Anyone struggling with knee pain knows how quickly it can knock you off your feet. Whether you’re dealing with a sports injury or age-related wear and tear, an orthopedic or sports medicine specialist can help you understand what’s causing your discomfort and how to find knee pain relief.
What’s causing your knee pain?
Understanding the cause of your pain will lead to a more effective knee injury treatment. Often, your age is tied to the cause of your knee pain.
Some common conditions that cause knee pain include:
- Jumper’s knee
- ITB syndrome, a common cause of pain in the outer knee
- Meniscus tear
- Sprained ligaments
- Arthritis
If you’re under the age of 50, pain is most often the result of an injury or damage to the soft tissue and structures around your knee.
After a fall or injury to your knee, it’s reasonable to wait a couple of weeks to seek treatment. Ice, rest and over-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen or naproxen sodium should help reduce pain and any swelling. If your pain continues, or if you can’t put weight on your knee or fully extend your leg, it’s time to get it checked out.
For people over 50, the most common cause of knee pain is osteoarthritis or degenerative knee conditions. Make an appointment with your provider if the pain interferes with your regular activities and lasts longer than six weeks.
Non-surgical knee treatment options
If you’re struggling with knee pain, you might think you need surgery. Joseph Ruane, DO, sports medicine specialist at OhioHealth and team physician for the Columbus Blue Jackets, explains that patients have more non-surgical treatment options for knee pain than ever before.
“Across the spectrum, many of my patients aren’t aware of the advanced knee treatments we have available,” says Dr. Ruane. “We have many well-studied options that can ease or resolve your knee pain without surgery and an extended recovery time.”
Ultrasound is a relatively new diagnostic tool that can be used to diagnose orthopedic conditions. It also plays a role in non-surgical treatments, including plasma-rich platelet (PRP) therapy injections. PRP uses your own blood to boost healing and is a proven treatment for patients with arthritis-related joint pain. PRP can also provide targeted treatment for sprained ligaments, muscle strains and acute meniscus tears. Ultrasound imaging guides the injection placement.
Dr. Ruane says other promising advancements in non-surgical knee pain treatments include tenotomy. This in-office procedure uses ultrasound and saline to clean out portions of diseased tendon caused by conditions such as jumper or runner’s knee. Shockwave therapy is another newer treatment that uses high-energy sound waves to heal muscle, bone and tendon problems with a high level of success.
While steroid injections have long been a staple for patients hoping to postpone or prevent surgery, Dr. Ruane said that many orthopedic specialists are moving away from using the treatment too frequently. He explains that while it’s very useful when given at the right time, too many injections can cause cartilage damage.
Surgical treatment options
If non-surgical treatments don’t give you relief, a total knee replacement is often the next step. In the past, only patients over 60 had knee replacements. Today, it’s not uncommon for people to have significant arthritis earlier. If you’re prepared to have your knee replaced a second time, you can have a total knee replacement in your 40s.
“Once knee pain starts to impact your quality of life, it might be time to consider your knee surgery options,” says James Miller, DO, orthopedic surgeon and hip and knee replacement specialist at OhioHealth. “That decline can look different for everyone. For some people, it’s not playing golf, and for others, it’s not being able to walk the dog or play with their grandkids.”
Many patients now have minimally invasive joint replacement surgery, which uses smaller incisions that result in less pain and trauma, as well as a faster recovery. Patients can also benefit from robotic joint replacement surgery. Dr. Miller says both methods provide better outcomes with greater accuracy of implant placement and joint alignment.
Dr. Miller also says that patients recovering from joint replacement surgery no longer spend days in a hospital bed before putting weight on their new knee. Today most patients walk shortly after waking up from surgery and often go home the same day.
Recovery and prevention
When it comes to rehabilitation, non-surgical procedures and joint replacement surgery, Dr. Ruane and Dr. Miller stress that physical therapy for knee pain is a crucial part of healing and recovery. That’s because strengthening the muscles and ligaments that support your knee can greatly impact your range of motion and overall recovery.
“When your knee is injured, some of the muscles in your leg will start to shut down and atrophy right away. It’s a part of your body’s protective mechanism,” says Dr. Ruane. “Physical therapy is essential to targeted strength training that builds your muscles up, protects your joints and restores proper function.”
The good news is that it’s never too early or too late to focus on preventing knee injuries. Regular aerobic exercise, strength training and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce joint stress and help maintain your knee health, muscle mass and strength. However, because loss of muscle mass begins around age 30, both Dr. Miller and Dr. Ruane recommend staying active as you age.
“It’s important to understand that doing too much too fast can lead to injuries, as can expecting too much from your joints after periods of inactivity,” says Dr. Miller. “As with so many health conditions that can impact your health and well-being, it’s crucial to listen to your body and let it guide you.”
Want to learn more about knee care at OhioHealth? Check out our knee care page.
