The knee is a complex body part that functions through the interconnection of many individual pieces. The four bones of the knee — femur, tibia, fibula, and patella — are connected by the tendons and ligaments that surround them.
Between the bones and the tendons is cartilage that aids the knee bones to glide smoothly across one another. With so many sensitive parts, the knee is an intricate mechanism that can easily be disturbed, leading to soreness, limited mobility, or recurring bouts of pain.
Knee pain is incredibly common, with all ages posing a risk for discomfort. The knee is incredibly easy to injure, even with proper padding and protection.
Young athletes and active kids may have a greater risk of developing early-onset knee pain due to an injury. By adulthood, 25% of people will experience frequent knee pain.
Older adults also have an increased risk of developing knee pain because of common age-specific conditions like osteoarthritis.
Don’t let knee pain control how you live your life. You can recover the mobility you lost from knee pain by following a personalized course of action that utilizes a combination of effective treatment methods.
A knee pain specialist can guide you on your unique road to relief.
At Optimum Health, we focus on understanding the unique needs of each patient to individualize knee pain treatment in Cumming.
Carrying the burden of knee pain quickly becomes exhausting, but our providers can help your knee pain. Take control of your health with the resources available from our local team of professionals.
To get in touch with a trusted member of our team, contact us online or call (770)887-9443.
Knee Pain Treatment
You don’t have to simply tolerate knee pain when you can target and reverse it! To treat knee pain, many people resort to over-the-counter creams or prescribed painkillers, but these methods only provide temporary relief because they never address the root cause of your pain.
At Optimum Health, our providers use a wide variety of treatment options to create the most beneficial action plans that target causes of knee pain.
Physical rehabilitation is among the most common and effective treatment options for persistent knee pain. The goal is to identify the source of weakness or pain and to strengthen the muscle groups surrounding it, ensuring that the region can be stabilized and protected in the future.
This type of regimen can enable someone to ease through the healing process without introducing a risk of further injury.
Innovative therapies like manual manipulation and mechanical traction can provide fast-acting and long-term relief. Along with physical rehabilitation, the providers at Optimum Health can provide other treatments such as regenerative medicine. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections utilize nutrients from your own blood to promote a more rapid healing process to supplement other treatments.
What Are the Causes of Knee Pain?
Because of its many intricate moving parts, you could be experiencing knee pain for a wide variety of reasons. For instance, knee pain can be genetic, a symptom of another condition, or the result of an injury.
Identifying the cause of your knee pain is the first step to finding long-term relief. Many treatment options focus on the symptoms of your pain, but once we hone in on what’s causing it, we can tackle the root of the problem once and for all.
Some common causes of knee pain include the following:
- Torn meniscus: Very common among athletes, a torn meniscus affects the thick, rubbery cartilage that acts as a “shock absorber” between the shinbone and thighbone. This injury happens when a person rotates their knee with weight on it, so movements like a pivot in basketball are very risky for the meniscus. Generally, the healing process is 6 to 8 weeks, and it may require interventions like medication or even surgery.
- Knee bursitis: In the knee, there are fluid-filled sacs known as bursae that reduce friction between moving joints. Knee bursitis is a condition where the bursae in the knee get inflamed, causing irritation and pain. This typically happens as a result of certain injuries. Techniques like bed rest can calm the inflammation.
- ACL injury: The shinbone and thigh bone are connected by four ligaments, including the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Your ACL can stretch and eventually tear if forced to shift directions or is overextended. When this strong band of tissue tears, it can leave the sufferer in immense pain. This type of injury requires a long recovery process of 6 to 9 months, in which the injured person will slowly regain functioning ability.
- Fractures: You can sustain a fracture at any time, but knee fractures are especially common injuries in slip-and-falls or automobile accidents. The most common type is a patellar fracture, which is the bone that acts like a shield to the front of your knee — the “knee cap.” Certain medical conditions like osteoarthritis make a person more vulnerable to fractures, as well. The healing process for this injury is generally between 3 and 6 months.
- Patellar tendinitis: Patellar tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendons that surround the knee. This is one of the conditions that are a result of excessive overuse or strain. Overworking any body part can have some negative repercussions, but the sensitivity of the knee makes it easier to damage.
- Arthritis: Did you know that there are more than 100 types of arthritis? Many types of arthritis affect the knee, like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Most arthritis in the knee is degenerative, meaning it is the result of the strain that years of life have put on the area. While auto-immune-related arthritis may affect all ages, people over the age of 50 have an especially high risk of this condition.
When Should I See a Doctor for Knee Pain?
In most cases, knee pain is treatable without surgery or an emergency room visit. Some of the types of knee discomfort, like pain that develops slowly or is the result of overuse, can generally be treated at home.
You can utilize at-home treatment methods like cold compresses, over-the-counter creams, and elevation. Rest can have a largely impactful role in the recovery process, so kick your feet up!
If your knee pain persists, and the typical advice for at-home care does not make a difference within a few days, or you have additional symptoms like swelling, tenderness/warmth around the joint, redness, or the development of a fever, you should make an appointment to have your knee assessed.
Emergency care can be necessary in some cases. Generally, the most common type of knee pain that requires immediate medical intervention is acute injuries. If you are experiencing any of the following, immediate medical attention may be in your best interest:
- Pain is caused by a sudden injury
- Popping noise at the time of injury
- Sudden swelling
- The joint appears to be deformed
- Unable to put weight or pressure on the knee
Preventing Knee Pain
Even though knees are very sensitive, you can take certain measures to build up strength in mobility and joint health. The most important part of integrating any of these habits into your lifestyle is consistency.
The more your body gets used to these changes, the easier it will be to incorporate long-term.
To preserve the functioning ability of your knees, you can add some of the following tips into your daily routine:
- Quit smoking: Smoking affects the cartilage in your knee, degenerating it quicker and making a person more likely to endure conditions like osteoarthritis.
- Exercise consistently: Low-impact exercise is a proactive way to gradually strengthen your knees. Light walking, swimming, yoga, and cycling are all great examples of easy ways to exercise that can impact knee health.
- Stretch before and after you work out: Before you begin any exercise, it is important to warm up. Jumping right into exercise can shock your joints, but 5 minutes of simple stretches that get your blood flowing will help you avoid that.
- Wear comfortable shoes: The wrong shoes can leave you putting excessive pressure on your knee joints because of your under-supported feet.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Our knees carry 1.5x our weight, which leaves obese people at a higher risk of degenerative knee pain conditions.
Work With Optimum Health to Relieve Ongoing Knee Pain
Managing knee pain can have an exhausting effect on the body when you are attempting to go it alone. Having a team of experienced providers on your side to walk you through the steps of your healing journey can make all the difference in the quality of relief.
The providers at Optimum Health in Cumming are standing by to help you. We personalize an action plan that targets, relieves, and prevents further knee pain.
Our staff is committed to providing care for each patient and is dedicated to their long-term wellness. To get in touch with a trusted member of our team, contact us online or call (770)887-9443.