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Non-Surgical Knee Treatments That Could Help Manage Your Knee Pain From Arthritis
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If you're struggling with knee pain, you should see your doctor about options for relief. Surgery isn't always necessary, and it's often reserved for a last choice when other treatments fail. Here are some non-surgical knee treatments that might help manage your pain.
Make Lifestyle Changes
Your doctor might recommend lifestyle changes that could improve your pain. If you're overweight, they may recommend dietary changes and exercise so you can reach your ideal body weight and relieve pressure on your knee. Exercise could be beneficial even though you have pain. By keeping your knee flexible and mobile, you might reduce stiffness and soreness.
Your doctor may recommend exercises such as swimming and walking rather than anything that involves jumping or running so your knee is protected. Your doctor might even recommend physical therapy so you can learn exercises that strengthen your knee so it can support your weight more effectively. Both muscle strengthening and stretching exercises done daily might help your knee pain.
Try Knee Injections
Knee injections are given for pain, and these might be worth trying so you can postpone the need for surgery. Your doctor might inject hyaluronic acid or corticosteroids in your knee. They might even combine the injections. Corticosteroid injections are for inflammation. These can provide quick pain relief within a couple of days, and the effects might last months.
Hyaluronic injections are for lubrication. Osteoarthritis causes pain because the cartilage wears away and bones rub on bones when you walk. Hyaluronic acid is injected in your knee to provide lubrication in the joint and reduce pain.
Consider Regenerative Medicine
You may want to discuss regenerative medicine options with your doctor if you have access to them. These include injecting stem cells or growth factors in your knee to stimulate regrowth of tissues. The injected material may come from your own blood or your bone marrow. While the injections may not reverse your knee damage completely, they may trigger enough healing that you're able to manage your pain much better and have an improved quality of life.
Take Joint Supplements
A non-surgical knee treatment you might overlook is supplements. Some supplements are made specifically for joint care. Others are known to reduce inflammation and help reduce pain. Talk to your doctor and get advice before you start taking supplements for your knee pain. You want to make sure the supplements won't interfere or react with medications you're taking.
You might even add certain anti-inflammatory spices to your diet, such as turmeric and ginger. Your doctor might suggest an anti-inflammatory diet too since controlling inflammation is an important step in treating knee pain caused by arthritis.
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