What Are Your Treatment Options for Knee Pain?

The knee is built to be a strong yet easily operating structure. Develop knee pain, however, and you quickly start to realize just how much effort really goes into making it work!

Knee pain can arise from a number of different causes, and even in a number of different locations along the knee. Your pain might be felt in the front of the knee, behind it, or even toward the inside or outside.

Wherever and however your knee pain presents itself, it is essential to receive proper, professional treatment. Even sources of knee pain that can be traced to relatively minor trauma can still cause persistent problems if they do not heal properly.

Whether your knee pain can be traced back to a specific incident or its existence is a mystery, our orthopedic experts can guide you along an effective path of treatment. Please don’t hesitate to take the first step and contact us today!

Know Your Knee Pain Enemy

“Knee pain” is not the same for everybody, and there is no one treatment that will take care of every case. If there was, we’d be more than happy to provide it to our patients!

But the truth is that there are multiple different causes and factors that can influence each case of knee pain, ranging from sports injuries to arthritis and ligament damage. We must have a full understanding of what is going on in order to recommend the best means of treatment.

An evaluation will typically include a physical examination of your knee, but we may also perform imaging tests and evaluate your walking gait (among other tests, as necessary). We will very likely also ask you relevant questions, such as when you first started feeling pain, if you heard or felt anything at the time your pain started, and how your knee pain is affecting your daily life.

If you have any questions of your own, or notes that you feel would be important to share, write them down before the appointment so you don’t forget. We’ll be happy to hear them, and they can provide important clues that point us toward reaching an accurate diagnosis even faster.

Treatment Options for Knee Pain

Whenever possible, we will always prefer conservative forms of treatment over surgical methods. If we can effectively address symptoms and problems without any invasive techniques, that is a big plus for our patient.

Conservative forms of treatment that may be recommended as part of an overall plan include, but aren’t limited to:

• Standard rest at home, in which weight is taken off the knee and injured tissues are allowed time to recover. Icing, compression wraps, and keeping the leg elevated are typical additions to such a plan.
• Corticosteroid injections for relief of pain and inflammation, as needed.
• The use of custom orthotics and/or braces to provide corrective support. These may be necessary in cases where the source of knee pain lies in an abnormality within one’s musculoskeletal structure or gait.
• Stretching and exercise adjustments to help relieve pain and condition the knee against future injury. If necessary, we might refer you to a physical therapist for more focused

In some cases, however, conservative treatments do not yield needed results, or it is clear from the very beginning that they would not. This is when surgery is often considered.

Surgery is often not something you must immediately decide upon. There is often time to fully discuss all the pros and cons of having a surgical procedure, as well as prepare for one if you decide to move forward.

There is no question you should leave unasked when talking with us when discussing surgery. We will be happy to answer any concerns you have with as much information as we know based on the situation. We want you to be able to make a decision with as much knowledge and confidence as possible.

Different surgical procedures will be recommended based on the condition being treated, as well as the individual needs and medical factors surrounding each patient.

We specialize in many forms of knee surgery, including:

• Partial knee replacement
• Total knee replacement
• Joint restoration and reconstruction
• Knee arthroscopy (a minimally invasive procedure)
• Knee osteotomy (cutting and removing bone to aid in realignment)

Each procedure will come with different expectations before, during, and after the procedure. If moving forward with surgery, we want to ensure you would be fully prepared and as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure and recovery.

Treatment Now for a More Comfortable Future

Identifying and properly addressing the source of your knee pain now will not only help you feel better all that much sooner, but knowing the underlying causes of strain on your knee can help you avoid additional injuries and problems down the road. We are committed not only to helping our patients find pain relief, but setting them up for active, healthy futures as well.

If your knee pain has been persistent or severe, you notice a visual difference to your knee, or your mobility is being affected, do not wait to contact us for help. Our offices in Carmichael and Roseville are ready to hear from you.

Call us at (916) 961-3434 to schedule an appointment. If you prefer to have an initial consultation with us over telemedicine services instead, please do not hesitate to ask! We will be more than happy to accommodate you.