Pain below the kneecap

Pain under the kneecap

Pain below the kneecap occurs especially in young and physically active people. Most of the complaints make the downhill, climbing stairs, walking, running or getting up from a crouched posture noticeable. In these movements, the stress or the train and the pressure on the patella and the patellar tendon, in which it is embedded, is particularly strong. Often, the symptoms are a result of overuse, which go back after a period of sparing and sports austerity by itself.

However, a doctor should be consulted to determine if there is a patellar or knee disease. Patellar spike syndrome, Osgood-Schlatter's disease, and patellofemoral pain syndrome and bursitis are among the common features of below-knee pain. Depending on the diagnosis, the therapy consists essentially of anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, physiotherapy exercises and analgesics. Surgery may also be necessary if conservative treatment does not alleviate the symptoms.

contents

• Pain under the kneecap
• Causes of pain below the kneecap
• Cause patellar tendon syndrome
• Cause Osgood-Schlatter disease
• Urach Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome
• Pain below the kneecap due to bursitis
• Knee pain from the perspective of naturopathy

Causes of pain below the kneecap

The kneecap is embedded in the knee joint capsule by ligaments, tendons and muscles and lies in front of the knee joint. The flat, disc-shaped, slightly curved and - viewed from the front - triangular, free-running bone slides when moving in a groove on the femur up and down. On the one hand, the patella protects the knee joint, on the other hand it reduces the friction of the four-headed thigh muscle and strengthens its action as a lever.

Pain below the kneecap is often due to impaired knee joint. (Image: psdesign1 / fotolia.com)

Pain below the kneecap (lat. Patella) is often due to a problem of thigh extensor muscle attachment. Those affected often complain about complaints when going downhill or climbing stairs.

Since the function of the patella are influenced by the functions of the thigh straightener, the pelvic and leg static, the vascular and nerve supply from the lower back area as well as the general metabolism, must be used in the diagnosis and treatment of pain on, below or to the side of the kneecap Other complaints such as back pain are taken into account.

Cause patellar tendon syndrome

Patellar tendon syndrome is one of the most common chronic and degenerative diseases of the anterior knee area in athletes. Especially athletics, jumping sports and dancing strain the patellar tendon by particularly strong, jerky pulling forces. Overloading of the patellar tendon deposits lime in the tendinous attachment on the kneecap and causes hardening. In the worst case it can come to tendon tear.

The so-called "jumper's knee", as the Patellaspitzensyndrom is also called, has a similar symptoms as the "tennis elbow" and is felt by those affected as very painful. Often it comes under stress to needlepoint-like, severe pain below the kneecap (in the area of ​​the patella), which usually occur in spurts 15 to 20 minutes long. While the symptoms initially only appear when they are under stress, they can persist in the advanced stage.

For the treatment of the Patellaspitzensyndroms usually pain and anti-inflammatory drugs are administered and made a special bandaging of the knee joint. Shockwave therapy can also be used to treat pain below the kneecap. In the advanced stage, an operative procedure may be necessary in which the patella tendon is loosened or the regeneration process is stimulated.

The so-called Patellaspitzensyndrom is one of the most common congestive disorders in athletes. (Image: Paolese / fotolia.com)

Cause Osgood-Schlatter disease

Another disease that causes knee pain below the patella is Osgood-Schlatter disease. By irritation of the patellar tendon (patellar tendon) on the anterior tibia bone fragments can detach and die off. This results in a so-called aseptic osteonecrosis, a dead bone area at the base of the patellar ligament below the kneecap, which is not due to infection by viruses or bacteria.

Especially boys between the ages of 10 and 14 and athletes are affected by Osgood-Schlatter's disease. The cause of the disease has not yet been finally clarified. Training-related micro injuries or overloads could be the cause of the disease.

In addition, diminished loading capacity of the bracte during hormonal changes during puberty could result in an imbalance of the knee load and expose the patellar ligament to greater traction. Overweight and local circulatory disorders are also discussed as the cause of Osgood-Schlatter's disease and below-knee pain.

In most cases, sparing and administering anti-inflammatory medications improves the condition. If there is no alleviation of the symptoms, a so-called gypsum tutor, a special plaster cast that does not completely restrict the possibility of movement, can be set up for temporary immobilization.

Surgery is rarely necessary, for example, when free bone chips scrape the tendons and ligaments or restrict the joint's ability to move.

Urach Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is one of the common complaints in the front knee. However, it is not based on a uniform clinical picture. Unclear is also the cause of the pain, which can occur before, behind, under and next to the kneecap. Patients often complain about this when the knee joint is moved again after a long period of rest. Even when climbing stairs, in a squat and during physical activity, these become noticeable.

If a patellofemoral pain syndrome is present, the symptoms often occur when climbing stairs. (Image: sawaddee3002 / fotolia.com)

In some cases there are restrictions on movement and swelling in the area of ​​the kneecap. The patellofemoral joint, which forms the connection between the kneecap and the femur, is particularly often affected early on by a degeneration. Most of the patients are young and / or active in sports.

The cause of patellofemoral pain syndrome is discussed in addition to an overload of the knee joint, muscle weakness of the thigh muscles, shortening of the thigh, calf and hip muscles, deviation of the patellar and knee joint bones and the hip or ankle bones.

Pain below the kneecap due to bursitis

A possible cause is a so-called bursitis, a bursitis, into consideration. Bursae are, for example, laterally, on or below the kneecap or are connected to the joint interior. While the internal bursae can be injured, especially in the event of fractures, the bursae lying in front of and below the kneecap often become inflamed due to the high pressure they are subjected to.

People who work a lot on their knees, such as tilers, are more often affected by chronic bursitis. Also crashes or impact accidents during sport can lead to a bursitis. An inflamed wound can also be the trigger.

Bursitis is characterized by a swelling of the kneecap, which causes pain during pressure and movement, in the resting state of the knee there are no complaints. Often the swelling appears reddish and overheated by a bacterial infection. Affected persons may experience a fever.

A bursitis should be well cured in any case, otherwise a chronic course threatens. It is important to protect the knee joint, if necessary by immobilizing it with a splint. In addition, non-steroidal painkillers are usually given. The swelling should be cooled.

With pus formation this must be eliminated. Usually this is a small intervention. The inflamed bursa can also be removed (bursectomy). In addition, a puncture of the inflamed bursal is possible to dissipate fluid, if the swelling is severely limiting.

Bursitis often affects people who work a lot on their knees. (Image: auremar / fotolia.com)

Knee pain from the perspective of naturopathy

Pain in the knee is always seen in naturopathy in connection with other structures. Thus, the nerve (femoral nerve) that supplies the knee runs from the lumbar region of the spine between two muscle parts of the hip flexor (M.Iliopsoas). This muscle is shortened in many people by long sitting at the desk and lack of exercise. Knee pain, which occurs after getting up or without mechanical stress and for which there is no explanation from conventional medical point of view, is seen in the holistic view as a consequence of a jamming of this nerve.

In osteopathy, the hip flexor is also referred to as the "dump of the body", because it runs on the one hand in the immediate vicinity of the intestine. In the long-term retention of intestinal contents poisonous and irritant substances pass through the tissue in some places and cause irritation of the muscle and the surrounding nerve connections.

On the other hand, the hip flexor is closely linked to the diaphragm. Tension in the diaphragm (fixation in inhalation posture), which arises, for example, when people after personal fatal strikes the redemptive crying difficult, can constantly exercise train on the muscle.

The diaphragm is the structure that contracts first during the so-called "sobbing". The term "garbage dump" therefore also fits emotionally. These compounds also explain why sometimes mechanical stretching of the hip flexor can lead to an outbreak of these emotions and also has undefined knee pain. (ag, last updated on 12.1.2018)