Many children complain that they have severe pain in their legs or knees, and since childhood diseases are not only acute respiratory viral infections or colic in the stomach, some symptoms of pain in the knees can indicate a serious illness.
A child may complain of knee pain for various reasons, parents should not disregard this and promptly show the baby to the doctor.
The child has knees hurt: reasons
The most common cause of knee pain in children is injury. Damage can be obtained upon impact, after a strong fall on the knee, with improper bending of the leg. Also, damage can include fractures and dislocations, sprain, torn ligaments.
Each of these lesions is accompanied by specific symptoms. For example, severe edema or hematoma, a feeling of cold, slight tingling, and sometimes even numbness are formed. In this case, you need to visit a medical institution as soon as possible so that the doctor examines the child and takes further action.
As in adults, a child may have knees hurt due to a strong overload. This reason can be attributed to number 2, as it also affects the pain in the knees. This can happen due to the same movements, which are often repeated, for example, when jumping, riding a bicycle, descending stairs.
This is another reason why you need to contact a specialist, if this is not possible, reduce the load or take a short break. Let the child rest and perhaps the pain will recede.
Knee joint diseases
The following reasons why a child’s knee pain may occur are diseases. These include:
1. Many adolescents experience knee pain due to a disease such as Osgood-Schlatter. It lies in the fact that in children in adolescence, a fracture of the still immature tibia occurs, due to frequent and severe stress. To a greater extent this applies to athletes. It is these changes that cause severe pain in the knee, especially when making sudden movements. Treatment in this case is prescribed only by a doctor, it can be different - the application of a plaster cuff or the use of physiotherapy.
2. If the pain is localized under the knee, then a popliteal cyst may have formed. In addition to pain in the affected area, a tumor forms. Only a doctor can get rid of a problem.
3. Bone or infectious diseases. These include osteomyelitis, arthritis, and more. After the onset of the disease, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of the attending physician.
4. Congenital pathology. They appear in the process of growth and maturation of the child. The doctor you need to contact as soon as possible is an orthopedist. In childhood, almost any pathology can be corrected, the main thing is that it be detected on time.
5. Dislocation of the patella. When a disease occurs, a dislocation of the patella occurs. As a result, the knee area swells, there is severe pain around the knee. Such a disease most often affects girls. Usually, treatment is not required, since after a while the displaced calyx fits into place itself.
Many children complain that their knee hurts precisely at night or only during the day. In this case, specialists diagnose “pain of growth”. At the age of 3 to 12 years, the muscular system cannot keep up with the rapid growth of bones, which is why both ligaments and muscles are constantly tense, as a result of which pain and discomfort arise.
The pain can be of a different nature, from mild to aching, many children even refuse to walk.
If the baby began to complain of knee pain, do not try to make a diagnosis on your own, and even more so do not prescribe treatment, just take your child to a doctor and wait for a diagnosis.
The child has knees hurt: a diagnosis at home
Moms and dads are always busy with their own affairs, work, household and other nuances. If their child complains that his knee hurts, his parents cannot always take him to the hospital right away. Many people think that this is another abrasion or dislocation, which, as always, is associated with curiosity.
However, in this case, you can skip the development of a serious disease. It is necessary to treat diseases in which knee pain occurs, as soon as possible, while it is at an early stage of development. It is important to establish what danger can be from pain, and also why it arises.
If there is no opportunity to visit a doctor, you can conduct an independent diagnosis at home. Ask the child what time the pain occurred, what the baby was doing at this time, there may have been injuries. After that, gently touch your foot. If the knee is swollen, reddened, the inflammatory process most likely develops.
In the presence of numerous scratches and abrasions, it is not always possible to identify the source of pain. If the child complains that his knee is sore inside, then the situation may become a little complicated.
If the joints are damaged, in no case should you refuse to be examined, especially if the pain continues for several days. Indeed, in this case, the injury can be more serious and more dangerous than it seems at first glance:
1. A crack in the femur - appears with severe falls. You need to visit a traumatologist as soon as possible.
2. Sprain. The pain will not go away on its own, so the help of a doctor is needed.
3. Meniscus tear - the baby may not get out of bed. Even if you try to do this, the pain will intensify.
4. Tendovaginitis - inflammation in the thigh or muscles of the leg. There is severe aching pain in the knee.
If the child is already 6-7 years old, you can give him painkiller, but after that you need to call an ambulance or take the baby to a medical facility on your own.
The child has knees hurt: treatment
Often pain in the knee indicates the presence of an inflammatory process. In addition to severe pain, the child's body temperature may increase, swelling and swelling on the knee, lameness, and joint mobility will be limited. If at least one such symptom occurs, you should consult a doctor.
The specialist will prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs, compresses, ointments and vitamins. Some patients are advised to exercise physical therapy, namely exercises can help restore the knee joint. If a more serious cause of pain is identified, the doctors decide to have surgery. During the recovery period, you can go to the sanatorium for prevention and further treatment.
Emergency care should be provided with severe aching pain in the knee, this is rare in children, but it can still be. What should parents do if the child claims that there is aching pain in the knee? If it lasts more than two days, leg mobility is limited, you must visit a medical facility.
Depending on what caused the pain, the doctor will refer the child to the following examination:
1. MRI.
2. X-ray examination.
3. Computed tomography.
Treatment is prescribed individually for each child and it depends on the results of the examination.
The child has knees hurt: consequences and complications
If help was not provided on time, then with severe bruising of the knee, serious consequences can occur:
1. Fluids will build up in the joints. As a result of this, edema will appear, the joint will increase in size. If there are no improvements after treatment, the doctor will prescribe a puncture and remove the accumulated fluid.
2. Fracture or dislocation. When falling, the patella is most susceptible to injury. If a fracture occurs, then for some time all movements will be limited.
3. Damage to the meniscus. The meniscus is a plate that is located in the knee joint. If help is not provided on time, the cup can undergo changes that will lead to serious consequences.
4. Bursitis - edema. When a wound is infected, purulent bursitis can form, which can only be cured by surgery.
With bruising of any part of the body, timely assistance is required. Only a doctor can assess the general health of a child after receiving an injury, so do not hope that in a few days everything will go away by itself.
Parents should always be concerned with the health of their children, little children cannot say that they have something to hurt, so visit a health facility once a few months for prevention.
