About 1 in 4 people experience chronic knee pain, and rates of knee arthritis have doubled since 1940.
Multiple reasons may contribute to this increase – Americans are living longer, obesity rates have also increased, and technology has decreased activity levels for many people. Regardless of the cause, the rise in knee pain has left many people looking for solutions.
Over-the-counter medications for knee pain (like ibuprofen or aspirin) work for some people, but they often have side effects, such as digestive difficulties and bleeding. Many patients find that they can’t use these medications long-term.
The opioid epidemic has made it very challenging to get a prescription for stronger pain medication, and opioids also have serious side effects, even for patients who don’t become dependent.
Grayson Knee Pain Treatment Options
When we meet people with knee pain, they’re often frustrated with their current treatment choices.
They may have been prescribed medication that didn’t help or that caused intolerable side effects. Or, they may have been advised to have surgery, but they understandably have concerns about the risks.
At Optimum Health Rehab, we understand that knee pain can impact your ability to work, enjoy your hobbies, or even get around your own home easily. We know it can be scary to consider surgery and frustrating to try multiple treatments without success.
Our team takes a holistic approach where we learn all about you, your life, and your treatment goals and prepare a plan to address your concerns. Here are some potential treatment options for knee pain (which vary depending on the cause and what works well for you):
Manual Adjustments of the Joint
You might think chiropractors only adjust backs, but we can adjust other joints if needed. In some cases, an adjustment of the knee can help address one cause of pain. Adjusting the spine, hip, or other joints may also relieve pressure on the knee joint in some cases.
Physical Rehabilitation
Many kinds of knee pain respond well to working with a physical rehab specialist.
Our skilled rehab specialists will review your diagnosis and medical history and ask questions about your pain and typical activities. They may ask you to go through some movements to assess your current knee use abilities.
Next, the physical rehab specialist will ask you to perform exercises designed to strengthen the knee’s muscles, ligaments, and tendons. You’ll also improve your flexibility and sometimes your balance as you work on these exercises.
Some will be done in our rehab center, while others will be assigned as “homework.”
Please follow the instructions for these home exercises carefully and do them on the schedule suggested by your therapist. Most of the progress you make will come from your adherence to the exercise schedule.
If you have difficulty with any exercises, please tell your therapist so they can choose an alternative to keep you on track.
Aside from exercises, your therapist can also recommend mobility aids or other devices to keep your knee aligned during exercise or reduce pressure on the knee.
This is often helpful for people with sports injuries, who may benefit from wearing a knee brace or learning new ways to do their usual movements while playing a sport.
A physical therapist may also recommend related treatments, such as hot and cold therapy to reduce post-workout pain or massage therapy to improve blood flow and promote healing between physical therapy sessions.
If your knee pain interferes with your physical rehab, we may also prescribe injections to temporarily reduce your pain and inflammation so you can do the needed exercises.
Regenerative Medicine
Osteoarthritis affects about 32.5 million people in the US, and the knee is one of the most commonly affected joints.
One cutting-edge treatment for knee osteoarthritis is platelet-rich plasma injections or PRP therapy. How does it work?
We start by placing a sample of your blood in a centrifuge, which spins around and separates the blood into its different components. One of those is plasma, a liquid that contains platelets, proteins, and other healing factors.
This is then further separated into platelet-rich and platelet-poor plasma, with most of the healing components concentrated in the platelet-rich variety.
Next, we’ll inject the platelet-rich plasma into your knee, using an ultrasound to ensure it reaches the right area for maximum impact. The entire procedure is done in the same appointment – we separate out the platelet-rich plasma while you wait.
After the injection, we recommend getting some rest and taking it easy for a few days, but many people return to their normal activities soon after that.
Research shows that patients who received PRP injections had better overall results than those who had other injections, including steroids and hyaluronic acid.
Studies also showed that any number of PRP injections effectively reduced pain, but patients who had at least three PRP shots also had improved knee functionality.
They also found no additional risks with PRP versus other treatments, probably because PRP is very safe – it uses your body’s own plasma, so there is no concern about blood-type compatibility or drug allergies.
Electrical Stimulation and Neurologic Services
Electrical stimulation, or E-Stim, is sometimes used to treat knee pain. With the placement of small electrodes, we can run a low-voltage current through the nerves in the knee to block pain signals from reaching the brain.
This process is not painful or uncomfortable; many people forget they’re even using an E-Stim or TENS unit.
Other neurologic services may be used to reduce pain or address nerve issues in the knee. Additionally, we might consider other treatments, including adjustment and physical therapy, to relieve pressure on an affected nerve in the knee.
Causes of Knee Pain
Optimum Health Rehab can help diagnose your knee pain and develop a treatment plan to suit your needs. We specialize in treating different causes of knee pain, including the following:
Arthritis
Arthritis can affect any joint, but the knees are a common source of pain. It can be caused by inflammation or the typical aging process (osteoarthritis).
If arthritis is causing your knee pain, we’ll work to determine the cause and recommend treatment options – there are usually multiple treatments we can try, and we will add new therapies as needed.
Car Accident Injuries
Many people in car accidents suffer knee injuries. Sometimes, these may not seem serious at the time.
If you see a doctor (which is always recommended after a car accident), they will probably take an X-ray and send you home if there is no fracture.
However, X-rays don’t show all injuries, and sometimes soft tissue damage (such as tears in the ligaments or tendons) can cause chronic pain. In other cases, a dislocated knee may be corrected, but the patient continues to have pain.
These are only a few examples of how knee injuries may lead to persistent pain after a car crash. The good news is that in many situations, we can address your pain with a combination of treatments.
Sports Injuries
Playing a sport is a great way to stay active and healthy, but in many cases, sports can be strenuous on the joints, including the knee. In particular, sports that involve a lot of running or kicking (soccer, football, etc.) often lead to knee pain.
Over time, the cartilage in the knee can even be worn down. There are many ways we can address and even help prevent sports injuries to the knee, and you will have more options if you come in as soon as you experience knee pain.
We’ll work to keep your knees healthy so you can continue scoring goals!
Nerve Pain
Nerve pain can occur anywhere in the body and may be caused by local issues (pressure on a nerve) or systemic problems (like an inflammatory disease or a vitamin deficiency).
Nerve pain in the knee is often related to pressure on the nerve from inflammation or misalignment of the bones. The sooner we can diagnose your nerve pain, the more options we have to treat it.
Is Surgery the Answer?
Not always.
Certain patients find that surgery, such as a knee replacement, reduces their pain. But they don’t always have an improvement in range of motion (the ability to use the joint), and some patients continue to have knee pain even after surgery.
The surgical approach also carries risks, including infection, blood clots, and nerve damage. If you’re considering surgery, it’s worth exploring other options first.
How to Get Started with Knee Pain Treatment
Please contact Optimum Health Rehab to set up a consultation about your knee pain.
Our helpful administrative staff can assist you with questions about insurance coverage or scheduling your first appointment. They can also help you transfer any needed medical records.
Once you’re here, we’ll evaluate your records, take a complete medical history, examine your knee, and order tests as needed – these may include X-rays, a CT scan, an MRI, nerve conduction studies, and more.
After diagnosing the cause or causes of your knee pain, we’ll build a comprehensive treatment plan and schedule follow-up visits to learn how you’re doing and make changes if necessary. Call (678)985-7286 today.