Seeing The Doctor For A Diagnosis
Patient Services At Anova Institute For Regenerative Medicine
- Located in the center of Germany, quick access by car or train from anywhere in Europe
- Simple access worldwide, less than 20 minutes from Frankfurt Airport
- Individualized therapy with state-of-the-art stem cell products
- Individually planned diagnostic work-up which include world-class MRI and CT scans
- German high quality standard on safety and quality assurance
- Personal service with friendly, dedicated Patient Care Managers
- Scientific collaborations with academic institutions to assure you the latest regenerative medical programs
Strahlenbergerstr. 110
When Can A Patient Return To Work
This is a common question after knee replacement surgery and entirely depends on the nature of work the patient performs as part of their occupation. For those patients who work in jobs that are relatively sedentary such as office work, returning to work after 2 to 3 weeks is perfectly reasonable however, for patients whose work demands more of them physically, e.g., fireman, police officer, these patients are usually recommended to wait at least 6 weeks before returning to work.
This is because muscle recovery is usually sufficient by 6 weeks to allow for the normal duties of these more physically demanding occupations at this point in time. However, it is also a case that even for the more physically demanding occupations, if a modification of these duties is available to the patients for the postoperative recovery period then this would potentially allow for an early return to work.
Also Check: Shower After Knee Surgery
Injections Are Another Low
If other strategies dont provide enough relief, injection therapy is an option with low risk.
A corticosteroid injection involves delivering this anti-inflammatory drug directly to the knee. The benefits are typically short lived. But it varies from person to person. I tell my patients the pain relief can last anywhere from a week to a year, says Dr. Day. One cautionary note with corticosteroids is the potential to increase blood sugar, which is a concern for people with uncontrolled diabetes.
For a possibly longer lasting effect, an injection of hyaluronic acid can be tried. Hyaluronic acid is a substance that healthy joints have a lot of and arthritic knees dont, says Dr. Day. It takes longer to start working than a corticosteroid injection, but the effect often lasts six months to a year.
Two other injection therapies are platelet-rich plasma and stem cells, neither of which is covered by insurance. PRP involves drawing some blood, spinning it in a centrifuge, and injecting part of it into the knee. Theres currently more science backing up the effect of PRP than stem cells, says Dr. Day.
If youre not able to get your symptoms under control with a combination of these measures, she says, it could be time to talk to your doctor about surgery.
This article originally appeared in Cleveland Clinic Arthritis Advisor.
Why Should I See A Pain Management Specialist
Pain management is an important part of any treatment plan, both for lessening discomfort and aiding in recovery. Pain management specialists understand the full range of pain relief options and how to use these options in combination. Treatments done as part of a comprehensive, multimodal plan may help even if each treatment does not seem to make a difference when used in isolation.
Pain management specialists work with patients to help diagnose pain and treat it safely and effectively with as few side effects as possible. These treatments do not have to involve medication. In fact, pain management is generally more successful when a comprehensive approach is used, with or without medications.
Recommended Reading: Can I Have Both Knees Replaced At The Same Time
Be Gentler When You Exercise
Running on roads can jar your knees, while a jog through a wooded trail carries the risk of falls and twists to knees and ankles. A better way to run is on a treadmill or track, or alternate jogging with walking, Dr. White suggests. Biking doesnt put as much strain on your knees, but it can cause pain if you ratchet up the resistance too high on a stationary bike or the saddle is pushed back too far or is too low. If you bike a lot outdoors, you might want to spring for a professional bike fitting, which can help you with seat and handlebar height and pedal strokes. Whatever exercise you do, just remember to warm up. You lose muscle strength as you get olderespecially if you sit at a desk most daysand that just increases your chances of injury when you head out to exercise.
How Boswellia Supplements Reduce Knee Pain
Boswellia contains several anti-inflammatory substances, including boswellic acids, which are as effective in reducing pain as some non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs . Boswellia is particularly effective for reducing knee pain, and is often combined with other joint supplements such as turmeric and glucosamine to boost their effects.
When Boswellia extracts were added to cartilage cultures grown from people underoing knee replacement surgery, Boswellia was found to stabilise the cartilage, reduce loss of structural substances, and had a protective, anti-inflammatory effect that was predicted to reduce cartilage degeneration.
Also Check: Do Compression Sleeves Help With Knee Pain
How Effective Are Collagen Supplements For Knee Pain
Collagen supplements stimulate the synthesis of collagen, to help maintain the structure of the joint and reduce joint discomfort. Collagen supplements also increase blood levels of the amino acids needed to make collagen, and when collagen hydrolysate is labelled to show up on x-ray, it is seen to preferentially accumulate in cartilage and to build it up .
Osteoarthritis knee pain: Taking 40mg per day of undenatured collagen type 2, or 10g hydrolysed collagen per day can significantly improve joint pain, stiffness and function within 3 to 6 months.
Those with the greatest joint degeneration and with the lowest intake of dietary meat protein benefited the most.
Sports injury knee pain: In athletes and weekend warriors who experience knee pain on exercise, taking either 40mg undenatured collagen type 2 supplements per day, or a liquid collagen hydrolysate supplement for 4 to 6 months, provides significant improvements compared with placebo.
Have Heel And Knee Pain It Could Be The Way You Walk
< PREVIOUS Mexican Woman, Ultra Marathoner and Goat Herder Wins 50Km Mountain Race in Sandals: Leaves 500 Others in Her Wake | article | NEXT > Are You Risking Foot and Ankle Injuries by Running on Harder Surfaces? This Is What Science Says
Last week, we posted about overpronation, some common injuries that befall overpronators, and some methods of dealing with aches and pains and preventing injuries.
This week, were revisiting the topic of pronation to talk about the much less common condition, underpronation, also known as supination. If you recall, pronation refers simply to the rotational motion of the midfoot inward and downward, as the foot takes on the weight of the body with each step.
Some amount of pronation is required to adequately absorb the shock of walking and running. Underpronation is when the foot rolls inward too little. People who underpronate put more stress on the outer edges of their feet and, in extreme cases, this can cause problems.
You May Like: Water In The Knees
Prevention Tips For Knee Injuries
- Warm up joints and muscles by gently going through the motions of your sport or activity and stretching muscles.
- Wear appropriate footwear.
- Avoid sudden jarring motions.
- Try to turn on the balls of your feet when youre changing direction, rather than twisting through your knees.
- Cool down after exercise by performing light, easy and sustained stretches
- Build up an exercise program slowly over time.
What Are Risks And Complications Of Knee Replacement
Complications of knee replacement surgery include:
- Blood clot in the deep veins of the leg
- A DVT can be deadly if it travels to the lungs so see a doctor if you have symptoms that could indicate a DVT, such as leg pain or swelling
Recommended Reading: How To Reduce Swelling After Total Knee Replacement
How Vitamin C Reduces Knee Pain
People who obtain at least the recommended dietary intake of vitamin C, or higher, for example, are half as likely to develop osteoarthritis as those with lower intakes.
Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and for the metabolism of joint cartilage. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, especially in joint fluid.
Poor intakes of vitamin C can lead to reduced collagen formation and slow joint healing. In contrast, good intakes of vitamin C can reduce cartilage loss and disease progression in osteoarthritis, while its antioxidant action reduces joint inflammation.
Vitamin C stimulates bone-building cells to improve bone mineral density and support the overlying joint cartilage. Vitamin C may even help to prevent damage, cartilage loss and the development of osteoarthritis.
Jump Landing With Control
The last in this sequence helps to improve knee control in movement, with the added layer of impact.
- Start with a basic broad jump, but focus on landing softly with bent knees, and control your landing.
- Once youre comfortable with that, play around with jumping on a diagonal, or with one leg at a time.
- The key with any of the variations shown is to focus on control. Jumping is perfectly safe for the kneesif done with safe technique.
Don’t Miss: What Do You Do For Water On The Knee
What Can I Do About Knee Arthritis
Aside from a traumatic injury to the knee, you may be suffering from a chronic condition like osteoarthritis. This inflammation occurs due to loss of cartilage in your knee joint due to wear and tear of the cartilage, so the bones in the joint are rubbing against each other and causing pain. If the knee pain persists, your condition needs to be evaluated by an orthopedic doctor as soon as possible.
Top 7 Ways To Treat Your Runners Knee
by Sabrina Wieser
Although runners knee is quite common among runners, its not really one specific injury. Its actually a broad term that is used to describe knee pain that runners can experience for many different reasons. If you see a doctor for your runners knee, he will probably call it patellofemoral pain syndrome. Today you will find out what is the fastest way to get rid of runners knee?
You May Like: Why Does My Knee Stiffen Up After Sitting
Self Soft Tissue Work
The biggest thing you can do that will help you get relief is some self soft tissue work. You will need a foam roller and a tennis ball. There are several areas you should concentrate on if you have knee pain. Often tight muscles can place unwanted pressure on the knee, and trigger points can refer pain into the knee. I would suggest you work your quadriceps, ITB and your calf muscles to start.
Here is an example of using a Foam Roller on your quads.
You can use both the tennis ball and the ITB on these areas. If you want more information on exactly how to release your muscles and get rid of your muscle and joint pain check out my self massage book.
Trying Medical Interventions At Your Doctor’s Office
Don’t Miss: How To Reduce Swelling After Total Knee Replacement
Why Do I Have A Problem With My Patella
Her left kneecap was getting way off track, but not quite dislocating. This is called subluxation. In fact, both her patellae have this problem. The left subluxes most often, but the right actually dislocates. Shes had several falls right onto her knees. Both knees hurt, and shes having trouble getting up and down stairs.
In most cases, the kneecap shifts to the outside of the leg, but it can also move towards the inside. Heres what you need to know about patellar tracking disorder and keeping your knees healthy.
Foods To Increase Lubrication In The Knees
To help increase lubrication in the knees through nutrition, there are several foods to consider adding as a part of your healthy and well-balanced diet.
Some of these foods include salmon, trout, olive oil, nuts, avocados are all high in omega-3s. When you combine these foods with glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin, they can all work together to help increase lubrication while also decreasing inflammation. All of this will work wonders when it comes to pain relief as well.
Read Also: Knees Cracking While Squatting
Knee Injury Risk Factors
- Sports – Many sports require movements that place added stress on your knees Skiing, for example, can lead to stress on the knees due to the restricted movement of your feet. Another example is basketball where players have to pivot and jump. These sudden and repetitive movements can put stress on the knees.
- Previously injured knee – If youve already hurt your knee once, then it may not be as strong as it was before. Unfortunately, this could make it easier for you to injure your knee again.
- Excessive weight – If you put on a lot of weight, your bones have more work to do to support that mass. For those who are very overweight, even ordinary daily activities can cause wear and tear on the knees.
- Weak muscles – A lack of strength and flexibility in your muscles can also contribute to knee injuries. Strong muscles protect bones and joints. Aside from this, they also make you very stable and balanced, thereby decreasing the risk of falls.
- Gender – Women are more likely to develop knee injuries simply because of how their bodies are built, for example, the way their hip bone is attached to the thigh bone and the fact that they carry greater mass on the lower body.
Exercises To Reduce Knee Pain
Knee pain is one of the most common orthopedic conditions for which people seek medical treatment. It includes pain felt behind and around the knee cap, especially during activities like stair climbing, squatting, running, and walking while carrying a heavy load. Knee pain can prevent you from participating in your favorite activities and performing daily tasks. Without proper treatment, it can linger for years.
Knee pain can be caused by a variety of factors, some of which include knee stiffness, incorrect positioning of the knee cap at rest or with movement, flat feet, improper exercise form, and weakness of the muscles that control the hip and knee.
A physical therapist can work with you to address your knee pain. After an evaluation, a physical therapist will design an individualized comprehensive treatment program to address the specific factors causing your knee pain. You can contact a physical therapist directly for an evaluation.
To find a physical therapist in your area, visit Find a PT.
These exercises are proven by research to reduce pain and improve your ability to participate in the activities you love.
Consult your health care provider before starting these exercises to determine if they are right for you. If you experience any symptoms such as pain, shortness of breath, or dizziness at any time, you should stop immediately. These exercises are provided for educational information only.
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Scar Tissue From Knee Surgery
Start Using The Knee Early
Recovery and rehabilitation must start shortly after you awake from surgery. On the first day, you need to start standing up and walking with an assistive device, like a walker or crutches, with the aid of a physical therapist. Use your artificial knee as soon as you can. Your therapist will guide you through exercises that will increase the strength of your muscles, as well as help you get in and out of bed.