Pain in the knee on the side from the outside: causes and what to do. Pain in the knee - causes of pain, symptoms, treatment Inflamed knee from the outside

Pain on the side of the knee can occur unexpectedly - a symptom of the pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Occurs in the elderly, young people, children.

To determine the cause, it is important to have an understanding of the structure of the knee.

Joint anatomy

The joint consists of three bones: femur, tibia, patella. In the lower part are the condyles, covered with cartilage. Cartilage is made up of menisci, located between two bones: the femur and tibia.

Capsules are located in the articular planes of the knee. They produce a joint substance that prevents the erasure of the cartilaginous part. The joint is fixed by ligaments: from the outside and the inside. When carrying weights, finding the body in an upright position, the knee joint is under load.

Possible causes of pain

Pain in the knee joint is provoked by the factors described below. Common causes of lateral knee pain include:

Injuries

Pain on the outside is provoked by a bruise in the side of the leg - a consequence of sprain, rupture of ligaments and menisci.

When the ligaments are damaged, pain occurs on the outer or inner side of the knee, hematoma or swelling. Injuries do not depend on whether a person plays sports or not.

For first aid, provide rest to the victim, cold on the damaged area. Perform an ultrasound or x-ray for an accurate diagnosis, treatment appointment.

The menisci are injured when they hit the side of the leg, with a sharp bend in the knee. Cartilaginous layers can break, move, tear off. The outer meniscus is more likely to be injured. Symptoms of damage are:

pain in the knee from the outside;
increased temperature in the damaged part of the body;
edema;
clicking in the joint when moving.

If symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. In case of untimely treatment, formations appear in the area of the damaged meniscus, degenerating into a cyst. The meniscus ceases to perform its function, leading to arthrosis of the joint.

Inflammatory processes

Inflammatory processes are common causes of knee pain:

Arthrosis

The defeat of the articular cartilage, thinning and collapsing. The causes of occurrence are injuries, knee surgeries, overweight, malnutrition, weakened immunity, birth defects in the part of the joint.

Drives

Inflammation of the knee joint. When it occurs, there is an accumulation of joint fluid in the joint cavity. The cause of the development of gonitis is infections that penetrate through damaged tissues or with blood flow. As a result, the leg hurts in the knee area.

Arthritis

Symptoms of the disease are similar to arthrosis, more often it is chronic. Arthritis occurs as a result of injuries, infectious diseases, and problems with the immune system. Symptoms: the side of the knee swells, pain appears while walking, bending from the outside.

Bursitis

Inflammation of the articular bag. It occurs due to physical exertion, if the side of the leg is prone to injury, after suffering infectious diseases. Bursitis is accompanied by pain in the knee, swelling, redness of the skin, fever above the diseased knee.

Tendinitis

Inflammation of ligaments and tendons. Athletes, children, people over 40 are susceptible to tendinitis. Loads lead to microscopic damage. In the absence of sufficient rest, microtraumas accumulate and lead to degeneration of the tendons, which leads to the development of the disease.

The appearance of tendinitis is a sharp pain in the knee area from the outside, when moving and bending, redness, the side of the knee swells.

flat feet

With flat feet, the knees take on a greater load, as the weight of the body cannot be properly distributed. There are many reasons for flat feet. This is a congenital pathology of the foot, the consequences of rickets, injuries, and a decrease in muscle tone.

It is possible to completely get rid of flat feet in childhood. In adults, it is only possible to slow down the disease with the help of rehabilitation measures.

Osteochondrosis

When the spinal nerve endings are pinched, a process develops that destroys the cartilage of the knee joint and connective tissue. Causes - physical activity, metabolic disorders, hormonal changes.

Methods of treatment

Having identified the causes of pain on the outside of the knee from the side, decide on the choice of treatment. Do not self-medicate, the doctor will determine the cause of knee pain. The prescribed order must be strictly followed.

The doctor will direct you to a series of examinations that will help make an accurate diagnosis with the symptoms described above. Among them, the delivery of a blood test, X-ray, ultrasound examination, puncture, tomography.

The method of treatment depends on the nature of the disease, which are described above. In case of joint injury, the bone is reduced, plaster is applied, and surgical interventions are performed.

With an inflammatory disease, they resort to therapy. This is the appointment of antibiotics, bandaging, removal of bone formations. In severe inflammation, complex treatment is prescribed.

Of the medications, aspirin, diclofenac, paracetamol, ibuprofen are prescribed to relieve inflammation and pain.

Gonarthrosis is treated with intra-articular injections, physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises, massage, as well as local remedies in the form of compresses are prescribed.

To relieve muscle spasm, vasodilators, ointments, and massage are used.

In some cases, physical therapy is prescribed, which helps to slow down the development of the disease and restore joint mobility. A set of exercises is selected by the doctor.

Folk remedies

There are a number of folk remedies that will help reduce pain in the side of the knee. Below are simple recipes:

Prepare an infusion from the cinquefoil. Spoon herbs pour a glass of boiling water and insist. Drink 100 ml twice a day or apply on a sore spot in the form of lotions.
A decoction of oats: pour a glass of cereals with a liter of water and bring to a boil. Decoction insist, drink two glasses a day.
Take equal parts of grated raw potato and horseradish root, mix and apply as a compress for 15 minutes.
Mix equal parts of mustard powder, honey and baking soda and apply as a compress on the sore spot overnight. The leg will stop hurting after the first procedure.
You can reduce discomfort with an ice cube compress.
You can reduce pain from the side of the knee with orange jelly: mix orange juice and diluted gelatin and make jelly. Eat 100 gr. orange jelly three times a day.
If the knee joint hurts on the left, take a warm soda foot bath.
Pour a glass of water bay leaf, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Leave the solution for 3 hours. Wipe the inflamed parts of the knee with the resulting product.
To relieve swelling on a sore knee, the following remedy will help: grind burdock leaves through a meat grinder, mix with vodka and rub the damaged knee with the resulting medicine.

Proper nutrition

In the inflammatory process, exclude animal fats, white bread, sweet foods from the diet. Increase the amount of foods containing vegetable fiber, B vitamins. It is forbidden to drink alcohol.

Drink 2 liters of fluid daily, it is good to drink water before meals. Introduce fish oil, flaxseed oil into the diet. Drink a course of vitamin complexes containing vitamins C, E, PP. Or include foods containing them in your daily diet. These are black currants, rose hips, oranges, apples, cauliflower, nuts, seeds.

Preventive measures

To prevent pain from the side of the knee, reduce the load on the joints, normalize weight, properly distribute work and rest time, take therapeutic measures in case of infectious diseases, use knee protection when playing sports. It is useful to take walks, go swimming, yoga.

Regardless of the nature of the disease, it is important to diagnose and start treatment. Only then you can quickly restore the condition of the joint, avoid unwanted consequences.

Pain in the knee joint is a fairly common manifestation of diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Moreover, not only elderly patients suffer from such pain, but also young people. At the same time, many note that the knee on the side hurts. Among the reasons for this condition are not only diseases of the knee joint itself, but also the pathology of other anatomical zones.

A bit of anatomy

Before finding out what causes knee pain, we should briefly dwell on the anatomy and physiology of this joint. The knee joint, along with the hip joint, is the largest articulation in the human body. The joint has a complex structure - it is formed by the femur, tibia and patella. The articular surface of the femur is represented by two bone formations - the condyles.

The condyles of the femur, the articular surface of the tibia are covered with cartilage. In order for the surfaces of the femur and tibia to correspond as much as possible to each other, they are equipped with menisci. The menisci are located in the lateral sections of the joint, and play the role of gaskets that increase the contact of the articular surfaces and protect the articular cartilage from wear.

The articular cavities of the knee joint are limited by capsules that produce synovial fluid. The joint itself is strengthened by the patellar ligaments, lateral and cruciate ligaments. The knee joint bears the maximum load when walking, carrying weight, maintaining the body in an upright position. Due to the heavy load, our knees are to a large extent subject to various negative changes.

Gonarthrosis

One of these changes is arthrosis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis. With gonarthrosis, dystrophic changes in the articular cartilage occur. The cartilage becomes thinner, then the bone tissue of the tibia and the condyles of the femur is involved in the pathology. When the condyles are affected, the knee often hurts on the side when walking. Among the causes of gonarthrosis:

Overweight
Pathology of the gastrointestinal tract
Endocrine diseases - diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis
Irrational nutrition
Burdened heredity
Weak immunity
Congenital anatomical defects of the knee joint

Drives

Another, no less common pathology is inflammation of the knee joint. Knee arthritis is called gonitis. At the heart of the drive, like any other arthritis, is inflammation of the synovial articular membranes - synovitis. This process leads to the accumulation of joint fluid in the joint cavity, sometimes with an admixture of pus or blood.

At the same time, patients are worried about sharp pain, limitation of movements in the knee. The cause of most gonitis is an infection. Infection can enter the joint directly through damaged tissues during injury. And it can be carried by blood flow from other foci in sepsis. Sometimes the introduction of infection leads to an immunological breakdown and subsequent damage to the articular cartilage. This happens with rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, reactive arthritis.

Injuries

Traumatic injuries are the most common cause of knee pain, especially in young people involved in sports, heavy physical labor. Trauma is not necessarily bone damage. Among the injuries of the knee, the most common injuries of the ligamentous apparatus are ruptures of the lateral, cruciate ligaments. These breaks lead to a sharp soreness, aggravated by bending the knee.

Another common type of knee injury is a torn meniscus. With a strong blow, sometimes when falling, this cartilaginous lining is torn. The detached fragment is freely located in the joint cavity. With the optimal location of the fragment in the articular cavity, the injury may not manifest itself in any way. With strong sharp movements, running, squats, the torn meniscus changes its position, and intense pain immediately begins.

Other reasons

As already mentioned, pain in the knee joint is not necessarily due to damage to the joint. One of the common causes is osteochondrosis of the lumbar spine. With this pathology, due to the displacement of the intervertebral discs, the sensitive roots of the lumbosacral nerve plexus are irritated. In this case, pain from the lower back gives (radiates) to the thigh and knee.

Pain can also radiate from the hip joint when it is inflamed (coxitis). In this case, it often hurts on the outside of the knee. Another cause of knee pain is flat feet. Weak shock-absorbing ability of the foot leads to an increase in the load on the lower limb. Constant muscle tension eventually leads to knee pain. Finally, the vascular component may also be responsible for causing knee pain. Varicose veins of the lower leg are often accompanied by pain. From the vessels, the pain radiates to the knee.

Thus, in order to establish the cause of pain in the knee joint, a complex diagnosis is needed using X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance therapy. And to eliminate pain, treatment should also be complex with the use of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, massage and physiotherapy exercises. And with some types of injuries, for example, with a torn meniscus, surgical intervention is indispensable.

Knee pain is one of the most common symptoms associated with a violation of the musculoskeletal system. Usually people complain of pain in the side of the knee on the outside on the right or left. This symptom may indicate dangerous disorders not only in the knee joint, but also in the body as a whole. In this case, there may be a situation when the joint is swollen, swollen, reddened and makes it difficult to move the entire limb. It is important to identify the cause of pain and take appropriate measures to avoid serious consequences.

In order to prescribe effective treatment, you need to know.

Among the causes of pain in the knee from the outside, there are pathologies associated with disorders in the functional activity of the knee joint, as well as factors not associated with diseases of the knee.

Causes associated with disorders in the knee joint

If there are any pathologies or inflammatory processes in the knee joint, the joint will immediately respond to the changes that have occurred. Pain on the side of the knee from the outside can be caused by the following disorders in the joint:

Arthritis.
Drives.

Rheumatologist Pavel Valeryevich Evdokimenko tells more about the causes of the disease:

Bursitis.
Injury.
Meniscus injury.

Table 1. Pathologies of the knee joint

Pathology	Description
Arthrosis	Joint disease associated with damage to cartilage, which begins to wear out with age. In young people, it can be caused by hereditary factors and excessive physical exertion. The disease develops slowly, the patient does not even notice any violations. Over time, the symptoms get worse. When bending and unbending the knee, a characteristic sound appears in the joint, and while walking and from the side from the outside. With an advanced form of arthrosis, pain worries the patient even at rest, deformation of the bone tissue affects the person's gait. The pain becomes constant, reduces physical activity. It is important to consult a doctor at the first signs of the disease, when the cartilage tissue is not so thin that it can still be saved. Prolonged inactivity or treatment only with folk remedies will cause complications. Medical intervention is needed.
Arthritis	Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of arthrosis. It affects people regardless of age and is often chronic. The occurrence of arthritis may be due to disorders occurring in the body, it may be a manifestation of other diseases. For example, with rheumatism, so-called rheumatoid arthritis is often diagnosed. If it is necessary to find out its cause and in the course of treatment to eliminate it or reduce the degree of manifestation.
Drives	An inflammatory process that occurs in the knee joint, in which the synovial articular membranes are damaged, and blood or purulent fluid accumulates in the joint cavity. The inflammation causes severe pain on the side of the knee and limits its mobility. The cause of the disease is an infection that enters the joint when tissue damage has occurred (due to injuries), or when there are infectious foci in the body, from which microorganisms move into the joint with the bloodstream.
Bursitis	The inflammatory process takes place in the articular bags of the knee. It can be caused by an infection, excessive exercise, a trauma, or a complication of arthritis. In this case, the pain in the knee increases when pressed, swelling occurs, and the temperature rises. Bursitis begins instantly, there is a sharp pain in the process of movement. The disease is treated both by traditional methods (painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs), and surgically with advanced forms of inflammation.
Injury	The most common cause of knee pain. No one is immune from traumatic injury. Especially vulnerable to injury are young people, athletes and those whose field of activity is associated with heavy physical labor. Pain syndrome can occur not only as a result of bone damage, but also in connection with a bruise, sprain,. In this case, the site of damage is accompanied not only by soreness, but also by the appearance of swelling and hematoma. Joint mobility is limited. If the internal lateral ligament is damaged, then the knee will hurt on the side from the outside. In case of minor damage, the doctor will prescribe conservative treatment, including splinting, fixation with an elastic bandage, and resting the injured leg. Torn ligaments often require surgery.
meniscus injury	The meniscus is the most vulnerable part of the knee joint and is most often damaged. The inflammatory process is accompanied by pain in the knee on the side from the outside during the descent, while the most common staircase can become a problem for the patient. The appearance of edema and redness, an increase in local temperature is characteristic. Each movement of the leg is accompanied by a kind of clicking in the knee. Treatment is prescribed depending on the nature of the damage. If the meniscus is completely torn off, an operation is required and its removal. If the damage is less significant, traditional methods of treatment can be dispensed with: Drug therapy to relieve pain and swelling, normalize temperature. Physiotherapy procedures. Therapeutic gymnastics. The recovery period is quite long and lasts from several weeks to several months. After the rehabilitation course, it is necessary to follow the doctor's recommendations: limit physical activity, do not make sudden movements, and perform special gymnastic exercises. Late treatment or refusal of medical care can cause serious complications, up to the formation of erosions, cracks, cysts.

Causes not related to knee diseases

Pain on the outside of the knee does not always indicate a disorder in the knee joint. Often, pain is a complication of a disease or a consequence of an existing pathology in the body. The knee joint may be disturbed due to the following diseases:

Osteochondrosis.
Flat feet.
Tendinitis.

Therapist Elena Vasilievna Malysheva and her colleagues understand the causes, signs and treatment of flat feet:

Table 2. Other pathologies that caused pain in the knee joint

Pathology	Characteristic
Osteochondrosis	A disease of the spine is caused by a displacement of the intervertebral discs, as a result of which sensitive roots are irritated. In this case, the destruction of the connective and cartilaginous tissue of the joint occurs. . The disease affects not only the elderly, more and more often osteochondrosis of the spine is diagnosed at a younger age.
flat feet	With the normal structure of the foot, the weight of the human body is evenly distributed over the foot. If the foot is flat, these proportions are violated. The knees bear a significant part of the load, as a result of which pain can appear on the side of the knee. This is especially evident in overweight people and in women during pregnancy. To alleviate the condition, the patient is advised to wear comfortable shoes that support the arch of the foot.
Varicose veins of the leg	With varicose veins, the patient feels, above and directly in the joint area
Tendinitis	Inflammatory process affecting tendons and ligaments. It occurs as a result of injury, infection, or pathologies of tendon development. In this case, there is pain in the muscles, swelling. It is difficult for the patient to climb stairs and even get up from a chair. It is possible to determine the disease by taking a blood test and x-ray examination

Diagnostics

In a preliminary conversation with the patient, the doctor finds out when pain symptoms appeared in the outer part of the side of the knee; what preceded the pain syndrome; whether there were previously diseases associated with impaired functional activity of the joints and spine; What chronic diseases does the patient have? Having compiled a clinical picture and having studied the history of the disease, the doctor must determine the cause of the pain in order to prescribe the correct treatment regimen.

Diagnostic procedure - arthroscopy

In order to determine the root cause of knee pain, a comprehensive diagnosis is required. The knee joint has a complex structure and even an experienced specialist cannot always determine which part of the joint is damaged. There are several diagnostic methods that differ in duration, accuracy, and cost.

If the patient complains of pain in the knee from the outside, after a visual examination by a doctor, he may be prescribed one of the following procedures:

Table 3. Diagnostics

Features of treatment

To eliminate discomfort and get rid of pain in the knee from the outside, a doctor will help, who, based on the patient's complaints and the results of the diagnostics, will prescribe a suitable course of treatment. Self-medication and self-selection of medicines is strictly prohibited. Folk remedies can only temporarily relieve pain. After a while, the pain will return again, and perhaps with much greater intensity.

It is important to eliminate the cause of the disease, which is hardly possible without qualified medical care.

Treatment should be complex, combine various methods and techniques. As therapeutic methods, a doctor may prescribe the following:

Therapeutic gymnastics and massage.
Physiotherapy procedures.
Drug therapy, which includes taking antibacterial (Cefuroxime, Cefotaxime), anti-inflammatory (Dikloberl, Ketoprofen, Naklofen), painkillers (Dexalgin, Nalgezin) drugs.

In each case, the treatment is selected individually, depending on the cause of the pain, its localization, and also takes into account the general condition of the patient's body, its individual characteristics, in particular drug intolerance and the presence of concomitant diseases.

Depending on the cause of the disturbing pain in the knee area, the following procedures are performed:

In case of injury, first aid should be provided: immobilization of the limb and finding it at rest, applying ice to the place of pain.
In case of damage to the meniscus, conservative treatment with medications (for a tear or pinching of the meniscus) or surgery (for a torn meniscus) can be used.

Cooling the injury site with ice

Do not neglect medical help if you experience pain in the knee area. Regardless of the degree of damage, timely drug therapy is required. By eliminating the source of pain, you return life and movement to your joints.

Pain in the knee area is a common phenomenon, familiar to both children and adolescents, and the older generation. The knee joint is forced to withstand the weight of the human body, and when playing sports and an active lifestyle - to experience increased loads. Pain in the joint is caused by various reasons, the clarification of which requires knowledge of its anatomical structure.

In the knee, large bones are connected by ligaments and tendons, placed in an articular bag with many vessels and nerves. Between them are interarticular cartilages - menisci, due to which the joint is able to move freely when flexed. Cartilage is lubricated with the help of joint fluid, which is in special sacs (bursae). This design has good shock-absorbing properties.

Pain classification

Pain that occurs in the knee for no apparent reason or periodically makes itself felt indicates certain problems, the diagnosis of which begins with determining the nature of the pain. In the presence of identical symptoms, the nature of the pain will help to find out the cause of the disease.

It hurts in the cup, under it and on top:

At rest

Tendinitis. It occurs when tendons are damaged, with prolonged heavy stress, injuries, infections, rheumatic diseases, allergies to certain drugs, and also due to certain anatomical features, weakened or improperly developed tendons, and posture disorders. It is characterized by persistent long-term pain, sometimes sudden, but more often increasing along with inflammation.

Meniscus injury. Its rupture is often difficult to diagnose and occurs both as a longitudinal lesion and from the inside to the outside. Sometimes the cartilage is torn off or crushed by the bones of the joint. The injury is accompanied by hemarthrosis and the inability to straighten the leg at the knee when flexing. If the rupture process occurs gradually, then there is a pulling pain and slight swelling. Often, hemarthrosis resolves within a week, and the person does not resort to medical help, but periodically repeated infringement causes deforming arthrosis, in which the removal of the meniscus is ineffective.

Ask your question to a neurologist for free

Irina Martynova. Graduated from the Voronezh State Medical University. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical intern and neurologist of BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".

Expert opinion

Astafiev Igor Valentinovich

Neurologist - City Pokrovskaya Hospital. Education: Volgograd State Medical University, Volgograd. Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after A.I. HM. Berbekova, Nalchik.

If an injury is suspected or an appeal to a traumatologist, an x-ray of the knee joint is mandatory, since this type of injury is often associated with intra-articular fractures.

In move

Bursitis. Occurs with inflammation of the articular bag and manifests itself in swelling and redness of the knee, sensitivity and pain above the knee, limited flexion. The chronic form of the disease is dangerous due to the occurrence of adhesions that are removed only with the help of surgery.

The cause of the pathology is an increased load or damage, accompanied by tension of the patellar ligament. It often occurs in adolescent athletes from 13 to 15 years of age. It manifests itself in the form of pain and swelling in the region of the tuberosity of the tibia.

iliotibial tract syndrome

It manifests itself in the form of pain on the outer surface of the knee from above due to inflammation of the place of attachment of the tibia. The tract is not activated when the leg is flexed, but acts as a stabilizer to prevent inward rotation of the limb.

Constantly

Ligament injuries. Occur after injuries and falls. Rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament is characterized by a crunch in the knee area, followed by severe pain, swelling, hemarthrosis, and limited movement during flexion. As a rule, one knee suffers - left or right. With a complete break, stability disappears, the knee loses its ability to support body weight and takes on an unnatural position.

Knee Expansion. With this pathology, there is an expansion of the knee and its flexion in the opposite direction. Accompanied by edema and dangerously torn ligaments.

Septic or rheumatic. Causes deformation of the joint, in which there is a persistent malaise, fever and stiffness of movements.

. Its appearance is associated with age, while the cartilage loses its elasticity, the joint ceases to function normally and hurts with varying intensity.

It is characterized by a sudden increase in pain, hyperemia, signs of edema with bright red skin above the knee. The pain is often unbearable on bending, and unbearable on any touch. The condition can last from several hours to 5-10 days, after which the symptoms subside. It is caused by a violation of metabolic processes, due to which there is an excessive concentration of uric acid in the blood.

Left or Right

Displacement of the patella, which departs to the outer side of the articulation in a position perpendicular to the natural state, which causes difficulty in extending the leg and is characterized by severe edema.

Chondromalacia patella- a condition characterized by pain in the center of the knee, to the left or right of it, and which is the result of a violation of the structure of the cartilage - it softens and loses its physiological elasticity. Often this type of pathology occurs in professional athletes or with congenital features of the body - a high position of the patella or weakness of the ligamentous apparatus.

Diagnostics

There are many causes of knee pain, and at the first manifestations of it, you should consult a doctor. For a correct diagnosis detailed information about the localization of pain will be required. After determining the nature of the pain, the doctor may resort to to the following diagnostic measures:

X-ray. The main research method for pain in the knee. It reveals specific changes that characterize a particular disease - deformities, fractures, cracks, dislocations, ruptures and damage to the ligaments, the presence of cysts, arthritis and arthrosis, osteoporosis and other changes in the knee joint.
CT scan. Allows you to establish arthritis, oncological diseases, arthrosis, the state of the joint space and the characteristics of knee injuries.
Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). It allows you to accurately examine the bone tissue for tumors, bruises, fractures and the presence of infection, to show defects in cartilage, ligaments and tendons.
Blood analysis, which includes the following studies:

General analysis, which reveals leukocytosis, elevated ESR in the case of rheumatoid arthritis or Bechterew's disease, possible anemia.
Biochemical, revealing an increase in the level of uric acid in gout.

Joint puncture. It is carried out by inserting a needle into the joint cavity and extracting a small amount of exudate to examine for transparency, protein content and blood cells, specific microorganisms.

Treatment

Regardless of the cause of knee pain, you need to immediately reduce the load on it. In most cases, with acute pain, the patient is recommended bed rest, and the use of a cane or crutches and orthopedic shoes. Often the problem is solved with the help of conservative treatment, which performs the task of relieving pain and eliminating swelling during acute manifestations of the disease, after which they restore the stability and mobility of the joint.

Conservative methods of treatment involve the use of the following methods:

Medication, in which the following groups of drugs are used:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics, which with severe pain, which ensures long-term elimination of discomfort and preservation of joint functions. If the pain manifests itself when bending, applications and local remedies are used together.
. They are introduced inside the knee in order to restore the elasticity and integrity of the meniscus.

Physiotherapy

Regardless of the cause of the pathology in the knee joint, physiotherapy is an integral part of complex treatment and provides the following therapeutic effects:

Regenerating;
Anti-inflammatory;
Anesthetic;
Improves and normalizes blood circulation in the affected area.

For this apply:

Phonophoresis and ultrasound treatment;
electrophoresis;
Laser and magneto-laser impact;
UHF treatment;
Magnetotherapy.

When is surgery necessary?

Treatment of the knee with the method of surgical intervention is carried out after injuries, the consequences of which cannot be eliminated by medication, or after ineffective conservative methods. As a rule, this is necessary in the third stage of osteoarthritis with the following indications:

Signs that you urgently need to see a doctor

At the first sign of discomfort or pain in the knee, you need to take the load off your legs and give them more time to rest. But certain types of pain indicate pathologies or injuries of the knee that require medical attention. A doctor should be contacted immediately in the following cases:

If there is pain when bending the knee or if it does not allow stepping on the foot.
When a tumor of the joint is detected.
With joint deformity.
When your knee hurts all the time.
With pain, redness and swelling in the knee area with the presence of fever, which indicates the infectious nature of the pathology.

Who is prone to joint pain?

The main risk factors and causes of damage and disease of the knee include the following:

Age. For each age category of people, the occurrence of certain pathologies in the knee joint is characteristic: for adolescence, these are tendonitis and Osgood-Schlatter disease, and for older people, gout and osteoporosis are characteristic.
Body weight Exceeding the norm, increases the pressure on the knee joint when bending or moving in a standing position, which causes problems with cartilage tissue and various deformities to the left or right of the patella.
heavy loads. Any activity that requires regular tension of the muscles around the knee ligaments can cause excessive stress, to which the body will react painfully. This can cause illness only in case of insufficient rest.
Passive lifestyle. It causes congestion in the joint and weakening of the ligaments and muscles, which, in turn, lead to the risk of injury and the occurrence of knee diseases associated with metabolic disorders.
Diseases of the spine in which gait is disturbed. The knee joint receives unnatural loads and hurts, which provokes injuries and the development of pathologies. A similar negative effect is observed when wearing uncomfortable shoes that do not support the foot well.
Old knee injuries. Increase the risk of re-injury.

According to the statements of traumatologists, of all the joints of the human body, none brings such severe suffering as with problems in the knee joint. This should motivate to especially careful attitude to this part of the body. It is necessary to take into account all the risk factors that lead to problems in the knee, and in case of injury or pain, immediately consult a doctor, which guarantees a shorter and more costly treatment.

Pain on the side of the knee can occur unexpectedly - a symptom of the pathology of the musculoskeletal system. Occurs in the elderly, young people, children.

To determine the cause, it is important to have an understanding of the structure of the knee.

The joint consists of three bones: femur, tibia, patella. In the lower part are the condyles, covered with cartilage. Cartilage is made up of menisci, located between two bones: the femur and tibia.

Possible causes of pain

Pain in the knee joint is provoked by the factors described below. Common causes of lateral knee pain include:

Injuries

Pain on the outside is provoked by a bruise in the side of the leg - a consequence of sprain, rupture of ligaments and menisci.

When the ligaments are damaged, pain occurs on the outer or inner side of the knee, hematoma or swelling. Injuries do not depend on whether a person plays sports or not.

For first aid, provide rest to the victim, cold on the damaged area. Perform an ultrasound or x-ray for an accurate diagnosis, treatment appointment.

pain in the knee from the outside;
increased temperature in the damaged part of the body;
edema;
clicking in the joint when moving.

If symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor. In case of untimely treatment, formations appear in the area of the damaged meniscus, degenerating into a cyst. The meniscus ceases to perform its function, leading to arthrosis of the joint.

Inflammatory processes

Inflammatory processes are common causes of knee pain:

Arthrosis

Drives

Inflammation of the knee joint. When it occurs, there is an accumulation of joint fluid in the joint cavity. The cause of the development of gonitis is infection that penetrates through damaged tissues or through the bloodstream. As a result, the leg hurts in the knee area.

Arthritis

Bursitis

Tendinitis

The appearance of tendinitis is a sharp pain in the knee area from the outside, when moving and bending, redness, the side of the knee swells.

flat feet

It is possible to completely get rid of flat feet in childhood. In adults, it is only possible to slow down the disease with the help of rehabilitation measures.

Osteochondrosis

When the spinal nerve endings are pinched, a process develops that destroys the cartilage of the knee joint and connective tissue. Causes - physical activity, metabolic disorders, hormonal changes.

Methods of treatment

The method of treatment depends on the nature of the disease, which are described above. In case of joint injury, the bone is reduced, plaster is applied, and surgical interventions are performed.

With an inflammatory disease, they resort to therapy. This is the appointment of antibiotics, bandaging, removal of bone formations. In severe inflammation, complex treatment is prescribed.

Of the medications, aspirin, diclofenac, paracetamol, ibuprofen are prescribed to relieve inflammation and pain.

Gonarthrosis is treated with intra-articular injections, physiotherapy, physiotherapy exercises, massage, as well as local remedies in the form of compresses are prescribed.

To relieve muscle spasm, vasodilators, ointments, and massage are used.

In some cases, physical therapy is prescribed, which helps to slow down the development of the disease and restore joint mobility. A set of exercises is selected by the doctor.

Folk remedies

There are a number of folk remedies that will help reduce the side. Below are simple recipes:

Prepare an infusion from the cinquefoil. Spoon herbs pour a glass of boiling water and insist. Drink 100 ml twice a day or apply on a sore spot in the form of lotions.
A decoction of oats: pour a glass of cereals with a liter of water and bring to a boil. Decoction insist, drink two glasses a day.
Take equal parts of grated raw potato and horseradish root, mix and apply as a compress for 15 minutes.
Mix equal parts of mustard powder, honey and baking soda and apply as a compress on the sore spot overnight. The leg will stop hurting after the first procedure.
You can reduce discomfort with an ice cube compress.
You can reduce pain from the side of the knee with orange jelly: mix orange juice and diluted gelatin and make jelly. Eat 100 gr. orange jelly three times a day.
If the knee joint hurts on the left, take a warm soda foot bath.
Pour a glass of water bay leaf, bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Leave the solution for 3 hours. Wipe the inflamed parts of the knee with the resulting product.
The following remedy will help to remove it: grind burdock leaves through a meat grinder, mix with vodka and rub the injured knee with the resulting medicine.

Proper nutrition

In the inflammatory process, exclude animal fats, white bread, sweet foods from the diet. Increase the amount of foods containing vegetable fiber, B vitamins. It is forbidden to drink alcohol.

Preventive measures

To prevent pain from the side of the knee, reduce the load on the joints, normalize weight, properly distribute work and rest time, take therapeutic measures when infectious diseases appear, use knee protection when playing sports. It is useful to take walks, go swimming, yoga.

Regardless of the nature of the disease, it is important to diagnose and start treatment. Only then you can quickly restore the condition of the joint, avoid unwanted consequences.