3 Common Treatments That May Help Your Chronic Knee Pain

Many Americans suffer from chronic pain and nearly 59% of sufferers report an overall impact on their life enjoyment. This impact may increase if your chronic pain is located in the joints, specifically the knee, which help you stand and move.

There are various conditions behind chronic knee pain. Described as a shooting pain, swelling, sensitivity, or dull ache in one or both knees, chronic knee pain may be the result of various ailments including a work or sports injury, tendinitis, gout, dislocation, a torn ligament, etc. Because of the vast number of chronic knee pain causes, a proper treatment that works best for you and your injury is only available after seeing your doctor or family physician for a diagnosis.

However, some common types of chronic pain treatment are as follows.

Physical or Occupational Therapy

Physical therapy can be helpful for your chronic knee pain by reducing muscle soreness with the use of stretching and strengthening exercises over a course of 4 to 6 weeks. Common exercises include balancing exercises, step-ups, and hamstring curls. Other treatments may include the use of ice or heat to treat the muscles and reduce inflammation.

If you require more than physical therapy and if your chronic knee pain has caused difficulty in your everyday life, an occupational therapist may be a better choice for you. Occupational therapists provide individualized care as a means of assisting you as you adjust to life with a chronic injury

Medication

Another common treatment to chronic knee pain is medication. If your chronic knee pain is manageable, consider taking over the counter pain relievers alongside the use of ice and heat to treat the muscles and ligaments around your knee and to reduce inflammation.

Surgery

For those whose chronic knee pain has limited their mobility and reduced their quality of life even while utilizing physical therapy, surgery may be the best option. Types of surgical procedures for those suffering from chronic knee pain include:

Ligament replacement

Chronic knee pain sufferers with an ACL tear are often treated with the replacement of the torn ligament using a graft. This can be done using the patient’s own tissue, called an autograft, from the hamstring tendon, patellar, or quadriceps.

Knee replacement surgery

Typically referred to as joint replacement surgery, those undergoing knee replacement surgery have the damaged cartilage or bone removed from the knee and replaced with a plastic or metal joint to effectively restore knee function. Click here for more information and a free seminar about joint replacement. – https://www.woodcountyhospital.org/medical-services/orthopedics/personalized-joint-replacement

Physical therapy, medication, and surgery are all common forms of chronic pain treatment. However, the treatment that is best for you may be determined by your diagnosis and what may be causing your knee pain. Consult your primary care doctor or family physician to determine which chronic pain treatment is best for you.