Knee pain can result from sudden injury, improper injury management, or because of an underlying condition such as arthritis.
Symptoms of a knee injury usually include pain, stiffness, and swelling. Treatment and medication of knee pain tend to vary with the root cause of the injury.
Here are some of the best knee pain treatments, medication, and management techniques.
1. Exercise
According to PhysioAdvisor Website exercise can help you strengthen the knee and relieve pain by helping you maintain the appropriate range of motion while strengthening muscles that support your knees.
Studies reveal that even slightly increase the strength of your quadriceps (the muscle that runs along the front of your thigh), can go a long way in helping reduce the risk of contracting knee osteoarthritis, slowing its progression, and reducing knee pain.
Exercise is helpful in managing other forms of arthritis too because it strengthens muscles which support those joints.
Exercising correctly also assists in reducing the risk of knee injury, and in the event, you require knee surgery, you will recover much faster.
2. Medications
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS)
There are over a dozen types of NSAID drugs; some of which you can get without a prescription.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are useful in easing inflammation and pain that is typical of injuries and arthritis. NSAIDs are typically used in all kinds of arthritis.
Medication for knee pain and arthritis treatment
Analgesics, or pain relievers, are the most crucial part of treating most knee issues.
However, if your knee pain is caused by an inflammatory type of arthritis, you might need other forms of medication to control the condition.
This medication will also depend on the specific form of arthritis you are suffering from.
According to Everyday Health Website, the best kinds of medication to treat knee pain include:
Analgesics
These are among the most widely used drugs for arthritis and knee pain treatment. They are used to relieve pain from knee surgeries and injuries.
Unlike NSAIDs which target inflammation and pain, analgesics are tailor-made purely for pain relief.
This is why they are the safer option for persons that cannot use Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs due to complications such as allergies.
Additionally, they are the more appropriate choice for individuals whose arthritis causes them pain without inflammation.
Corticosteroids
These drugs have a similar composition to your body’s cortisone which is utilized in controlling inflammation.
Corticosteroids act quickly to relieve knee inflammation that might be caused by a systematic inflammatory type of arthritis.
Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
These are a type of drugs which work to alter the course of an autoimmune disease gradually.
There are various kinds of DMARDs that are useful in managing a number of arthritis conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and lupus.
Gout medications
Some gout medications are synthesized to assist in the reducing of uric acid levels in the blood thus preventing future joint inflammation and pain.
Some forms of gout medication are used in alleviating the inflammation and pain of an acute attack.
3. Procedures and Injections for Knee Pain
When oral drugs do not alleviate knee pain, and you are not up for knee surgery, according to WebMD Website, the following procedures and injections are worth a shot:
Hyaluronic acid supplements
Technically, these supplements are not medications; they are chemicals that are introduced to your knee via injection to supplement hyaluronic acid which occurs in your body naturally.
Normally, hyaluronic acid works as a lubricant and shock absorber in your joints so that they move smoothly over each other.
In people with osteoarthritis, however, the acid appears to break down and lose its capabilities.
These individuals can inject the acid into the knee to lessen pain and inflammation.
Corticosteroid injections
According Arthritis Health Website physicians may at time inject corticosteroids into your knee joints as a quick relief to inflammation and pain.
The derived benefits may last for up to six months. While the injections do offer comfort to the knee and lack the typical side effects of oral corticosteroids, they aren’t without risks.
Repeatedly getting corticosteroid injections may contribute to knee cartilage breakdown.
This is why your GP may put a limit on the number of corticosteroid shots you can receive.
Arthrocentesis
Also known as fluid aspiration, this procedure involves removing joint fluid via a hollow needle which is inserted into the space in the knee joint.
Even though the primary purpose of Arthrocentesis is to get the joint fluid for lab testing, there is considerable relief in the knee after the fluid is removed.
Often after the GP has withdrawn the fluid, they will use the same puncture site for corticosteroid injections to offer further relief.
4. Knee Surgery
According to DR. WILLIAM STERETT When all else fails, knee surgery might be the ultimate option:
Total joint replacement
The most popular type of knee joint surgery is a total knee replacement. This procedure involves removing the damaged knee joint and replacing it with a prosthesis made of plastic, ceramic, and metal components.
The knee, in fact, is the most commonly replaced joint. Knee replacement should only be considered when irreparable damage to the joint interferes with its functions and causes consistent pain which cannot be alleviated by other therapy treatments.
Arthroscopy
This is a minimally invasive knee surgery technique that involves the insertion of a lighted scope and other narrow instruments through an incision over the knee.
It is used for the following purposes:
- To repair a torn cruciate ligament
- To extract loose bodies
- To repair or remove torn menisci
- To remove an inflamed joint lining
- To trim torn pieces of joint cartilage
Though arthroscopy has proven to be of assistance to many individuals, some of its procedures are surrounded by controversy.
Osteotomy
If your GP determines that the damage to your knee is mostly localized in one area, they might prescribe an osteotomy.
During an osteotomy, your surgeon will reshape and then reposition your bones in order to get some weight off the damaged section of the knee.
This knee surgery technique will alleviate pain while improving the knee’s function and mobility.
Osteotomy is recommended for people who do not feel like having a total knee replacement.
This is a helpful YouTube video on causes and relief of knee pain.
