Extreme pain in the knees, crunching sound while climbing stairs, difficulty in standing after prolonged sitting, and numbness in the knees are all signs of some orthopedic issues in the knees. However, these problems are evident in the elderly. Nowadays, knee pain and other problems are also reported in young adults. Here, the cause is majorly a poor lifestyle. In other cases, an injury may cause knee pain.
In severe cases, knee replacement surgery is required to improve pain and other associated symptoms. However, before opting for surgery, the orthopedic specialist tries several alternatives, and this is what we will discuss in the post.
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Alternatives to Knee Replacement Surgery
Weight Loss
The commonest cause of knee pain is obesity. The joints of obese are under a lot of stress and with time, more wear & tear occurs. This results in pain along with other complications. Weight-bearing joints like the knee joint suffer the most. Hence, losing a few kilos can help improve knee pain as it reduces the stress on the joint while minimizing wear & tear.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is helpful in improving mild & moderate pain. This strengthens the muscles and flexibility of the knee joint. In most cases, physical therapy along with medicines is enough to improve pain and delay the surgery.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Hyaluronic acid is known to lubricate the knee joint and hence injections can help with smooth movement & painful movements. Lubricating the knee joint with hyaluronic acid injections can also help improve shock absorption and the range of motion of the joint.
Steroid Shots
In most cases, over-the-counter medications are enough in improving pain and inflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are most prescribed. Besides oral drugs, ointments are also suggested in some cases as they are effective in relieving pain.
When OTC drugs are ineffective, prescription drugs are advised. Besides prescription medicine, corticosteroid shots are given to provide immediate pain relief. These injections also improve inflammation.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is a technique that involves injecting an irritant solution into the affected knee joint. In most cases, a dextrose solution is injected. With this technique, irritation of tissue stimulates healing. Injecting an irritant increases the blood flow and supply of nutrients to the affected site.
Arthroscopy
Another alternative to conventional surgery is arthroscopy. It is a form of minimally invasive surgery that is performed to remove bone fragments, tendon repair, ligament repair, and cartilage repair. However, arthroscopy is not feasible for all knee pain causes as the orthopedic specialist will assess the condition and decide the best treatment.
Plasma-Rich Protein Injections
PRP therapy is tried for the treatment of osteoarthritic knee. Here, blood from the patient is taken and platelets are extracted from the blood. These platelets are then injected into the affected knee joint. This therapy can improve knee pain and inflammation while speeding the healing.
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