The most common musculoskeletal complaint that brings people to their doctor is knee pain. The number of knee problems is increasing with today’s increasingly active society. Knee pain has a wide variety of specific treatments and causes.
Along with the ankles and hips, the knee joint’s main function is to bend, straighten and bear the weight of the body. However, the knee is more than just a simple hinged joint that also twists and rotates. To support the entire body while doing so and in order to perform all of these actions, the knee treatment relies on a number of different structures including ligaments, bones, cartilage, and tendons.
What are the Knee pain treatment methods?
There are mainly four types of treatment is used in knee pain treatment- Medication, Therapy, Injections, and Surgery.
- Medication-
To help relieve pain and to treat the conditions causing your knee pain, your doctor may prescribe medications such as gout and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Therapy-
You have to strengthen the muscles around your knee so that it will make it more stable. Based on the specific condition that is causing your pain, your knee doctor may recommend physical therapy or different types of strengthening exercise.
You may need exercises to correct movement patterns that may be affecting your knees and establish good technique during your sport or activity if you are physically active or practice a sport. Your balance and flexibility are also important to improve your exercises.
Sometimes with wedges on one side of the heel, arch supports, can help shift pressure away from the side of the knee most affected by osteoarthritis. To help protect and support the knee joint different types of braces may be used in certain conditions.
- Injections-
Your knee pain doctor may suggest injecting medications or other substances directly into your joint in some cases. For example:
Hyaluronic acid: To improve mobility and ease the pain, hyaluronic acid can be injected into your knee. Hyaluronic acid is a thick fluid similar to the fluid that naturally lubricates joints. The effectiveness of this treatment may last as long as six months. Although study results have been mixed from one or a series of shots.
Corticosteroids: In your knee joint, the injections of corticosteroid drug may help reduce the symptoms of an arthritis flare and provide pain relief that may last a few months. In all cases, these injections aren’t effective.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): To reduce inflammation and promote healing, PRP contains a concentration of many different growth factors. PRP may benefit certain people with osteoarthritis, some studies have found that but more studies are needed.
- Surgery:
It’s usually not necessary to have the operation immediately if you have an injury that may require surgery. Consider the pros and cons of both nonsurgical rehabilitation and surgical reconstruction in relation to what’s most important to you before making any decision. Your options may include if you choose to have surgery:
- Partial knee replacement surgery
- Arthroscopic surgery
- Total knee replacement
- Osteotomy
