KNEE PAIN CONDITIONS AND TREATMENTS
Let's talk KNEE
Walk. Run. Bike. You can’t really do any of those things if your knee isn’t up to it. The knee is an amalgamation of bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. The knee joint is the meeting point of the thighbone, shinbone and knee cap. This all-important connection bears the brunt of everyday life and it can pay a heavy toll if the person is not careful.
Since the knee and knee joint is such a nexus of moving parts, it is prone to injury and pain – especially if constant repetition and susceptibility to outside impacts (ie. sports) are factors. Being that there are a number of potential conditions that cause the discomfort, there are equally a number of potential treatments.
ABOUT KNEE PAIN
As stated above, the knee is a meeting point that is prone to injury simply due to daily use, physical activity and age. Certain symptoms and warning signs for knee injury are swelling, stiffness, redness, weakness, crunching noises when moving, and inability to put pressure on your knee to stand. It’s when these symptoms occur that you need to contact Dr. Tessier to determine the cause of the discomfort in order to offer the right treatment solution.
KNEE PAIN CONDITIONS
- ACL injury. The tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) that connects the shinbone and thighbone.
- Fractures. Breaking of the bones of the knee and/or kneecap.
- Torn meniscus. A tear in the rubbery cartilage between the shinbone and thighbone.
- Knee bursitis. Inflammation in the small sacs of fluid (bursae) that cushion the outside of the knee joint.
- Patellar tendinitis. Inflammation of the patellar tendon that connects the quadriceps muscle of the thigh to the shinbone.
- Dislocated kneecap. An injury where the triangular bone (patella) that covers the front of the knee slips out of place.
- Osteoarthritis. Also know as degenerative arthritis, this common type of arthritis is due to deterioration and wear-and-tear of the knee and knee joint.
KNEE PAIN TREATMENT OPTIONS
There are many avenues to treating knee pain, but each depends on the patient’s particular condition and level of pain. While surgery is always a last resort, sometime less invasive procedures are not enough to heal the injury and manage the pain. Below is a list of some knee pain treatments:
- OTC medication. These are your everyday over-the-counter aspirin or similar pain relievers. Use in moderation.
- Corticosteroids. A corticosteroid is injected into the knee joint to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Hyaluronic acid. An acid that mimics the naturally producing one in a healthy knee is injected to ease pain and improve mobility.
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP). An advanced procedure where the blood is drawn from the patient to acquire healthy platelets from one area that are then injected into the injured area to achieve lasting pain relief due to certain important healing growth factors the platelets contain.
- Partial knee replacement surgery. The removal and replacement of the most damaged portions of the knee with synthetic material.
- Total knee replacement. The complete removal and replacement of all damaged bone and cartilage from the entire knee and knee cap area.
This is not an exhaustive list of possible knee pain treatments. Dr. Tessier will discuss all potential options once a diagnosis is determined.