Alternatives to Knee Surgery

In most cases knee surgery is the only viable option for long term relief from leg and back pain. However, it isn't the only option, and non-surgical options for knee replacement are becoming more popular. While these alternative treatments won't actually cure the cause of your pain, they can offer you a knee pain management option that can relieve some of your symptoms. In this article, we'll discuss two of these options.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy: One of the more common alternatives to knee surgery is physical therapy. Physical therapists are typically the ones that specialize in helping patients overcome movement restrictions related to their injuries. They will work with you to strengthen your weak muscles, and stretch those that are overstretched. This can often be enough to alleviate most knee pain.

Other types of physical therapy treatments include ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and heat treatments. While all of these have their strong proponents, it is important to discuss all of your treatment options with a doctor before undergoing any type of physical therapy. Only a trained physical therapist can determine if your symptoms warrant such treatments. knee surgery should always be the last resort, but sometimes these other treatments can make a huge difference in the overall outcome.

Arthritis Relief

As the name implies, knee arthritis involves problems with the structures and movements of the knee itself. The most common type of arthritis that affects the men's knee is called osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis affects the bones of the knee and the surrounding tissues. Some people may not experience symptoms, while others will have severe pain and lose movement. People who experience more severe pain will usually need to wear a brace to protect the delicate joints in the knees.

Arthritis Relief: Many people with knee pain opt to take anti-inflammatory medications instead of surgery. These alternative treatments work by reducing inflammation and improving joint mobility. This will often relieve some of the pain, as well as improving function. Anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can be used for this purpose. There are also numerous herbal remedies that are believed to ease knee arthritis pain.

Tendon Supplements

Tendon Supplements: Some people with knee injury find that using tendon supplements can reduce the amount of pain that they experience while doing simple activities. Doctors may require patients to take an anti-inflammatories or NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to reduce inflammation before prescribing these supplements. While these drugs are not considered to be a substitute for physical therapy, they do improve symptoms. Therefore, they may require that patients use them for a short period of time before seeing improvement in the symptoms.

Therapeutic Exercise

Therapeutic Exercise: While there is no consensus regarding the effect of physical therapy on the results of knee replacement surgery, many doctors do not discount the possibility. Physical therapists perform a number of exercises designed to improve movement and function. These exercises may even be able to reduce swelling and reduce pain. If your physician feels that you may benefit from these kinds of knee pain treatments, he or she will most likely recommend them.

Steroid Injections

Steroid Injections: While there are many alternatives to knee surgery, many knee surgeries still require injections. Steroid shots are used to reduce inflammation and swelling in the area of the injury. While they do reduce pain, there are serious health risks involved with these injections, which should be weighed carefully. Before you decide to undergo an injection, it is important to discuss your options with your doctor and weigh the benefits against the risks.

Alternative Therapies

Alternative Therapies: Several other alternative treatments for knee surgery exist, including massage therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). These alternative therapies can help to reduce pain and increase range of motion, though it is not clear how effective they are for knee pain. More research is needed to determine their effectiveness. There are some potential dangers with these alternative therapies as well.

You may be tempted to reach for a pain medication or a sling. But there are many more alternatives to knee surgery, and the choice is really up to you. A lot of people find that using ice, heat, and massage helps them get back to normal. Heat is especially helpful if your injury has caused swelling to occur. Many people who have injured their knees find that these traditional therapies and alternative treatments help them return to physical fitness as quickly as possible.