Knee Pain Treatment
Knee Osteoarthritis
A common and debilitating form of degenerative arthritis, or osteoarthritis, is that of the knee joint. The most common reason people develop osteoarthritis is repetitive trauma, such as having a history of playing sports with repetitive, untreated injuries to the knee. Patients suffering from this ailment have a lower walking speed, a shorter stride, and reduced ankle propulsion. Not only this, but their suffering from a basic lack of motion causes difficulty in basic daily activities, such as shopping, walking the dog, or even getting in and out of the car. The pain starts gradually over a period of many years and changes with weather conditions. Due to the pain, patients report that after frequent use, they have to rest to help ease the pain or are prescribed NSAIDS (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen).
Individuals with bilateral knee osteoarthritis often struggle with poor balance, which results in the reduced ability to avoid obstacles, increasing the chances to trip and fall, causing further injuries.
Symptoms of Osteoarthritis of the Knee
Patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis walk at a slower pace and have decreased muscle endurance. Osteoarthritis can lead to a sedentary life style and, thus, further health risks. However, these patients are often in too much pain to participate in exercise programs.
Knee Joint Injections
If you are suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, a previous injury, or even normal wear-and-tear from years of constant use, your doctor may recommend a steroid injection in your knee joint. Much like other steroid injections, this can provide you with relief to pain that is not responding to regular care.
When performing a knee joint injection, your doctor will first numb the injection site, then inject a corticosteroid and anesthetic in your knee joint, located behind your kneecap. You will be monitored briefly to make sure you do not experience any side effects, which are generally rare, but include bleeding, nerve damage, and infection. While discussing this procedure, be sure to mention to your doctor if you are on blood thinners, are immunosuppressed, have an active infection, or are pregnant.
This procedure may provide immediate pain relief due to the anesthetic, but it may take a few days for the steroid to take effect. This may provide long term pain relief, but if it does not provide adequate relief, your doctor may recommend viscosupplementation, which is another type of knee injection. Viscosupplementation is a synthetic fluid that is injected into the knee in an identical fashion as a normal steroid injection. There are many types of viscosupplementation products currently available, so your doctor will help choose the best one to fit your needs. This treatment typically works as a weekly injection for a total of three weeks, after which, the therapy is complete. Viscosupplementation treatment should provide 6 to 12 months of pain relief and can be repeated if your pain returns.
If you are walking on a painful knee, contact one of our offices today to learn how we can help you walk without pain again!
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