Helping Patients To Make Informed Decisions
We’re funding research to improve patient experience before, during and after knee replacement surgery. This includes a project based at the University of Sheffield which aims to help patients make informed decisions about their surgery. The research team will use the UK National Joint Registry dataset to develop and validate a personalised, web-based decision aid to help patients considering knee joint replacement to make informed choices about their treatment.
Check In With Your Pharmacist
As with any medication regimen, make sure to discuss with your provider any other drugs you might be on as you discuss treatments for your knee pain. Make sure you consult your pharmacist about any potential interactions a new supplement may have with other medications and herbal products you are currently taking.
Exercises For Knee Pain
Exercise will always have the greatest effect.
The exercise doesnt have to be strenuous. In fact, when you are trying to help out an ailing joint, it shouldnt be.
Instead, increase your flexibility. Stretch. Give your joints more mobility, and better room to work.
For a knee, hug your leg in close to your body, and hold. Do that for each leg three times, 20 seconds each. Stretch out your thigh by holding your foot up against your backside, for the same number of repetitions and time.
For hips, crouch down with one leg outstretched to the side. Switch legs back and forth three times.
Strengthening the muscles around your joint helps as well, as they can help support your joint, and hold it in place. Lungestaking a large step forward with one foot, dropping low to the floor so your back knee nearly touches, then getting back upare a great way to make your entire leg stronger, hip and knees included.
Squats are wonderful as well. With your feet planted shoulder-width, lower your backside towards the floor like youre sitting, with the weight on the back of your feet, and then rise back up. Repeat for sixty seconds.
If you have a preferred way to exercise your legs, go for it. Just make sure you speak with a professional if you have any doubt about the safety of an exercise for your joint. You dont want extra stressyou want extra strength!
Recommended Reading: Can Knee Replacement Cause Neuropathy
Knee Replacement Alternatives To Consider
Crunching sounds as you climb stairs, chronic aching and swelling: Knee osteoarthritis is a real pain. If youre suffering with it, you may be considering surgery.
Getting a knee replacement is one approach, but you may not need surgery, at least not right away. And some patients cannot undergo knee replacement surgery for various reasons. Other people with knee pain are too young for a knee replacement the artificial knee is only likely to last 15 or 20 years, after which the person may need revision surgery.
There are several things you can try first, on your own or with a professionals help, that can help with knee pain and even delay the need for replacement.
Arthritis doesnt go away, but there are things you can do to lessen the pain and stay more active.
How To Heal A Torn Meniscus Naturally
Ultimately, finding out if torn meniscus surgery is needed requires examination of the knee by an orthopedic. If you injure your knee and have the symptoms we described, theres a pretty good chance your meniscus is torn.
Meniscus Tear Stretches & Exercises Ask Doctor Jo
Recommended Reading: Flying After Knee Replacement Surgery
Starting Your Walking Practice
Now, I know the last thing you want to do when you have arthritis in your knees is go for a brisk walk. And Im not going to sugarcoat it, starting a vigorous walking practice will be painful at first. But it will help you in the long run.
Not only will it reduce your risk of knee replacement surgery in the future, but it will improve your knee pain in the present. Thats because walking helps rebuild your joints. It also strengthens your muscles, which means less pressure on your joints. Plus, it helps you lose weight, which also takes pressure off your joints.
If youve ever heard that regular walking will make your knee arthritis worse, dont believe it. A 2009 study published in Canada Family Physician, shows that exercise does not cause knee osteoarthritis to progress. In fact, people who exercise have less pain and disability.
Of course, be careful not overdo it. If you feel unstable, experience sudden swelling or have major pain that makes it impossible to stand on one leg, stop exercising.
Its common sense really. A little bit of stiffness and discomfort is normal. But extreme pain and swelling is a sign your exercise routine went awry. To prevent this from happening, start out slow and gradually work your way up to a quicker walking speed and more time on your feet. Eventually, youll see substantial improvements in your knee pain and hopefully, a reduced risk of surgery.
/5how To Perform This Exercise
For performing the exercise, participants sat on a chair with one end of an exercise band wrapped around their ankle. The other end of the band was fixed behind a door to serve as an anchor. The participants were not allowed to grab the band. Each rep was for eight seconds- three for extending the leg, one-second pause at the top, four seconds for lowering the leg.
Recommended Reading: Knee Walker Mobility Scooter
Tips To Help Your Patients Avoid Joint Replacement Surgery
These 5 tips will help your patients keep their joints strong:
Why I Always ‘listen’ To My Knees
Bad knees run in my family, but I still never thought they would sideline me. I used to sit cross-legged with ease. Kneeling was something I didnt think about.
Then when I turned 60, my knees starting talking to me.
First, there was burning and discomfort during long flights sitting in cramped economy seats. Stairs began to give me pause. Even curbs were sometimes painful.
So began my knee odyssey, which has been marked by physical therapy, X-rays and MRIs, multiple doctors, a pricey brace so difficult to put on that it is unused, lots of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, numerous ice packs, cortisone shots in both knees, various dietary supplements, topical ointments, and one foldable cane.
The low point came when one of my knees blew up like a balloon, requiring fluid to be removed with a long needle and no anesthesia. That was followed by nearly a week of sleepless nights because of a knee that felt like it was on fire.
If I could have removed my kneecap, I would have done it in a heartbeat.
Ive also trimmed a few pounds and plan to lose more, taken up yoga, and bought a device that keeps my legs moving under my desk.
Are my knees better? Yes, an improvement measured by my physical therapist and how the foldable cane is gathering dust. But if I slip off the program, I soon pay the price with stiffer knees, less flexibility and more pain.
My hope is that, like Bedard, I can bring my knees back to better health and sidestep future invasive procedures.
Read Also: Whiten Knees Fast
Use Targeted Exercises To Build Muscle
Moderate exercise is an excellent way to help protect your knee joints. Building up the muscles around your knees helps reduce the stress on your joints. Your outer, middle, and inner thigh muscles and calf muscles help support your knees.
Your local gym may offer senior exercise classes with instructors who have been specially trained to work with men and women over 50. Water aerobics is also a great way to get non-weight bearing exercise. If youd rather work out by yourself, check in with a trainer whos knowledgeable about senior exercise needs.
At your next physical, ask your doctor to check your leg strength. If youre weak, physical therapy can help strengthen your muscles, and the therapist can show you beneficial exercises for your knees.
Suffering From Bad Knees Some Look For Alternatives To Surgery
The burning in his kneecaps was what Richard Bedard noticed first. Then came the tenderness and pain. Sitting for 10 hours a day as a financial editor in Hong Kong was agonizing. So was walking short distances or just standing in the elevator.
Neither doctors nor physical therapists could offer any lasting relief. Surgery loomed. But Bedard tried a different approach: a personal experiment to try to repair the cartilage in his knees with special exercises. It wasnt easy and it took more than a year to accomplish, but he sidestepped a knee operation.
Now, 10 years later, Bedard, 57, runs around with his young kids, climbs stairs and bikes up to 60 miles on weekends, all without pain. It was, all and all, a lengthy process, said Bedard, who has written an e-book about his successful effort to fix his knees without surgery. These days, he added, I still notice some burning in my knees when sitting, but for the most part, my knees feel really good.
Studies suggest about 1 in 4 adults suffer from chronic knee pain. The number of sore, swollen and stiff knees has risen 65 percent in the past four decades and the increase cant be explained by aging or obesity alone, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys and the Framingham Osteoarthritis study.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Dark Spots On Knees Fast
Osteoarthritis Treatments And Self
Posted March 29, 2013
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people around the world. Often called wear-and-tear arthritis, osteoarthritis occurs when the protective cartilage on the ends of your bones in your joints wears down over time.
While osteoarthritis can damage any joint in your body, the disorder most commonly affects joints in your hands, neck, lower back, knees and hips.
Osteoarthritis gradually worsens with time, and no cure exists. When the chronic pain of arthritis affects the knee, it can have a huge impact on general health, as the resultant decrease in exercise can worsen or contribute to obesity, diabetes, an increased cancer risk, and high cholesterol. But osteoarthritis treatments and self-help can slow the progression of the disease, relieve pain and improve joint function.
Of course, should the pain continue and become life-alteringin other words, miserablethere is the option of an artificial knee replacement. Still, any surgery has its risks, and an artificial anything is generally not as good as the real thing. In terms of patient satisfaction, hip and knee replacements rank at the top. In fact, more than 95 percent of patients said they are satisfied with the outcome of their total knee replacement one year after surgery, according to a study presented at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Reasons Why Scar Tissue Management Is Important
Once scar tissue develops, its essential to work on promoting healthy tissue as soon as possible before possible problems arise. Remodeling the scar makes it so the injured tissue can tolerate the stress and forces the body encounters every day from regular activity. Tissue remodeling can help in three ways:
- Improve range of motion in surrounding joints and muscles
- Restore normal mobility and function
Don’t Miss: What Rebuilds Cartilage
Knee Manipulation Procedure What To Expect
If you have recently undergone a knee replacement surgery and your regular postoperative physical therapy exercises do not seem to increase your range of motion, your doctor might recommend you knee manipulation surgery.
Knee manipulation is performed under general or epidural anesthesia. Prior to joint manipulation and ice pack is applied to the affected knee to prepare the tissues for the procedure for approximately 5 minutes. After that your doctor will perform the actual knee manipulation by forcing your knee to bend or flex and break up the scar tissue around the joint preventing the proper movement.
The actual knee manipulation takes very little time, but the recovery, on the other hand, includes grueling aggressive and rather painful physical therapy to increase flexibility and range of motion in your knee. Its absolutely crucial for you to stick to the knee exercise regimen to gain at least 110 degree knee bend to perform your daily activities like walking, doing steps and getting up from a sitting position.
Knee manipulation might help restore the flexibility of your knee joints if you commit to stringent physical therapy exercise program and follow all your doctors orders.
You may also consider additionally to try alternative treatment such as visceral manipulation procedure.
Treatments For Constipation After Surgery
How long is too long to have constipation after surgery? The state of being constipated is not a healthy one, and ideally bowel movements should happen once a day, but there is some variation on this. If you have constipation after surgery, its important to deal with it and there are treatments available to ensure your body keeps operating as it did before the surgery. Note that if you dont have a bowel movement within five days, you need to speak to your doctor right away.
Also Check: What Is Nano Knee Replacement
If You Have Osteoarthritis Take Care Of Your Knees To Avoid Surgery
If you have osteoarthritis, surgery is rarely a first resort. There are plenty of things you can do to avoid heading into the operating room. Take care of your knees with these solutions.
Weight loss. For many, weight loss is a basic but crucial way to help avoid knee surgery. Shedding just 15 pounds can cut knee pain in half. And should you need arthritis knee surgery later, youll decrease your risk of complications and reduce strain on your knees, which will make your rehabilitation go more smoothly.
Physical activity. The health of your knees depends on movement. Strong muscles support the joint and relieve pressure. Movement keeps tissues within the joint flexible, lubricated and replenished with nutrients that help healing. If you end up having knee surgery, the rehab will be easier if you start strengthening muscles before surgery. Walking is a great way to keep your knees healthy and pain free. Learn more about why exercise is so important if you have arthritis and hope to avoid knee surgery, and get some great ideas for maintaining motivation, stretching, safe moves and more.
Braces. Prescribed by a doctor and fitted by a physical therapist, braces can improve the alignment of the knee, relieving pain.
Corticosteroid injections. Knee joint injections help reduce inflammation, which can alleviate pain without causing side effects associated with oral corticosteroids.
Recruit An Occupational Therapist
An occupational therapist can suggest ways to minimize stress on your knees as you go about your daily routine, says Jane McCabe, MS, OTR/L, an occupational therapist in Orange County, California.
One strategy that can ease joint strain: Always sit in a chair that has arms that way, you can push off them when you stand up. Your occupational therapist can also recommend assistive devices that make it easier to stand up, like kneelers, according to the Arthritis Foundation.
Also Check: Knee Brace Infomercial
Essential Oils For Knee Pain And Healing
I believe that essential oils played a key role in helping me get better. Prior to this injury, I had almost no experience with oils. To say that I fell in love with them is an understatement.
- Wintergreen: Contains 99% methyl salicylate, which gives it cortisone-like properties. Supports discomfort that is related to inflammation of bones, muscles, and joints. This is my favorite essential oil for knee pain!
- Peppermint: Anti-inflammatory properties helps damaged tissues. Has a soothing and cooling effect.
- German Chamomile: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and analgesic.
- Helichrysum: May help clean the blood and improves circulatory functions. It is a potent anti-inflammatory.
- Lemongrass: which supports inflammatory response, ligaments and tissue regeneration.
- Frankincense: which is also an anti-inflammatory and immune support that is good for general healing.
How Can You Avoid Knee Surgery
We tend to think of surgery as a painful, but safe, solution to many ills. We think it so safe, that theres an entire industry of elective surgeries.
But the truth is, surgery always comes with risk. I recently read about a patient who died due to an infection contracted while getting a face lift. There is always risk involved in surgery.
Now its true that some surgeries are riskier than others. Its harder to operate on a heart or brain than a leg. And some people have greater risk than others. Diabetes or a history of heart trouble, for instance, up the odds that something will go wrong.
Thats why its important, before any surgery, to ask how high your personal risk is. And you have to weigh that against the benefit. When it comes to joint replacement surgery, the risk is usually higher than the reward demands.
On top of that, though we dont think of it this way, joint replacement is a temporary fix. Most replacement joints have a shelf-life of around 20 yearsbut sometimes much less. If youre having surgery at 59, youre most likely going to have to go through the whole process again, at a more advanced age.
Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Dark Spots On Your Knees