When I was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I didn't know what I was going to do. After the devastation subsided, I decided to take a very standard, western approach to my healing. Although initial efforts were successful, my cancer recurred a few months later. I endured many additional months of treatment before I started focusing on myself. I decided it was time to incorporate complimentary alternative treatments into my healing regimen, including massage therapy. I can't even begin to tell you how much it changed my life. My healing became a process, instead of something I simply had to endure. I hope that the articles on my website can inspire you to stay open-minded about your own healthcare.
If you have a bad knee that is constantly bothering you, limiting your mobility and leaving you with pain, your doctor might recommend knee surgery. Knee surgery is often the best option for knee problems; however, there are things you can try before choosing surgery that may help relieve some of the pain and improve your mobility. Here are several options you may want to try before you agree to surgery.
Lose Weight
Weight is extremely hard on knees, and this is just one of many reasons that doctors encourage people to lose weight and stay around the weight they should be. If you are carrying around extra weight, the extra weight is placing additional strain on your knees. If you can lose weight, it will relieve some of this extra tension, and this might actually provide you with enough relief for your knees.
Losing weight is not always an easy task, but your doctor might be able to help you determine a plan that would fit your lifestyle. One key factor with losing weight is exercise. Exercising is not only beneficial for helping you drop pounds from your body, but it might also be good for your knees.
If you decide to start exercising, make sure you are choosing exercise options that do not add to the stress of your knees. Swimming, for example, is a great type of exercise to choose if you have knee problems. Bike riding is another option that can be useful, primarily because it can help strengthen the muscles around the knees.
Attend Physical Therapy
A second option you could try is physical therapy. Physical therapy is something that is often used to help people recover from physical injuries, and it can be very helpful for people with knee problems.
During physical therapy, the therapist will help you perform activities and exercises that strengthen the knee. As you complete these exercises, the muscles in your knee will become stronger, and this can result in less pain and improved mobility.
Physical therapy does not offer overnight results, though, and this is important to understand. You may need to visit a therapist several times a week for weeks or months to experience good results. After just a few weeks, you may start to see some improvement with the way your knee feels and works.
Get Injections And Use Painkillers
A third option a lot of people utilize involves getting injections in their knees. These injections are often made up of anti-inflammatory medications, such as corticosteroids. The purpose of the injections is to reduce inflammation in the area that hurts, and this typically provides relief from pain. One benefit of these shots is that they last for weeks or months. Your doctor will tell you how often you need them, but they typically provide pain relief for at least a month or so.
In addition to getting injections in your knee, you could also talk to your doctor about painkillers. Painkillers are medications designed to take away the pain, and they can work well for many people. The downside to painkillers is that they only offer short-term relief. The other problem with taking painkillers is that they do not actually treat the root problem.
If you want to treat the root problem with your knees, you may need to have surgery. The joints, ligaments, and tissue in the knees wear out over time, and replacing the knee might be the only true way to fix the problem.
If you would like to learn more about the treatment options you can choose from for your knee problems, contact a doctor at a medical center like Omaha Orthopedic Clinic & Sports Medicine PC.
Share18 August 2017
