5 Non-Surgical Treatments for Knee Arthritis

 Stiff and aching joints can make it tough to get through the day. Whether it affects your knee, elbow, shoulder or hip, chronic joint pain is debilitating and sometimes unbearable. 

Among these, the knee joint is the most common joint to develop arthritis. Knee pain that wakes you up from sleep can result in Osteoarthritis. It is also known as “wear and tear” arthritis. This type of joint inflammation generally happens in old people and also in younger athletes whose joints are harshly used repeatedly. Osteoarthritis usually develops due to the wearing down of the protective cartilage in a joint. Due to this, the bones begin to rub against each other and cause shooting pain. Another type of injury that you can develop in the knee joint, is called post-traumatic arthritis. 

Arthritis can result from many causes:

• Trauma or injury

• Wear and tear

• Age

• Inflammation

• Infection

Let’s now talk about, the 5 non-surgical ways to treat knee arthritis.

• Physical Therapy - Physical therapy is the first line of treatment for knee arthritis. It can help to treat knee and joint pain and chart your road to recovery. Regular stretching of the quadriceps and hamstrings helps in taking the stress off the knees. Strengthening these muscles can help in proper knee alignment and reducing the pain. A physical therapist can suggest a variety of methods that can help you get back in motion. 

• PRP therapy - Regenerative therapy is an emerging field that uses your body’s ability to heal itself and can help to overcome joint pain. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a highly effective treatment for treating knee injuries. This treatment involves taking your blood which is then spun into a high-speed centrifuge after which some specific portions are injected into your knees.   

• Stem Cell Therapy - Stem Cell Therapy is one of the best-known types of regenerative therapies and is mostly used for treating joint and tissue damage. The reason why stem cell therapy works so well is that it uses stem cells and growth factors to reduce pain. Some of the benefits of stem cell therapy are:

1. Less pain from past injuries

2. Reduced joint stiffness

3. Reduced dependency on medications

4. Improved mobility

Injections of stem cells reduce inflammation, repair damaged tissues and may help to prevent knee replacement surgery.  

• Antiinflammatories - Antiinflammatories can prove helpful in treating knee swelling and pain for most people.  

• Ice - It is a safe and effective treatment and can be used after strenuous activity which may include extensive walking.   

Get professional help at New York Spine & Sports Rehabilitation PC

Our doctors at NYSS specialize in providing PRP, Stem cell therapy and physical therapy to treat and heal knee injuries. We have the best knee specialist doctor in North Bronx and joint specialist doctors in North Yonkers. Our cutting-edge therapies help in restoring function and regaining a healthy lifestyle. For any medical assistance, schedule an appointment with us.

How a Physical Therapist can help in Pain Management

 Illnesses, accidents and injuries leave us with a common side effect - Pain. Chronic pain can interfere with your day to day activities and can also have profound effects on your ability to concentrate, relax and enjoy life. One of the best ways to manage chronic pain is Physical Therapy. An experienced professional who evaluates and treats physical conditions related to injury, diseases or disability is called a Physical Therapist. 

Who is a Physical Therapist?

According to the American Physical Therapy Association, a physical therapist is a trained medical professional with experience in diagnosing physical abnormalities, restoring physical function and mobility, maintaining physical function and promoting physical activity and proper function. 

When do you need a physical therapist?

Physical Therapists can treat a wide variety of medical conditions depending on their speciality.

Conditions such as:

• Sports-related injuries

• Cardiopulmonary conditions

• Musculoskeletal dysfunction

• Neurological conditions

• Pediatric conditions

• Women’s health and pelvic floor dysfunction
  
  

What are the benefits of Physical Therapy?

The benefits of Physical Therapy include:

• Pain management

• Avoiding surgery

• Fall prevention

• Recovery from injury

• Recovery from stroke

• Management of age-related medical problems 

• Improved balance

How Physical Therapy helps relieve pain?

Physical Therapy is beneficial in relieving pain through the following ways:

• Increases physical strength - Depending on your condition, a physical therapist may teach you some exercises designed to strengthen your muscles and soft tissues. Often the cause of chronic pain is pressure on nerves in your joints, which can be in your spine, knees, hip, elbows or other joints. Therefore, strengthening the muscles around the joints can help them in providing better support. It can help in relieving the pressure on your nerves.

• Improves flexibility - Improving your flexibility can also help your body from unhealthy movement patterns that you may not be aware of. Physical Therapy can help to relax your body. Your physical therapist can guide you to ease the tension and strengthen your muscles so that your body can move correctly. 

• Teaches you correct movements and postures - Most people are unaware of the incorrect postures and movements they take in their daily lives. You could be bending, lifting, walking, running, sitting or moving incorrectly which, might contribute to your chronic pain. Therefore, learning the correct movements and postures can help to significantly decrease the pain you experience.

The first session with the physical therapist will be to watch the way you perform your routine activities. Once the physical therapist has understood your problems, he or she can guide you in taking the right steps to correct your movements and postures. 

• Electrical, hot and cold therapies - The physical therapist has many tools to treat your immediate pain. They can also use things like transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, hot & cold therapies to help reduce inflammation to ease some of the pain you might be experiencing. These therapies can help in improving your body’s ability to heal.

Why choose New York Spine & Sport Rehabilitation PC for physical therapy?

Our trained therapists provide pain management treatment and care in North Yonkers, Bronx and Manhattan locations of New York. They can help individuals who face conditions of musculoskeletal and orthopedic origin, back or neck pain, joint-related disorders, sports injuries, balance problems and post-surgical rehabilitation. Our therapist, physician and patient work together as a team in the recovery process. We provide treatments that include manual therapy, exercises, balance training activities, patient education etc. 

You can book an appointment with us for any doubts and queries. We are just a call away!