How to Relieve Knee Pain Without Surgery
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Knee pain can be either an occasional issue or persistent enough to interfere with your daily activities. Prompt treatment is necessary to alleviate symptoms of knee pain, and various treatments do not involve surgery.
Common Causes of Knee Pain
Knee pain is characterised by symptoms of discomfort felt in or around the knee joint. The knee is the largest joint in your body, as it absorbs and supports your body weight when you move, stand, or kneel. Some people may experience short-term knee pain that comes and goes, while others may have more persistent knee pain.
Common causes of knee pain typically include:
- Knee arthritis (inflammation of the knee joint and surrounding structures).
- Injury or trauma to the knee or knee joint.
- Tendon or ligament injuries.
- Excess pressure on the knee joint.
- Repetitive strain from activities such as sports.
Nonsurgical Medical Treatments for Knee Pain
Conservative, nonsurgical medical treatments are considered first-line treatments to manage knee pain symptoms and support your recovery.
Assistive Devices
Assistive devices aim to maintain your balance and mobility by supporting the knee in different ways. Crutches and walkers are the most common assistive devices, reducing weight-bearing stress on the knee to allow proper healing. Knee splints, braces, or wraps are also available options that maintain proper knee joint alignment by applying gentle yet firm pressure. This, in turn, reduces friction between the bones, minimising pain and discomfort while allowing you to move with little difficulty. They also temporarily limit the knee joint’s range of motion, allowing it to rest and heal naturally over time.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy involves following a personalised exercise program tailored to facilitate your knee’s healing. It includes various exercises meant to strengthen the muscles around your knee, gradually improving their strength, stability, and flexibility. You will work with a physical therapist who will help you determine the treatment goal, such as improving mobility, and recommend specific exercises that support your rehabilitation based on this goal.
Physical therapy will prioritise the following types of exercise to support your knee’s recovery.
- Gentle stretching
- Strengthening exercises
- Low-impact aerobic exercises
- Balance and coordination
A simple exercise you can try is the single-leg lift. First, lie down on your back with your legs straight and hands at your sides on the floor. Then, keep one leg extended and the foot slightly flexed. Slowly tighten your thigh muscles as you raise your leg, keeping your knees aligned. Pause for a few seconds, then lower your leg. Repeat a few times, then do the same with your other leg.
Medications
Prescription medications and over-the-counter (OTC) medications may also be recommended to manage knee pain and reduce inflammation in certain conditions. These medications can take the form of oral medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or topical analgesics and anti-inflammatory creams that may numb the knee muscles and provide temporary pain relief. Other medications may be prescribed to treat other symptoms that may arise from knee pain.
Minimally Invasive Treatments for Persistent Knee Pain
If conservative management cannot provide adequate symptom relief, minimally invasive treatments (such as injections) may be considered to relieve symptoms.
Joint Injections
Joint injections directly deliver medication into the knee joint to treat symptoms and reduce inflammation. Different injections are available and will be recommended by your doctor based on the severity of your knee pain.
Corticosteroid Injections
Corticosteroid (also known as cortisone) injections use a synthetic medication that aims to reduce inflammation and pain. The medication works locally to suppress your immune system, inhibiting inflammatory processes that cause pain, swelling, and redness in your knee. It usually takes some time for the steroids to take effect and may last for several weeks or months. It may require additional injections to maintain consistent symptom relief.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in the body, which helps lubricate the knee joint and cushion it from significant wear and tear during movement or activities. Injecting additional hyaluronic acid can replenish your body’s supply and ensure additional support to your knee joint, which may help to alleviate knee pain.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
A PRP injection uses components of your blood to treat mild to moderate knee pain. One of these components, platelets, contains growth factors that may support your recovery and provide temporary symptom relief. They may be combined with other treatments to support your recovery further, and may require follow-up injections to maintain treatment outcomes. Ongoing studies will help to provide additional information on how PRP injections support your knee’s gradual recovery.
Home Remedies to Relieve Knee Pain
You may also try various home remedies that can provide temporary relief from knee pain and help you resume daily activities with minimal difficulty.
Regular Exercise
Low-impact exercises on a regular schedule can help you manage your knee pain in various ways by strengthening the surrounding muscles, improving flexibility to minimise stiffness, and preventing fluid accumulation. Low-impact exercises include swimming, cycling, yoga, and brisk walking, with warm-up sessions to start your workout and help you avoid complications. Aim to exercise at least three times a week, or as per your doctor’s recommendation.
It is important to manage the frequency and intensity of exercise sessions to minimise the impact on the knee requiring treatment. In fact, studies have found that walking applies a force equivalent to three times your body weight. As such, start slow and slowly build up as your knee’s condition steadily improves. Speak to your doctor for further support to facilitate your recovery without complications.
Weight Management
Maintaining a healthy weight may also help with long-term treatment and management of knee pain. Studies note that even a 10% reduction in body weight may help relieve pressure on the knee joint, reducing knee pain and inflammation and preventing further complications. As such, a nutritionist can help you create a tailored nutrition plan that ensures you receive sufficient nourishment to promote your knee joint’s health and recovery. Regular exercise is a good way to complement an ongoing weight management plan, while approved dietary supplements may also be added to improve bone and soft tissue health.
Lifestyle Modifications
Various lifestyle adjustments may also help to minimise knee pain or manage symptoms that may arise.
- Wear flat, supportive, and well-fitting footwear, and avoid high heels or shoes that modify your legs and feet’s centre of gravity. You can also add extra padding for added comfort while walking.
- Quit smoking, as it may increase your risk of knee arthritis, a degenerative disease that could impact your overall mobility.
- Wear protective equipment for work or during physical activities to protect your knees from injury.
- Take breaks in between activities to reduce significant stress on your knee joints.
- Maintain a good posture at all times to reduce pressure on your knees. It ensures your muscles can properly support the knee joints.
- Remove fall hazards from your home to avoid injuries to your knees.
- Alternate between hot and cold packs to reduce knee pain and swelling, relax the muscles, and improve blood flow. Avoid applying these directly to your skin.
When Should You Seek Medical Advice for Knee Pain?
An orthopaedic doctor can evaluate your condition during a medical consultation to identify the root cause of your pain and create a suitable treatment plan. They will brief you on everything you need to know about your condition, available treatments, and how you can support your recovery. For mild to moderate cases, surgery may not be necessary, and conservative treatments can manage your condition.
Contact Avant Orthopaedic today to learn more about our chronic knee pain management and treatment options.
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