Knee Osteoarthritis

Knee pain is one of the most common pain complaints for which patients visit the doctor. Due to increasing social activities, the number of knee problems is increasing. Knee pain is not because of one cause but has a wide variety of causes and also many treatments exist. Prevention is always better then cure. we emphasise that preventive measures should be taken to delay Knee OA as much as possible. There are different treatment options available at PCI including medicines, physiotherapy, taping, mobilization, steroid injection, arthroscopy and surgery. But dextrose prolotherapy and PRP (Platelet rich plasma) are frequently considered best non surgical treatment as it promises healing from inside and long lasting results.

Anatomy of the Knee Main function of the knee is to bend and straighten for moving the body. It has various movements hinge, twist and rotation. To perform all this actions we need bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage. The knee joint involves three bones - Above The thighbone (femur), From below comes the tibia (Calf area), and a knee cap in front (patella). Ligaments are fibrous bands that connect bones to each other. There are 4 ligaments. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) for stabilizing the knee from front/back and during rotation. The medial collateral ligament (MCL) and lateral collateral ligament (LCL) located along the inner (medial) and outer (lateral) sides of the knee provide medial and lateral stability to the knee. Tendons are fibrous bands similar to ligaments but tendons connect muscles to bones. 2 tendons are the quadriceps tendon connecting the quadriceps muscle (on the front of the thigh) to the patella and the patellar tendon connecting the patella to the tibia. Cartilaginous structures called menisci. They lie in between femur and tibia. Menisci provide cushion effect for the knee joint. Fluid filled bursa cushions the knee. The prepatellar bursa (in front of the patella), the anserine (on the inner side) and the infrapatellar bursa is located underneath the patella. The symptoms of osteoarthritis are by and large brought on because of the damage or disease in the joints. It can likewise be brought about because of the wear and tear of the ligament tissue. Irritation or joint inflammation can bring forth the symptoms of osteoarthritis in a person. Any harm or malady of the spine or cervical spine may prompt the augmentation of the agony to the knee joints. X-beam or MRIs are generally used to discover the reason for the joint pain before the knee joint pain treatment.

Knee Pain Home Remedies After any injury to the knee there is inflammation, which causes further injury, and further inflammation, and so on. This cycle of inflammation leads to unresolving knee pain. The goal of home remedies is to break this inflammation cycle by medications or other therapies and by limiting further injury to tissue. Some common home-care remedies protection, rest, ice, compression, and elevation. In medications commonly used over the counter medications line nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as naproxen and ibuprofen are used in the treatment of knee pain. They are anti-inflammatory and like all medications these drugs have potential side effects. Don’t use these if you have a problem with bleeding Stomach ulcers High blood pressure Kidney disease Paracetamol, though not an anti-inflammatory medication, may be used in many cases with good efficacy.

When to Call the Pain Management Doctor about Knee Pain? If you have to take any of these medications for more than seven days, you should have your knee pain evaluated by a healthcare professional. When you dont have relief by home remedies, call pain physician. The necessity of osteoarthritis medications like additional painkillers or drugs absolutely relies on upon the severance of the joint agony. Prolotherapy is utilized if there is injury to the tendons, ligaments which causes the joint pain.

When should you report to doctor immediately, A traumatic injury to rule out fracture, many fractures may require immobilization in a specific position or surgery.

Fever – rule out infection

Unbearable pain

Swelling, if you are on a blood thinner (warfarin or Coumadin) or have a bleeding disorder (such as hemophilia)

Swelling that is associated with redness and the knee feeling warm X-rays, MRI and CT scans might be prescribed for in depth analysis and diagnosing the injury and planning further management.