The tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones surrounding the knee are susceptible to injury and structural damage. If conservative treatments fail to treat your knee pain, you can explore various surgical options. Chronic knee pain can make your life more stressful, which is why some patients opt for knee surgery.
Signs That You Require Knee Surgery
In most cases, knee injury and damage respond well to conservative treatments like medications, cortisone injections, prolotherapy, and physical therapy. However, look out for the symptoms below that indicate the need for additional medical intervention.
Intense and Frequent Pain
It is not normal to feel intense, disabling, and frequent knee pain. See a doctor if the pain lasts for weeks or keeps you awake at night. If you need pain medication to go through your day, it may be time for knee surgery. Sometimes, your knee pain may get worse in cold or humid weather.
Limited Mobility
You may be a candidate for knee surgery if you have trouble walking the stairs, walking, or standing up from a chair. Chronic pain makes it challenging to complete the activities you could previously perform with ease, such as climbing out of the bathtub or picking up your kids.
Worsening Arthritis
Many people with chronic knee pain have osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, which causes loss of motion, pain, and loss of cartilage. You may need knee surgery to replace the damaged structures.
Ineffectiveness of Non-Surgical Options
Home remedies like an ice pack and hot baths may relieve mild knee pain. If the pain persists, your physician may recommend medication, weight loss, cortisone injections, and other interventions that provide relief. However, if your mobility continues to decline, it may be time for knee surgery.
Types of Knee Surgery
Arthroscopic surgery is the most common knee surgery, where a surgeon uses tiny instruments to repair cartilage and remove loose fragments. This minimally invasive surgery remedies many kinds of knee problems.
If the joint cartilage has severely degenerated, your surgeon may recommend a knee replacement operation. During the procedure, the surgeon replaces the degenerated areas of the knee joint with metal, plastic, and ceramic parts.
Prolotherapy: An Alternative to Knee Surgery
Prolotherapy is an effective treatment for knee pain caused by worn-out cartilage. The treatment involves injecting irritants into tendons, ligaments, and joints to stimulate a natural healing process that repairs damaged tissues. The result is reduced pain and stiffness and increased flexibility.
Prolotherapy also enhances the mobility and function of the knee joint. By stimulating the body’s natural healing process, you can hopefully avoid invasive knee surgery. Contact Boston Prolotherapy & Orthopedics to learn more about how prolotherapy can treat your knee pain.