Unlock a Pain-Free Life: Understanding Knee Pain and Treatment Options

  • A man suffering from knee pain playing tennis
  • Women holding ice pack on knee to relieve pain
  • knee brace to stop pain

Knee Pain

If you are experiencing knee pain you are not alone, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians, Knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults. The prevalence of knee pain has increased almost 65% over the past 20 years.

Why is the occurence of Knee Pain Increasing?

The natural aging process takes its toll on our joints, causing a gradual erosion of cartilage which consequently leads to an increased incidence of knee pain. Furthermore, knee pain is frequently associated with obesity, as highlighted by a recent study that unveiled a staggering 40% surge in obesity rates across America within the last two decades, with severe obesity nearly doubling in prevalence.

When Should You See a Doctor?

Even if you are not overweight, knee pain can happen for any number of reasons including sports injury, walking or sometimes even just standing. Most of the time knee pain can be solved with treatment by your primary care physician. Our blog 6 Causes of Knee Pain & Why You Should Not Ignore It, idenitifies many of the knee pain conditions

We recommend consulting a Doctor if:

The pain in your knee is consistent without improvement after one (1) week. Your knee is weak, locks or gets stuck. Your symptoms have suddenly gotten worse. You have a high temperature with your knee pain or you notice that your lymph nodes are swollen as this can be a sign of an infection.

Diagnosing the Cause of Your Knee Pain

Anatomy of knee pain and injuries

Knee Injury

There are two types of knee pain, knee injuries that happen fast: typically from a fall or sports injury. Some injuries cal be from a simple twist or bending incorrectly or some injuries result from a strong force hitting your knee area.

The most common knee injuries fall into four groups:

  • Ligament Injuries
  • Muscle Injuries
  • Kneecap Injuries
  • Cartilage Injuries
Anatomy of knee and the pain that can be caused

Gradual Knee Conditions

In most cases, repetitive friction or pressure on part of the knee damages the joint leading to pain and affecting normal function. The most common causes of gradual knee pain include

  • Tendonitis
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Bursitis
  • Runners Knee
  • Osgood Schlatters Disease
  • Gout

Osteoarthritis ~ Most Common Knee Pain

Osteoarthritis refers to a degenerative joint disease characterized by the progressive deterioration of tissues in the joint over time. This condition is recognized as the most prevalent form of arthritis and affects the knees most often.

Treatment Options for Knee Pain

The first step in treating your knee pain is utilizing the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compress, Elevate) technique. This helps to protect against further injury, reduces pain and swelling and speeds up healing.

Once the swelling has reduced it is time to strengthen the leg muscles. Most of the time, muscle weakness is a key cause of knee problems.

Physical therapy improve how the knee functions by working on the strength and stability of the knee and can help eliminate most knee pain. By lifiting weights, incorporating resistance bands and by doing stretches as part of your knee treatment plan, you can reduce the tension on your joint.

Medications are also one of the most commonly used tools for knee and joint pain treatment. Drugs such as NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), Advil/Ibuprofen can help reduce swelling. Always consult your doctor before taking any medications.

Ice & Heat are a great natural knee joint pain treatment for longer term knee problems such as arthritis. Ice reduces swelling and heat increases the blood flow to the area which helps bring in fresh blood, oxygen and nutrients to aid healing. Secondly, the heat reduces the pain sensations and helps the muscles to relax.

If you would like to return to regular activity but feel that the knee is still unstable. Braces are a great way to provide support and protect the joint, reduce pain and inflammation, retain heat and promote healing.

Knee Injections can also be a helpful knee joint pain treatment, usually for longer term problems such as cartilage tears and arthritis.
There are two main types of injection used:

Corticosteroid Injections: These injections contain a mix of steroid and local anaesthetic which helps to reduce pain and swelling
Hydrolaunic Injections: increase joint lubrication and can be particularly useful for treating arthritis. 

Acupuncture can be really effective way of providing pain relief without having to take pills. Visit our blog on acupuncture to learn more about the benefits.

Studies have shown acupuncture to be a particularly effective knee joint pain treatment for arthritis. It should only be carried out by a fully trained professional acupuncturist.

Surgery: most physicians will exhaust all treatments options before suggesting surgery. Surgical options for the knee vary. Arthroscopy surgery or a scope of the knee to repair a miniscus tear or a full/partial joint replacement, in either case both are typically very successful.

Please remember, you should always consult your doctor with any new incidence of pain to ensure you are getting the best treatment for you and that you aren't at risk of further injury. 

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