INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — Knee pain impacts about 25% of adults, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians. One of the main causes, especially as people age, is osteoarthritis. Doctors say before signing up for surgery, there are many other options to consider.
“Knee replacement is reserved for folks with end-stage arthritis,” said Eric A. Monesmith, MD, hip and knee surgeon at OrthoIndy Hospital.
In the earlier stages of the disease, doctors say pain can be treated in a variety of other ways.
“As long as you have well-controlled symptoms and you’re functional, you can live with arthritis for a long time without having surgery,” Dr. Monesmith explained.
The first and easiest option is medication.
“The mainstay of the treatment of arthritis is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Those would be your Ibuprofens, your Naproxens,” Dr. Monesmith told Ivanhoe.
Another option proven to help is steroid injections in the knee.
“Short term of course,” Dr. Monesmith said.
For patients wanting to try a more natural approach:
“Supplements like glucosamine and chondroitin. Turmeric is a natural anti-inflammatory,” explained Dr. Monesmith.
Doctors also recommend strengthening the muscles around the knee.
“Physical therapy and strength training can be very helpful,” Dr. Monesmith told Ivanhoe.
For cases with more severe pain, a procedure called cryoablation treats the sensory nerves in the knee.
“That can be used mainly for folks who don’t qualify for surgery,” said Dr. Monesmith
Losing weight can also help by reducing pressure on knee joints. Dr. Monesmith says while all these options can help manage pain, they don’t fix the problem.
“Eventually if those things fail, then the end, you know, the last result or the last thing to do is a knee replacement,” he said.
Dr. Monesmith also says it’s best to consider surgery before the symptoms are too severe or it’s hard to even walk. He says the longer it’s delayed, the more difficult recovery will be after the surgery.
Contributors to this news report include: Lindsay Daily, Producer; Kyle Fisher, Videographer; Chuck Bennethum, Editor.
Source:
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2018/1101/p576.html
* For More Information, Contact: Brandon Smith
Chief Development Officer for OrthoIndy
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