Legs are those limbs that are constantly subjected to various loads. For this reason, they often get injured. A very common manifestation of discomfort in the legs is pain in front above the knee. If the leg hurts in this area, what is the reason? Many believe that this symptom appears due to ordinary fatigue, but soreness can also be a signal of the development or presence of some serious illness. Let's take a closer look at this.
Possible causes
If the leg hurts in front above the knee, what can it mean? Many people on the planet have experienced a similar problem, and most of them attribute this to changes in the weather. For some, this discomfort appears after physical exertion or severe stress. But what will be the true reasons if the leg hurts in front above the knee? These include:
- Arthrosis. The main manifestation of this disease is the appearance of severe pain, which is localized in the area from the hip to the knee. The mobility of the joints is limited, for example, the person can no longer press the knee to the chest. Any movement entails a deaf crunch in the joints.
- Necrosis. Another possible cause of pain in the front of the leg is necrosis of the femoral head. Does the leg hurt in front above the knee, mainly at night? This is the main symptom.
- Pathology of the spine. Osteochondrosis or vertebral hernia manifest itself in the form of periodic pain of a pulling nature. Sometimes there is a feeling of pain, which is localized in the shoulder joint.
- Polymyalgia rheumatica. Most often, this pathology occurs after a viral illness. The body temperature rises, and there are also painful sensations that are localized above the knee.
To find out the main reason why the legs are pulling, soreness appears in them, you must immediately pay attention to the symptom. In this case, the specialist must conduct a diagnosis of the body. In most cases, such soreness is only a concomitant symptom. To get rid of pain, it is necessary to identify the cause, and then eliminate it. Even if you just have aching legs, but often, you need to see a doctor.
Other possible causes
Very often the cause of pain is a disturbed hormonal background. Speaking about why pulling legs with hormonal imbalance,we can conclude that this occurs in chronic diseases, when the body lacks vitamins and minerals. With myositis, muscles become inflamed, and not only pain above the knee is observed, but swelling also appears.
Views
We continue to consider why the legs hurt and ache. In general, the nature of pain is divided into several varieties, and each of them will talk about a specific ailment or pathology. Consider them:
- Sudden pain that is localized above the knee. This is the first sign of injury.
- If the muscles of the legs above the knees in front hurt, while the pain is aching, then this indicates the development of an inflammatory process. It often occurs with arthrosis.
- Severe soreness indicates a pinched nerve, possible fracture.
- If the leg constantly hurts in front above the knee, the reason may lie in the spasm of the muscle that is nearby.
- Pulsating pain most often occurs in case of vascular disorders.
- Pulling accompanies many pathologies.
Consequences
If the leg hurts in front above the knee after physical exertion, especially for those people who have just started going to the gym, then this is an absolute norm. But if this happens constantly, then you need to see a doctor. Otherwise, ignoring this symptom can cause serious consequences, for example:
- In the case of arthrosis, the joint can be completely immobilized, because as a result of inflammation, themicrocirculation. Therefore, the main task of a specialist in such a situation will be to remove puffiness. If conservative methods of therapy do not help, then specialists correct this problem with a surgical method.
- As for necrosis: if diagnosed while the disease is still at its initial stage of development, serious consequences can be avoided. In this case, the age of the patient will be of great importance, because the younger he is, the more chances he has for a successful recovery. But if the disease begins to progress, then the patient's quality of life will deteriorate significantly, as a result of which he may even become disabled. That is why in no case should you ignore if your leg hurts in front above the knee. Treatment methods prescribed by a doctor will help to avoid serious consequences.
- As a rule, pathologies of the spine never go away for the body without any complications. Due to constant soreness, a person often drinks painkillers, and this negatively affects the condition of the stomach and liver. In most cases, such diseases require surgical intervention.
It hurts the leg in front above the knee - what to do?
First of all, severe soreness, which is localized above the knee, is treated conservatively. To do this, doctors prescribe physiotherapy exercises, manual therapy, physical procedures, as well as other manipulations. In no case should you self-medicate, using differentointments, because not every disease is allowed to warm the skin. In some cases, this can cause serious consequences for the he alth of the patient.
Which doctor should I contact?
Many people ask: when the leg hurts in front above the knee, which doctor should I contact? It is best to consult a neurologist for help. But if you know for sure that the cause of pain lies in injury, then you will have to go to a traumatologist. If there are no such specialists in your clinic, then go to an appointment with a general practitioner who will then refer you to another doctor. As a rule, the treatment of pain above the knee is handled by an osteopath or rheumatologist.
Which tools to use?
As noted earlier, in no case should you self-medicate. Methods of therapy should be prescribed exclusively by a qualified specialist, after he has carried out a diagnosis of the body, and also made a diagnosis. But if you want to relieve pain yourself at home before visiting the clinic, you can use the following pain relievers for this:
- "Diclofenac". This remedy has the ability to relieve the inflammatory process that occurs in the muscles.
- "Ketonal". This ointment has an analgesic effect, can block nerve receptors in the muscles, resulting in relief.
- "Finalgon". This external ointment relieves the inflammatory process, which is localized in the joints.
- "Dolobene". This gel is goodhelps in case of injury.
It should be noted that each of the above external remedies has an excellent analgesic effect, but this is only a temporary measure. To completely get rid of soreness, as well as to cure the disease that provoked these symptoms, it is necessary to undergo a diagnosis, visit a medical facility.
Diagnostic measures
In case of pain that is localized in front above the knee, the specialist will prescribe the following diagnostic examinations to the patient:
- Magnetic resonance imaging.
- Diagnostic laparoscopy.
- X-ray.
When the doctor receives the results of the study, he will prescribe the appropriate method of treatment, which will primarily consist of the use of painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. Such therapy must necessarily be supplemented with physiotherapy exercises, as well as physiotherapeutic procedures. If the disease is already at a more advanced stage, then the specialist may prescribe a surgical intervention for the patient.
Features of therapeutic massage
In order to improve blood circulation and to restore damaged muscles, a special therapeutic massage is prescribed. However, if the patient has been diagnosed with a purulent disease, then such an event will have to be abandoned. Of course, it is not worth it to massage on your own, because it is necessary to massage precisely certain areas, so it is better to entrust this matter to specialists.
Features of food
If soreness above the knee appears due to frequent cramps at night, then you should definitely reconsider your own diet. The menu should be dominated by foods high in protein. In addition, you will have to exclude s alty foods from your daily diet. Experts recommend that with a similar problem, fall asleep on your left side, so you can avoid circulatory disorders in the lower extremities.
Folk remedies
To eliminate pain localized above the knee on the legs, you can apply traditional medicine recipes, because they are very effective. The best ones are:
- Ice pack. With the help of this common remedy, you can relieve soreness, as well as reduce the inflammatory process in the area of \u200b\u200bthe joints. Take 3-5 ice cubes, wrap them with plastic wrap or a thick cloth, and then apply to the problem area for a quarter of an hour. Please note that in no case should the ice be on the leg for more than 15 minutes, as this can cause damage to the skin. This procedure must be repeated several times a day.
- Heat therapy. Take a warm bath for a quarter of an hour, while keeping your feet under running water. After this procedure, the pain goes away. You can also apply a hot heating pad to the sore spot. However, both options are recommended after an accurate diagnosis has been made.
- Mix with milk. To strengthenyour joints and immune system, you can add milk to your diet. To do this, chop the almonds, a little turmeric, walnut, after which you need to mix the ingredients with two glasses of full-fat milk. Mix everything, put on fire. Boil the drink until you see that the mixture has begun to decrease in volume. Ready drink is consumed three times a day. The duration of treatment is from 1 month.
It's very rare for pain above the knee to occur without any reason. However, most often it is the result of physical activity. But to find out the root cause, it is recommended to undergo an examination in the clinic. Self-medication is allowed only after consultation with a qualified doctor.
