Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Treatment Options
Exercise, weight loss, physical therapy
These types of treatments are usually the first step in OA therapy. Often, approaches such as exercise, weight loss, and physical therapy can be combined with other treatments to produce the best results. For example, exercise can help improve range of joint motion and keep muscles strong and properly aligned as well as help relieve pain and stiffness. Weight loss can reduce the amount of stress on a knee joint, and physical therapy can help strengthen knee joints. Before you begin any exercise or weight loss program, be sure to first discuss it with your doctor.
Nutritional supplements
These are products commonly used to treat OA knee pain. Nutritional supplements include glucosamine and chondroitin. The clinical evidence supporting their use in OA is limited, so their role in OA is controversial.
Medications
Medications are often used to relieve OA knee pain. These include pain relievers available over-the-counter (without a prescription), such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and a class of pain relievers known as NSAIDs, such as ibuprofen. There is also a newer class of prescription NSAIDs called "coxibs" that are less likely to cause serious digestive system problems; however, they may cause other serious side effects. Remember to tell your doctor about any medicines you take, even those you buy over-the-counter. While these medicines may provide knee pain relief, they need to be taken every day in order to experience continued relief.
Corticosteroid injections
This treatment can be used to reduce local inflammation and swelling, which may in turn relieve OA knee pain. However, pain relief with these agents is relatively short term and the number of injections per year per knee may be limited.
Viscosupplementation
In a healthy knee, natural fluid cushions the knee joint. In a knee with OA the joint fluid can deteriorate. In viscosupplementation, fluid is injected directly into a knee joint with OA. The goal is to replace diseased joint fluid, to reduce pain and improve mobility. Viscosupplementation can relieve knee pain and may improve function - which may enable you to do the things you used to do and return to a more active life. There are 3-, 4-, and 5-injection viscosupplementation treatment options, and they are FDA approved. The injections are given by experienced doctors.
Surgery
In more advanced cases of OA of the knee, surgery may be the best option. This may include arthroscopy to remove damaged cartilage and loose bodies, and surgical procedures to replace old cartilage with new cartilage. For some people, a complete joint replacement may be needed.
Take the next step —
talk with your doctor about treatment options for relieving OA knee pain
Whether you have mild, moderate, or even severe OA knee pain, it's important to talk with your doctor. Together, you can determine what treatment option(s) may be right for you. OA can progress, so it's important to explore ways to relieve your pain now. With the right treatment, you may be able get relief from OA knee pain and do the things you used to do. If you would like to learn more about a specific viscosupplementation treatment, sign up to receive a free "Knee Pain Relief Kit".
