Non-Surgical Treatment for Arthritis of the Knee
Before deciding on knee surgery, your physician may try several knee
surgery alternatives to relieve the pain and inflammation in your
knee.
Lifestyle Modification
The
first alternative to knee surgery most physicians try is lifestyle
modification. This may include weight loss, avoiding activities such
as running and twisting which can aggravate the knee injury, modifying
exercise to no- and low-impact, and other changes in your daily
routine to reduce stress on your knee.
Exercise and Physical Therapy
Exercise and physical therapy may be prescribed
to improve strength and flexibility. Exercises may include
strengthening exercises such as riding a stationary bike, and
stretching exercises such as flexing the ankle up and down, tightening
and holding thigh muscles, sliding the heel forward on the floor, leg
lifts, and knee extensions.
Exercise can strengthen your leg muscles and reduce
your pain. If you really need knee surgery, this may not help, but
many forms of knee pain can be mitigated by exercise.
Anti-inflammatory Medications
Arthritis pain is caused by inflammation in the knee as the bones rub
against each other due to eroded cartilage. Reducing the inflammation
of the tissue in the knee can provide temporary relief from pain and
delay knee surgery. Anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed to
decrease swelling in the joint.
Glucosamine/Chondroitin
A dietary supplement called
glucosamine/chondroitin may improve the joint’s mobility and decrease
pain from arthritis of the knee. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate
can slow the deterioration of cartilage in the joint, reducing the
pain of bone on bone. Both are naturally occurring molecules in the
body. Glucosamine is thought to promote the growth of new cartilage
and repair of damaged cartilage, while chondroitin is believed to
promote water retention, improving the elasticity of cartilage, and
also to inhibit cartilage-destroying enzymes.
Intra-articular (within the joint) Treatments
These treatments involve one or
more injections into the knee joint. There are two types of intra-articular
treatments:
-
Corticosteroid injections -
Corticosteroids are natural substances known as hormones. They
can provide pain relief and reduce inflammation with a subsequent
increase in quadriceps (thigh muscle) strength. However, the
effects are not long-lasting, and no more than four injections
should be given per joint per year.
-
Viscosupplementation -
Viscosupplementation is a way of adding fluid to lubricate the
joint and make it easier to move. There is less fluid in a knee
with osteoarthritis than in a healthy knee. Three to five weekly
shots are needed to reduce the pain, but the pain relief is not
permanent. Many patients experience improvement for weeks to
months, however, and find the process highly worthwhile.
Bracing
A brace may be used to provide external stability to
the knee joint. Braces are devices made of plastic, metal, leather
and/or foam and are designed to stabilize a joint, reduce pain and
inflammation and strengthen the muscles of the knee. By putting
pressure on the sides of the joint, the brace causes the joint to
realign, which in turn decreases the contact between the two rough
bone surfaces and reduces the pain while increasing mobility.
As you can see there are several
non-surgical options for treating osteoarthritis. These methods can
delay knee surgery by providing short-term relief. However, any drug
therapy program is likely to have side effects which should be taken
into consideration. Non-surgical procedures may also have limited
results compared to the long-term results of knee surgery.
Knee Replacement Surgical Options |
