Can Knee Pain Be Treated Without Surgery?
If you have severe knee pain, it can affect your mobility and can impact your quality of life. It also prevents you from performing your daily activities. In many cases, knee pain can be treated with non-surgical treatments. But if the knee pain is very severe, undergoing a total knee replacement surgery can be the right solution.
Many patients also avoid surgery due to various reasons such as health conditions, age, fear of surgery, etc. In those cases, there are several non-invasive treatments to deal with the pain.
Different Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Knee Pain
The non-surgical or non-invasive treatment options focus on reducing pain, and inflammation and restoring your mobility. The following are some of the non-surgical treatments:
R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation): Rest, ice, compression, and elevation is the first treatment for knee pain. You need to take some rest and give some time for your knee to heal.
Braces: Braces can also be used to keep your knee stable and make you feel comfortable. The knee braces can relieve your pain, and inflammation, and can help regain the strength of your knee muscles. They are made of metal, plastic, or leather. The brace exerts pressure on the joints and realigns them. This eventually reduces the friction between two bones and then reduces the pain.
Injections: Certain medications can be directly injected into the knee in the form of injections. Corticosteroid injections are helpful in relieving knee pain in a short time. Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections can also be used to relieve knee pain. HA is also produced naturally by the knee joint, but sometimes it may need to be given externally.
Lifestyle changes: Making certain lifestyle changes can also help relieve your knee pain. The lifestyle changes include losing weight, practising regular exercises, etc. All these can reduce stress on the knee and eventually reduces your knee pain.
Assisted devices: You can use some assisted devices such as a walker to provide support to your knee. The devices can also help prevent slips and falls.
Anti-inflammatory medications: If the knee pain is caused by the inflammation in the knee, reducing the inflammation can provide relief from the knee pain. Anti-inflammatory medications can be used to reduce swelling and knee pain.
Physical therapy: Physical therapy is suggested by the doctor to relieve your pain, and improve strength and flexibility. Leg strengthening exercises can help with the proper alignment of the knee and reduces the pain. Physical therapy is not only helpful for your knee, but also for your entire body.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) injections: PRP injection is also an effective injection for treating knee pain. The PRP therapy makes use of platelets from your own blood. The blood sample will be collected and it is placed in a centrifuge device to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the blood. Now, the platelet-rich plasma is administered in the form of an injection.
Pain medications: Over-the-counter medications can be used to relieve knee pain. Along with this, topical creams can be used to treat knee pain. Topical analgesics can also be used to provide temporary relief from the pain.
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA): If the other treatment options do not work, radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can be helpful and it can reduce knee pain. It is suitable for people who cannot undergo joint replacement surgery. This method makes use of radio waves to produce current and heat the genicular nerve tissues. This further reduces the pain signals from travelling to the brain from the knee.
Meet Dr Ajay Tiwari Today to Relieve Your Knee Pain
If you have been suffering from knee pain and it is affecting your quality of life, meet Dr Ajay Tiwari today. He is one of the best orthopedic and joint replacement surgeons in Hyderabad. He has been serving patients suffering from knee pain for over 15 years. He has performed several joint replacement surgeries with a 100% success rate. He uses the latest and advanced surgical equipment to make surgery less invasive and safe for the patients. To schedule a consultation with Dr Ajay Tiwari today, feel free to call us or fill out the online form on the website.
