What is knee bursitis? This is an inflammatory process that covers different parts of the knee. Pathology may affect one or more joint cavities, depending on the site of friction and pressure. Both adults and children can be affected by the disease. But why this happens and how to treat knee bursitis at home, we will understand below. This information can be useful to everyone.
What is knee bursitis
Bursa is a periarticular sac that plays an extremely important role in the functioning of the joint. It is she who isolates the joint and protects it from harmful effects. There are several such structures within the knee. Due to them, the cartilages, despite the constant friction between themselves, do not wear out for a long time, and the mutual pressure between the bones does not lead to injuries.
If one of these bags becomes inflamed for some reason, exudate accumulates in the joint - a special fluid that contains blood and various bacteria. What is knee bursitis? Patients with suchdiagnosis are frequent clinicians.
Knee bursitis most often occurs in people who spend all day on their feet. These are usually workers in the service sector, for example, waiters, hairdressers, sellers, cleaners. Often, pathology occurs among athletes, especially those who incorrectly distribute the load on the muscles of the legs. In children, bursitis often occurs due to a deficiency of vitamins D, C and serious damage.
Whether it is possible to get rid of the problem with the help of medicines and whether an operation is necessary depends on the form and neglect of the disease.
Causes of disease
The most common factors leading to the development of the problem are all kinds of injuries: bruises, cuts, cracks, sprains. In this case, it is possible to develop both bursitis and synovitis of the knee joint - inflammation of the synovial membrane, which occurs with a similar clinical picture.
In addition to injuries, the disease can appear for other reasons:
- arthrosis, arthritis;
- lupus erythematosus;
- rheumatism;
- strong squeezing of the joint;
- prolonged exercise;
- infection of other parts of the body;
- gout;
- avitaminosis;
- allergic reaction;
- psoriasis;
- severe poisoning;
- failures in metabolic processes, s alt deposition;
- hormonal disorders, especially in women during menopause.
Among other things, knee bursitis can occur in people who lead an active lifestyle without rest.
Disease types
Doctors divide bursitis into several types, depending on the location.
- Anterior - inflammation covers the area above the kneecap. It is this type that occurs most often. The main reason for this pathology is damage to the knee.
- Popliteal - in this case, the articular bag located under the knee becomes inflamed. The problem appears with damage to the tendons and sprains. Popliteal bursitis is common among athletes who train too often.
- Goose - the posterior articular bag and the knee fossa are involved in the inflammatory process. The disease appears with increased stress on the knee in overweight people, especially in women.
Depending on the type of inflammatory fluid that forms in the area of the damaged bursa, the pathology is divided by physicians into several types:
- purulent - occurs due to the addition of a secondary infection;
- serous - appears against the background of other diseases;
- hemorrhagic - characterized by the presence of clots in the fluid.
By the nature of the flow of bursitis can be:
- subacute;
- spicy;
- recurrent;
- chronic.
The last form of the disease can develop completely asymptomatic against the background of arthrosis or arthritis. The acute form of bursitis arises due to mechanicalinjuries and is accompanied by severe, unbearable pain when extending and bending the knee.
Disease symptoms
Photos with symptoms of knee bursitis allow you to visually determine the presence of pathology. As you can see, visually, the defect manifests itself only as redness and swelling. But internal symptoms can vary significantly.
You can see the external manifestations of the disease on the proposed photos. Symptoms and treatment of knee bursitis are interrelated concepts. Therapy begins precisely with the elimination of external and internal signs.
With a chronic disease, pronounced symptoms are practically absent. Minor pain can overtake a person only after physical exertion or a long walk. But during the period of exacerbation, the clinical picture suddenly changes: the volume of exudate in the inflamed sac increases, swelling and redness occur.
Gradually, the synovial membrane of the sac becomes dense, cysts form inside, as a result of which it becomes difficult for a person to unbend and bend the knee. With this form, bursitis does not require surgical intervention.
How is it different from synovitis? Remember: with bursitis, only the damaged area swells, while the swelling itself can be quite insignificant and not cause much discomfort. But with synovitis, the symptoms are more pronounced: the entire joint swells up to the soft tissues. The swelling quickly increases in size, although it does not cause severe pain. Bursitis and synovitis of the knee joint are very similar pathologies and it is very difficult for an ordinary person to distinguish them. But a specialist can easily identify the differences.
In the acute form, other symptoms of knee bursitis appear (pictured). Treatment in this case should be immediate, because the clinical picture is intensified at times.
The patient is faced with the following manifestations of the disease:
- pain in the inflamed area, worse at night;
- painful swelling;
- increased body temperature.
Pain can radiate to the area of the foot, lower leg and even the hip joint. In such a situation, treatment should be started as early as possible. Indeed, due to untimely therapy, the pathology can become chronic.
In subacute course, the disease is characterized by the occurrence of reverse symptoms. This clinical picture appears during treatment.
Against the background of serous and purulent bursitis, symptoms of intoxication may additionally occur:
- strong weakness;
- nausea;
- chill;
- migraine;
- not feeling well;
- fever;
- lack of appetite.
In this case, the patient needs urgent treatment.
The photo shows the symptoms of knee bursitis - if they are found, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Diagnosis
In this case, the orthopedist, traumatologist and therapist are engaged in determining the diagnosis. To get started, a specialistcollects all necessary anamnesis and examines the patient.
Then the doctor prescribes a set of examinations to the patient, which includes:
- radiography;
- blood test;
- ultrasound;
- MRI.
To determine the form of bursitis, a specialist may prescribe a puncture to the patient.
To accurately confirm the proposed diagnosis and differential diagnosis of knee bursitis with synovitis, osteomyelitis and arthrosis, CT arthrography of the damaged area is recommended. Such a study provides a complete clinical picture of the disease, unlike conventional ultrasound and x-rays.
Sometimes, to detect bursitis, the doctor sends the patient to other narrow specialists - an immunologist or an endocrinologist. After all the examinations, the doctor chooses the appropriate treatment tactics.
What is dangerous pathology
During the diagnosis, doctors always determine the type of bursitis in order to understand what a person should expect in the future and how to prevent the development of dangerous complications.
- In the serous form of the disease, patients suffer from swelling and pain, but there is no risk of damage to nearby tissues. The best solution in such a situation would be drug treatment.
- Purulent bursitis of the knee joint provokes general malaise and fever. The inflammatory process in this case is fraught with rupture of the bursa, followed by infection of the entire joint. cope without antibioticssuch a disease is impossible.
- With the calcareous form, deviations in metabolic processes lead to saturation of the synovial fluid with calcium. Deposits will gradually cause the development of inflammation and will interfere with movement. If the medicines are ineffective, it will be necessary to eliminate the lime formation through small incisions, that is, surgically.
How to cure knee bursitis
Therapy for patients with this diagnosis necessarily involves the implementation of several recommendations:
- minimal mobility and complete rest;
- use of ointments that relieve inflammation and pain;
- glucosamine;
- applying compresses.
In addition, sometimes patients are allowed to use alternative means. But this can be done only after coordinating the prescriptions with the attending physician.
Drug therapy
When the bursa becomes inflamed, the doctor may prescribe oral medications, namely:
- "Ketoprofen";
- "Ibuprofen";
- "Diclofenac".
If the patient has a convulsive syndrome, Diazepam or Baclofen may be prescribed.
If a person feels severe pain that cannot be tolerated, injections of corticosteroids help to relieve the condition. Penicillin preparations are used for effective antibacterial treatment.
In the medical treatment of knee bursitisjoint, steroid hormones are in great demand, which are injected directly into the joint bag. Such drugs effectively eliminate the inflammatory process.
Effective ointments
What is knee bursitis? This is an inflammatory pathology that affects the knee. This disease is usually treatable without surgery. At the same time, ointments that can be found in any pharmacy help perfectly:
- "Camphor ointment";
- "Fastum";
- "Alyzatron";
- "Ointment Vishnevsky";
- "Voltaren";
- "Indovazin";
- "Diclofenac";
- "Ichthyol ointment".
It is only important to know that such ointments cannot be used during exacerbations of the disease.
Alternative Medicine
Treatment of bursitis of the knee joint with folk remedies is allowed only after passing the entire diagnosis. The doctor must determine the exact diagnosis and choose the best treatment tactics. You also need to discuss with him the folk recipes that you are going to use.
Some remedies are actually able to quickly stop pain and relieve swelling. The most effective in this disease are: Kalanchoe, St. John's wort, cabbage, propolis, yarrow and burdock.
Among other things, with a diagnosis of knee bursitis, it is equally important to change your diet. Add as many items to the menu as possiblerich in vitamins E, A, C and zinc.
For the treatment of knee bursitis, folk remedies use herbal medicines intended for oral administration.
- Pour a spoonful of poplar buds with a glass of boiling water, let the liquid brew. Wait until the product has cooled down. Take the medicine should be a tablespoon 3 times a day.
- Pour a spoonful of burdock with a glass of boiling water and let it brew. Strain the product through a cheesecloth or sieve, then start taking 50 ml 3 times a day before meals.
- Pour 0.5 liters of vodka into a spoonful of St. John's wort and leave for 2 weeks. Then pass the product through gauze and take 30 ml three times a day. Before use, you can add a little water to the medicine.
- Pour half a spoonful of willow bark with a glass of boiling water and leave for half an hour. Take this medicine three times a day, 15 ml.
- Melt the floor of the butter package in the microwave or in a water bath, add 10-15 g of propolis to it and mix thoroughly. Take this remedy should be 10 ml 3 times a day.
Using compresses
What are the symptoms of this disease? For the most part, this is soreness, swelling and redness - you can see the characteristic signs in the photos proposed in the article. Treatment of knee bursitis begins precisely with the elimination of these unpleasant symptoms. In this case, special compresses come to the rescue.
- Burdock. The course of treatment involves 20 procedures. It is best to arrange sessions in the evenings. For acute formdiseases, the use of compresses is prohibited. Pour half a spoonful of burdock with a glass of boiling water, put on the stove and cook for 10 minutes. Cool the finished product and pass through a sieve. Soak gauze in the prepared decoction and place it on the affected areas. From above, wrap the knee with a film and something warm, such as a scarf. It will be possible to remove the compress after 2 hours.
- Kalanchoe. The course of treatment is a week. Send a few leaves of the plant for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Then take them out and lightly beat them with a hammer or spoon. Immediately after this, apply the leaves to the painful places, wrap the knee with gauze on top. Remove the compress after 3-4 hours.
- Cabbage. The therapeutic course should last a week. Making such a compress is very simple: beat off a few cabbage leaves with a hammer and attach to the damaged area. Secure with gauze or bandage. After the leaves are completely dry, change them.
- Potatoes. Cut the peeled root crop into thin slices and place them on the inflamed joint. Wrap your knee with foil and a warm scarf. It is advisable to do such compresses every day in the evenings.
- Gold mustache. Squeeze some juice from a fresh plant, add water to it in proportions of 1:1. Soak the gauze in the prepared solution and wrap it around the knee. Secure the compress with a bandage. Such sessions with bursitis are recommended to be done every day for a month.
- Propolis. Mix a glass of vodka with a spoonful of propolis, leave the product to infuse for a week. It is desirable to arrange treatment sessions within a week.
- Sugar. Heat a little refined sugar in a pan, but so that it does not dissolve. Pour hot sand into a cloth bag and secure the heating pad to the injured knee with a bandage or scarf. Leave this compress on all night. It is recommended to repeat the procedure every day.
Relapse Prevention
Treatment of bursitis cannot do without preventive measures.
To prevent the recurrence of the disease, doctors advise you to follow a few simple rules:
- do not stop the prescribed therapy earlier than necessary;
- avoid severe hypothermia of the injured leg;
- constantly monitor physical activity;
- do therapeutic exercises;
- follow doctor's advice.
Conclusion
Bursitis of the knee joint is a disease that can lead to a lot of unpleasant consequences - abscess, osteomyelitis, scarring. So it is impossible to delay his treatment.
In the early stages, doctors prefer to resort to gentle therapies. Most often, the use of special ointments, painkillers and healing compresses is quite enough for successful treatment. Surgery for knee bursitis is used only in advanced severe cases.
