Orthopedic care for Knee Pain/Injury
Suffering from an injury in the knee (or surrounding area) is very common, no matter your age or gender. There are several types of knee injuries, and they can affect you across a spectrum of severity. You might suffer from a knee injury due to medical conditions like gout, arthritis, and infections, or your pain might stem from an injury such as torn cartilage or a torn ligament.
Knee injuries on the less severe side of the spectrum can be treated much easier than those that are more severe. There are many options to treat knee pain, no matter the cause.
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Right In Your Neighborhood
Finding the treatment that’s right for your knee problem is our focus at The Orthopedic Health Center. We use non-surgical treatments whenever possible. When you do need surgery, our expert surgeons help you heal faster and with less pain. All right in your neighborhood: Hoboken and Jersey City.
Symptoms
Different types of knee injuries will have different specific associated symptoms, including severity and location of the knee pain. There are some commonalities between most types of knee pain/injuries, however.
Some of the common symptoms for knee injuries are:
- Weakness or a feeling as if you’re not steady on your feet
- Warmth and redness in the afflicted area
- Stiffness and swelling
- Crunching noises or cracking noises when moving
- Lacking the ability to fully extend or fully bend the knee
If you are experiencing any of these issues, or even if you’re experiencing abnormal pain in your knee, it’s in your best interest to contact a doctor. They can confirm your specific type of knee pain and offer potential treatment ideas.
Causes and Risk Factors
Although there are many types of knee injuries, there are relatively few situations that can result in knee injuries. In most cases, a powerful impact to the area, mechanical problems, arthritis, or health issues that result in brittle bones can all play a factor in your chances of suffering a knee injury. Keep in mind that participating in certain sports that put excessive pressure on the knee, such as alpine skiing or basketball, can also put you at risk of knee injuries. Additionally, if you’ve had a knee injury in the past, you are more likely to experience knee pain in the future.
If knee pain is left untreated, it can lead to increased pain, joint damage, osteoarthritis, and disability, and other more serious knee conditions.
A Minimally-Invasive Approach to Knee Repair
A common misconception is that you need a big, open surgery to fix your knee. We use modern, minimally-invasive procedures to avoid this path whenever possible – and many of our patients are up and walking by the next day.
Treatment and Prevention
There is no way to guarantee that you won’t suffer knee pain or a knee injury in your lifetime, but there are some options that can help to lower your risk, including:
- Using properly supportive gear when performing strenuous activities or when playing sports
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Warming-up and stretching before putting strain on your knees
With these preparatory activities, you’ll have a higher chance of protecting your knee, nerves, joints, and tendons.
If you do suffer a knee injury, however, the most obvious treatment for knee pain is to stay off of the knee and rest. Additionally, icing the area and performing light exercises and stretches can help. Before doing anything more strenuous than that, reach out to a professional so they can create a treatment plan for you, which can include anything from pain management injections to physical therapy to over the counter medications to minimally-invasive orthopedic knee surgery, if necessary.
Knee Pain / Injury FAQs
Osteoarthritis of the knee is associated with aging and repetitive wear and tear on the joint. It is a very common cause of knee pain. Pain on the sides of the knees and pain with walking or standing that improves with rest are symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee. It has a strong association with increased age. In the setting of a traumatic injury, underlying osteoarthritis can be exacerbated.
If you have swelling of the knee, are unable to bear weight, feel unstable when standing, cannot extend or flex your knee, notice an obvious deformity, or have a fever and redness, consult with your orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. Severe knee pain after an injury should be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible.
Common knee injuries include sprains and tears of ligaments, cartilage and tendons. These types of injured include ACL and meniscus tears. Dislocations and fractures are frequently seen as well. Treatment will vary depending on the severity of the injury. There are non-invasive and minimally invasive treatments available, such as ortho-biologics and steroid injections. Ortho biologics is a form of regenerative medicine which utilizes the body’s natural healing ability to treat muscle and tendon injuries. Hyaluronic acid injections can be helpful for knee osteoarthritis. Non-invasive treatment options also include bracing, lifestyle modifications, dietary supplements and physical therapy.
Takeaway
Knee pain is not only painful, but it turns daily activities into irritating chores when you have decreased mobility. Don’t let your knee pain stop you from enjoying your life! Our doctors are experts in orthopedic surgery, knee pain treatments, sports medicine, and more! Let us help you get the knee pain relief you need. Contact us today in either Hoboken or Jersey City!
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