Knee pain after prolonged sitting is a sign of poor circulation into the joint, and poor secretion of lubricating oil in the knee. I call it ‘dry knee’.
Knee pain after walking, cycling, or running is a sign of acute inflammation. It is typical of excessive friction & heat within the knee joint. This ‘grinds down’ the cushioning cartilage in the joint.
Many factors limit a correct diagnosis of what’s causing knee pain:
- slow insidious symptom build-up
- the miracle-like pain relieving effects of over-the-counter Advil, Aleve, Ibuprofen
- fear of surgery
There are a number of alternatives to surgery for knee pain.
Their success depends upon a proper diagnosis of what’s driving the pain.
Beyond over-the-counter pain killers, here’s some common, effective therapies which can lessen knee pain (listed from most simple to more complex):
- ice
- alternating ice, heat, and ice
- compression wraps & braces
- nutritional supplementation
- inversion tables
- myo-fascial taping and physical therapy
- herbal plasters
- weight reduction
- Shockwave therapy
- Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field Therapy
- Laser Therapy
- Injections of cortisone or lubricants
- Regenerative Injections to stimulate tissue healing
- Arthroscopic fiber optic joint clean-out surgery
- Total Joint Replacement
This list is overwhelming.
Knowing which to use requires a clear diagnosis … along with an assessment of your overall bone and cartilage health.
All of this can easily be done through our office with our In-Office Ultrasound and home collections lab kits, which are typically covered by Medicare or PPO insurance.
If your knees are creaking, groaning, snapping or popping, please schedule your In-Office ultrasound and let’s get a correct diagnosis to delineate your best choice of treatment.
Without a ‘leg to stand on’, life is a drag.