored. However, the next day or the day after, the pain intensifies again, and the knee swells greatly. At this stage, the clinical picture of meniscopathy is supplemented by a characteristic hallmark of a pinched meniscus - a puncture in the knee when walking, a feeling of a “driven nail” in the knee, or a possible fracture of the knee when walking.

The duration of the acute period of the disease is, as a rule, from two to three weeks, after which the patient experiences relief. In the absence of proper therapy, the disease becomes chronic. Painful sensations subside, then some circumstances (heavy loads, squats, unsuccessful sudden movements) provoke their reoccurrence.

Meniscopathy, unlike gonarthrosis, is extremely rarely accompanied by deformation of the bones of the knee joint, which can only occur with the development of knee arthrosis associated with damage to the meniscus.

Knee pain due to arthritis

Knee pain is associated with arthritis in 5-10% of cases. This disease is common to people of any age, but most often it begins to develop in youth. The inflammatory process in arthritis can be found in one or both knees.

Damage to the knee joints can be caused not only by arthrosis and meniscopathy, but also by one of the types of arthritis, which can be rheumatoid, reactive, or psoriatic. In addition, arthritis also includes diseases such as gout, ankylosing spondylitis, and articular rheumatism.

Arthritic inflammation of the knee joint is characterized by a rapid onset (within 1-3 days), which is accompanied by obvious swelling and swelling of the knee, as well as increased pain in the affected joint at night. The severity of pain in arthritis can be stronger at rest than during movement, which distinguishes the disease from arthrosis and meniscopathy, which have a similar symptom - pain in the knee joint. Treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs for arthritis can reduce pain and relieve inflammation.

Pain in the knee joint due to coxarthrosis

Coxarthrosis (arthrosis of the hip joint) affects 3 to 7% of people who consult a doctor about pain in the knee joint. The disease manifests itself in the fact that despite maintaining the mobility of the knee and the absence of difficulties with its painless flexion and extension, it is difficult for a patient with coxarthrosis to spread his legs to the sides and rotate his legs “from the hip.”

Pain in the knee joint due to poor circulation

Vascular knee pain associated with poor circulation accounts for 5 to 10% of visits to the doctor regarding knee problems.

Deterioration of blood circulation in the knee joints, accompanied by pain, is familiar to many. As a rule, these uncomfortable sensations first appear in adolescence, since the rate of vascular development during the period of active growth of a child is sometimes much lower than the rate of bone growth.

If vascular pain occurs once, you must be prepared that it will appear throughout your life. However, the degree of their intensity most often decreases after 19-20 years.

Pain due to vascular disorders is usually symmetrical, i.e. their severity in the left and right knees is the same. The occurrence of pain syndrome is associated with changes in weather, changes in air temperature, colds and physical activity. To treat such pain, warming ointments, massages, self-massage (vigorous rubbing of the knees), as well as vasodilator drugs are used. No special treatment is required for these conditions.

Pain in the knee joint due to inflammation of the knee tendons

Approximately 10-15% of cases of knee pain are associated with inflammation of the knee tendons (periarthritis "crow's foot"). Most often, this pathology occurs in women, mainly after 40 years. Pain occurs when walking down stairs and when carrying heavy objects. Walking calmly on a flat surface when the knee joints are inflamed is extremely rarely accompanied by the appearance of pain.

Pain caused by periarthritis does not spread to the entire knee, but is localized only on the inner surfaces of the knees, 3-5 cm below the point of contact of the knees when bringing them together. Periarthritis of the goose bump bursa, unlike arthritis, arthrosis and meniscopathy, is not accompanied by limited mobility of the knee joint. Flexion and extension of the knee are not impaired, there is no deformation or swelling of the knee.

How to treat knee pain during extension

If your knee hurts during straightening movements, first of all, limit your activity and avoid strenuous exercise until the cause is determined. Pay attention to the shoes you wear. Perhaps your feet are tired from too high a heel or platform, and replacing the pair with a new one, with preventative orthopedic insoles, will correct the situation.

If the cause is not so obvious, consult a specialist and undergo diagnostics to determine the cause of the pain. The treatment regimen will be different in each case. For example, for arthrosis, you will be recommended painkillers, physiotherapy, and intra-articular injections to replenish the deficiency of synovial fluid. If the cause is another disease, you will be referred to a specialized specialist who will adjust the prescriptions. In any case, do not ignore this symptom, otherwise you risk losing the most important thing - the joy of free movements!

Prevention

To prevent pathological conditions, you should lead an active lifestyle, get rid of excess weight and bad habits, undergo timely examinations and consult a specialist at the slightest ailment. Complaints “I can’t bend my knee” and “the knee doesn’t bend and is swollen” are a reason for an emergency examination and the appointment of treatment procedures. Since discomfort is caused by completely different diseases, treatment can vary greatly. Therefore, self-prescription of medications, compresses, and injections is unacceptable.

Prolonged neglect of contracture causes persistent stiffness and the development of serious complications. The most serious consequence is disability and complete immobilization of the knee.

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Nutrition

THE PATIENT WILL NEED A BALANCED DIET - BUCKWHEAT AND MEAT

Particular attention should be paid to nutrition for knee diseases. The patient will need a balanced diet. The diet must include greens, fish, and juices (they must be natural, freshly squeezed).

A diet is necessary to stabilize weight if joint pain is caused by metabolic failure. In addition, the body must be provided with the nutrients necessary to restore the ligaments, cartilage, and other structures of the knee.

Be sure to include protein-rich foods in your menu:

Meat, fish (preferably low-fat varieties);
legumes;
cheese, cottage cheese;
buckwheat.

Fresh vegetables and fruits will help saturate the body with carbohydrates. Consumption of vegetable fats is recommended. It is important to provide the body with B vitamins.

Bursitis of the knee joint - symptoms and treatment

Treatment methods for bursitis are divided into conservative (medication, physiotherapeutic treatment) and surgical.

Treatment of bursitis of the knee joint begins with providing rest to the affected joint : fixation with an orthosis or bandage, elimination of the load and full support on the leg.

Next, drug treatment . If the bursitis is of a non-specific and non-autoimmune nature, then the doctor prescribes non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in tablets or injections, for example ibuprofen, movalis, ketorolac, ketoprofen, drugs of the coxib group.

If the patient has contraindications to taking NSAIDs, analgin or paracetamol is prescribed. If pain is severe and there is no effect from analgin and paracetamol, tramadol is prescribed. According to indications, it is possible to prescribe non-steroidal anti-inflammatory ointments to the affected area. If the patient has constantly recurring bursitis, then local injection of glucocorticosteroid drugs, for example diprospan, is possible.

The prescribed treatment lasts 5-7 days. If there is a good effect in the form of a reduction in inflammatory symptoms, physiotherapy is added to treatment. If there is no effect from treatment or it is insufficient, then the drugs are replaced with others of the same group (NSAIDs). When an infection occurs, antibiotics are prescribed .

a puncture is performed under aseptic conditions , both to remove exudate and to administer an anti-inflammatory drug. In the presence of purulent inflammation, a puncture is performed, followed by drainage of the cavity of the bag to ensure a constant outflow of discharge.

With the development of a purulent process, the formation of an abscess or phlegmon, surgical treatment (bursectomy) is prescribed - the abscess is opened under local or general anesthesia. If there is no effect, they resort to excision of the affected bursa [6].

In case of rheumatoid and gouty nature of the disease, treatment of the underlying disease and its local manifestations is carried out. Treatment in this case is prescribed by a rheumatologist.

The difference in the treatment of chronic and acute bursitis is that with chronic bursitis, rest and immobilization are less appropriate, but physiotherapeutic exercises aimed at increasing joint mobility are important.

Traditional treatment

We will describe what to do if your knee hurts due to injury. Ice should be applied to the affected area. The bag of cold is changed every 2 hours. Keep the ice for no longer than 20 minutes. It should first be placed in a cloth to avoid direct contact with the skin. When the pain under the knee when bending is chronic, the load on the joint should be accompanied by a procedure such as wiping a piece of ice around the joint.

If your knee hurts when bending, specialists prescribe painkillers. The following are considered effective:

Naproxen.
Aspirin.
Acetaminophen.
Ibuprofen.

Take medications according to instructions. It is prohibited to exceed the permissible dosage.

A fixing bandage is applied in specific cases. They are determined by the attending physician. Wearing a fixing bandage without a doctor's prescription can worsen the situation and increase the pain syndrome.

When you experience regular pain under the knee when bending, use special. insoles in shoes. Their purpose is to distribute the load on the connection.

Structure of the knee joint

This joint is classified as one of the largest skeletal joints. It is quite complex to operate. This connection is subject to serious physical problems every day. loads. The size of the knee articulation is quite large, but it is considered very weak, taking into account the peculiarities of its structure. The joint is surrounded by muscle fibers of the lower extremities. They provide mobility to the joint and are responsible for the strength of the movements performed. The knee gets very tense.

The knee joint includes 3 bones:

Femoral;
tibia;
patella.

Often injury occurs precisely because of the anatomy. The specific structure of the joint explains the knee’s predisposition to degenerative and inflammatory processes.

Most often, the joints of the knees are bothered by rheumatoid arthritis . Usually, to determine an accurate diagnosis, it is enough to consult a specialist and undergo special diagnostics. The ease of diagnosis is explained by the fact that the connection is easy to inspect and feel. Arthroscopy of the joint and diagnostic puncture are performed without any difficulties.

The knee joint has limited mobility. Bending in one projection is possible. In addition, it is possible to rotate the leg. Bending the knee back is not possible.

Knee problem: what to do?

The reasons why the leg does not straighten at the knee can be different. But in any case, you should not self-medicate. If the situation is not critical, you can postpone your visit to the clinic for a while. But in most cases there is no point in delaying this, because the situation will worsen every hour. Injuries are an absolute reason to see a doctor. It is also worth making an appointment at the clinic if your knee:

swelling or redness;
turned out to be fixed in one position;
hurts while walking.

Insensitivity of the muscles in the area of the kneecap is also a reason to meet with an orthopedist or neurologist.