Strategies To Ease Knee Osteoarthritis Pain Without Surgery

Osteoarthritis in the knee can have a significant effect on your mobility and quality of life. So it’s no surprise that knee replacement is one of the most common surgeries performed in the U.S.

But you don’t automatically have to consider surgery if you develop osteoarthritis in your knee joint. There are several strategies you can try that will delay, or even negate, the need for a knee replacement.

First, consider what happens to your knee when you develop osteoarthritis. The degenerative disease results from gradual wear-and-tear in your joint, with the cartilage that cushions your bones wearing away. In severe cases, this results in your bones in the joint grinding against one another. Among the symptoms:

• Difficulty walking
• Swelling in the joint
• Joint pain that may vary with the weather
• Clicking, grinding or snapping sounds from the joint
• Stiffness or locking in your knee joint
• Joint weakness

Osteoarthritis is common in people who played sports when they were younger. Or it may be related to job conditions – years of walking on concrete floors, for example. A history of traumatic injury to the joint also can cause difficulties later in life.

This isn’t, however, a condition with a rapid onset. Once it appears, it will gradually become worse over time. That slow progression is what gives you the opportunity to help yourself maintain mobility as long as possible without surgery.

Start with Exercise

Strengthening and stretching the muscles around your knee joint is one of the most important steps you can take. Exercises that accomplish this will help relieve pain, strengthen the joint and improve its function. It’s important, however, to understand what types of exercises and stretches will help – and which might hurt.

Considering that your knee is already injured, you should avoid high-impact activities, including running. Instead, focus on activities (walking, for example) that keep at least one of your feet in contact with the ground. This avoids situations where all of your weight comes down on the damaged knee. Other options include bike riding, rowing and swimming.

Before starting any exercise or stretching program, talk with your doctor or a physical therapist to make sure it’s right for you.

Drop Some Weight

Losing weight can have a major effect on your knee and your quality of life. Remember that your knees have to absorb the impact of every pound you carry on your body. Reducing that weight decreases the amount of force on those joints.

The impact can be seen in patients who are losing weight in preparation for knee surgery. Some of them, after losing the required weight, decide against surgery because the pain has already diminished substantially.

If you worry about your ability to lose a substantial amount of weight, just know that even a modest decrease can ease your knee pain.

It is also possible that a diet (like the popular Mediterranean diet) heavy on fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts and beans will help reduce inflammation.

Medication Can Help

Medications also help control your symptoms and reduce the pain that restricts mobility. There are basically two types of medications: The first helps with inflammation while the second offers pain relief.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are among the most effective at controlling inflammation. You will likely start with over-the-counter options (ibuprofen and naproxen, for example) but may switch to stronger prescription options later. By reducing inflammation, these drugs can help decrease the swelling that puts painful pressure on your soft tissues.

Pain medications include over-the-counter options like acetaminophen and more powerful prescription narcotics. These won’t treat the underlying problem in your knee, but they convince your body and your mind that the pain isn’t that bad.

Depending on your condition, your doctor may also suggest injections in your knee. Steroids help decrease inflammation. There are also gel injections that can offer cushioning and lubrication in the joint.

Assistive Devices

When other strategies aren’t providing enough relief, you may find help through a range of assistive devices that help you compensate for limitations caused by your knee. This includes canes, walkers, shoe inserts and knee braces.

The most important thing is to stay active. Once you lose your mobility, other medical issues start to creep in as your nutrition and physical activity levels diminish.

For many people with osteoarthritis in the knee, surgery is the eventual solution – with an estimated 800,000 knee replacements performed each year in the U.S. It is a personal decision and not one that ever needs to be rushed.

But if you reach the point where various coping strategies aren’t helping, a knee replacement – even in your 80s– can make a world of difference in your quality of life.