Your knee joint is the biggest joint in your body. It helps you stand, walk, run, jump, bend, and keep your balance. When your knee hurts, it’s hard to get through the day. Unfortunately, that’s the case for millions of people. According to the American Family Physician Journal, knee pain affects approximately 25% of adults. And it’s on the rise. The prevalence of knee pain has increased almost 65% over the past 25 years and now accounts for 4 million primary care visits annually. If you or someone you love has knee pain, keep reading to learn some proven approaches to alleviate discomfort.
Common Signs of Knee Pain
There are a lot of ways knee pain can manifest. The knee is made up of many ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and bursae sacs. Some common injuries include ACL tears, bursitis, and tendinitis. For some people, their knee pain stems from arthritis, a painful joint condition.
Regardless of what is causing the pain, common symptoms include:
- Swelling
- Stiffness
- Instability
- Redness or warmth to the touch
- Weakness or inability to bear weight
- Noises when you bend the knee, such as popping or crunching
7 Approaches to Ease Discomfort
Knee pain is one of the most common complaints of Americans of all ages. While not all knee pain is serious, you shouldn’t leave it untreated as it can lead to joint damage. Often, many providers use cortisone injections as a temporary solution for knee pain, but it can actually do more harm than good in the long term. Instead, consider these more effective approaches:
1. Regenerative medicine: This innovative technique is one of the best ways to repair damaged tissues in the knee joining. By using Wharton Jelly Allograph or platelet-rich plasma injections, you can stimulate your body’s own ability to heal itself.
2. Physical therapy: Investing in physical therapy allows you to strengthen muscles, stabilize joints, and improve flexibility – all of which can reduce pain.
3. Custom orthotics: Custom foot orthotics are medical devices inserted into your shoe to correct an irregular walking pattern. They protect your joints, by ensuring your feet support your body, evenly distributing the pressure.
4. Bracing: Often, bracing is an effective way to provide stability and ensure that your joint moves along the correct path. They also help with rehabilitation as your joints heal.
5. Chiropractic Care: If you suffer from any misalignment in your back and hips, it can cause unneeded knee pain. Proper evaluation and treatment can help alleviate the stress on your knees..
6. Lifestyle changes: Often, knee pain is the result of something we can fix. Be sure to maintain a healthy weight, warm up before exercising or playing sports, and wear proper shoes.
7. Customized treatment plans: Maybe you need a few of these approaches used in tandem. At Maragal Medical, we treat the whole person and develop a plan that could include regenerative medicine, therapy, orthopedics, or weight management to help you improve your knee function.
Check out this video from Dr. Marciello and Dr. Gallagher to learn more about how these approaches are more effective for knee pain than traditional cortisone shots.
Say Goodbye to Knee Pain
Too often, patients dealing with chronic knee pain are put into a never-ending cycle of cortisone shots or resort to surgery. Both of which might not fix the problem. At Maragal Medical, our integrated office harnesses the power of multiple non-invasive treatments that produce real results.
By combining regenerative medicine, therapy, and orthopedics, you can effectively manage knee pain and regain mobility and function. Don’t suffer. We’re here to help with any knee pain or discomfort you’re experiencing. Book an appointment online or call our office at 978-537-0555.