Knee Pain
Age of paradox:
Once Upon A Time, Stiff Arthritic Gait And Swollen, Angry Joints Went With Silver Hair, Now Young Urban Indians Have Now Become Prime Candidates For Arthritis.”
Could my pain be from osteoarthritis?
Yes. Probably 95% of knee pain caused by arthritis is osteoarthritis, which is caused by “wear and tear” on the joints. Other types, like rheumatoid arthritis, are much less common causes of knee pain. Arthritis is a chronic condition that causes joint inflammation.
What kind of injuries can cause knee pain?
They’re usually twisting injuries to the knee: ACL, meniscus, or ligament injuries.
What’s the difference?
The main difference between arthritis and other kinds of knee pain is there’s no trauma associated with it. A person who tore their ACL or had a meniscus injury knows exactly when it happened. With arthritis, it’s more of dull, aching pain. It gets worse as time goes on.
Will my pain go away on its own?
It depends. Arthritis pain tends to wax and wane over time. It may not completely go away, but sometimes it feels much better. Pain from an injury improves at first, but if you’re left with a sore joint, you may not be able to do certain activities.
When do I need to see a doctor?
Everyone has a different pain threshold. If you have an injury and your knee swells, you need to see your doctor. Even if the swelling goes away, you need to have your knee examined — you might have injured something inside the joint. If you have arthritis pain and the bad days outnumber the good, you should see your doctor.
When medication and physical therapy don’t give you enough relief, total replacement of the knee joint is the last resort. The Indian Arthroplasty Association warns that the country is on the verge of becoming the global topper, with 100,000 joint replacement surgeries performed in 2014, up from 40,000 in 2007.
Now worldwide new strategies coming up for joint preservation. Researchers are looking for new ways to treat knee osteoarthritis. Some of the methods they’re trying include the following.
Hyaluronic Acid or Hyaluronate Injections
Also called Visco supplements, this treatment tries to restore synovial fluid, which is a slippery substance that helps lubricate joints.
A major component of synovial fluid is called hyaluronate. For more than 20 years, doctors have tried to restore mobility and curb pain by injecting hyaluronate directly into the knee joint. But even after years of use, studies about the treatment have disagreed.
- Category: Conditions We Treat
