Are you suffering from knee pain? Thankfully, treatment for knee pain doesn’t always have to include surgery as the only answer. Many find relief through less invasive means like non-surgical methods, which may alleviate symptoms and improve mobility. If surgery isn’t the answer for you or if you want more information about what non-invasive procedures could do for you, read through this blog post, as it will provide insight into non-surgical knee pain treatments available now.
Understanding Knee Pain
Before embarking on treatment, it’s essential to fully comprehend your knee discomfort. Your knee joint is one of the most complex in your body and may be subject to various ailments, including osteoarthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, or meniscal tears. Plus, these conditions must first be identified properly before considering appropriate solutions.
Consulting with a healthcare professional is often the first step to diagnosing the source of your discomfort. A thorough diagnosis may involve physical examinations, medical history reviews, and imaging tests such as X-rays or MRIs, as well as non-surgical treatment options available to address those needs.
Once an accurate diagnosis has been reached, non-surgical treatment options should be explored. Here are the methods your healthcare provider might suggest as potential alternatives.
Physical Therapy and Exercise programs
Physical therapy is one of the best non-surgical solutions for treating knee pain. Working under the direction of a licensed physical therapist, you will engage in targeted exercises designed to strengthen muscles surrounding your knee joint in order to provide stability and reduce discomfort.
Medication and Injections
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are frequently prescribed to reduce inflammation and manage pain levels. Furthermore, corticosteroid injections directly into the knee joint can provide temporary relief. Viscosupplementation with hyaluronic acid injection has recently become more popular for its lubricating properties.
Weight Management
Being overweight can aggravate knee pain due to extra strain placed upon it by extra pounds on joints. Your physician may advise a weight-loss plan consisting of diet modifications and low-impact exercises as part of treatment for your problem. Knee braces or orthotics can offer support and reduce strain on the knee. Canes or walking sticks may help rebalance weight away from affected knees.
Minor lifestyle adjustments can have a dramatic effect. By altering activities to reduce repetitive strain on the knees, choosing low-impact sports, and taking frequent breaks, simple changes can go a long way to helping manage pain better.
How to Find the Appropriate Treatment
When seeking non surgical knee pain treatment in Asheville or elsewhere in the USA, it’s essential that you work closely with a medical professional in order to identify an individualized course of action tailored specifically for you. When creating this plan, key considerations could be your underlying cause and severity of knee discomfort and factors like age, health status, medical history, lifestyle/activity level factors, previous attempts, and their effectiveness.
Individualized Treatment Plans
Non-surgical treatment plans can vary significantly based on an individual’s unique condition. As a result, their process will differ significantly. Yet, here is what to expect generally. You’ll need regular assessments to monitor your progress. Often, appointments will be scheduled regularly to ensure treatment is effective.
Because non-surgical methods take more time to show results than surgery does, you must remain actively engaged with your treatment, such as following medication schedules or engaging in physical therapy exercises regularly. Be ready to implement any lifestyle adjustments recommended by your healthcare provider. In many instances, using various treatments together yields optimal results.
