Types of Knee Pain Treatment in Singapore 2024
Knee pain has two general causes: age-related degeneration and injury. Continual wear and tear that happens over years can lead to painful knee arthritis.
Knee pain can also result from injury while active and on the move. Common knee injuries include sprained ligaments, tendonitis, and torn cartilage.
Depending on the severity of the problem, knee pain treatment may involve surgery or non-surgical treatments.
Non-Surgical Knee Pain Treatment Options
While many people opt for a knee replacement, it is not the only treatment. It may also not be your preferred choice. If you have painful knees but are not ready for surgery, there are many options you can explore first before you need to commit to surgery.
1. Lose Weight
If you are carrying extra weight, it’s time to lose it. It is not easy to lose weight, but the prospect of less pain should be an incentive.
Extra pounds put unnecessary pressure on the knees and stress on the joints. The increased load makes the knee and all its parts work harder and degenerate faster, including the cartilage, which protects the knee joint.
The more you lose, the less pressure on the knee, leading to less pain. Research has shown that 10% weight loss results in less pain, better function, and lower inflammation, resulting in a better quality of life.
2. Change What You Are Doing
If you have knee pain, it makes sense to change your activities. For example, although it’s essential to stay active, it’s not necessary to keep doing the same things.
Where previously you went for a run to keep fit, consider getting on a bike. Riding a bike is a low-impact exercise that doesn’t put a lot of stress on the knee joints. If you are used to the gym, the cross trainer is a low-impact choice—better than doing squats or lunges.
Swimming is a low-impact exercise, but don’t overdo it with the kicking. Also, avoid stairs as far as possible.
Staying active with the right low-impact exercises will strengthen the quadriceps and hamstring muscles needed to support the knees.
3. Knee Braces
Knee braces can help support the knees if they feel unstable after surgery or an injury. Arthritis can also make knees feel unstable. Braces not only make people feel safer on their feet, but some people report that they also help relieve pain.
Knee braces come in a range of designs and sizes, it’s a good idea to consult a physiotherapist on what to buy for your needs to get the maximum benefit from your knee brace.
4. Pain Medications
Pain medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), over-the-counter medications, and topical creams.
Many patients find relief from over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen sodium (Aleve).
NSAIDs must be used with caution as they can have serious side effects, including stomach ulcers, indigestion, and bleeding in the stomach, in addition to nausea, heartburn, and stomach pain. NSAIDs can also increase blood pressure.
Many medical experts advise against taking these medications.
For people who can’t take NSAIDs, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory creams and gels may work. These creams contain numbing agents such as capsaicin, which blocks a chemical in the nerve cells that sends pain messages.
5. Take Supplements
Joint supplements such as glucosamine and chondroitin can protect the knee joints and provide pain relief. These supplements contain active ingredients that can help protect the joints.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are natural compounds found in cartilage, helping to keep cartilage soft and malleable so bones don’t hurt when they rub together.
Many patients find these supplements helpful for pain relief. Experts advise, however, that these supplements work best if they are taken regularly and simultaneously every day.
6. Injections
There are quite a few types of joint injections that can help with knee pain. However, there’s a lot of false advertising and hype around these injections, so you want a knee pain specialist who is an expert in the field to advise you about the best choice for your specific situation.
Cortisone shot
Cortisone shots, also called steroid injections, relieve pain by reducing the inflammation, which causes the pain. The shots work fast, but for chronic pain, the effect only lasts three months. Cortisone shots have side effects and are not a long-term solution for pain treatment.
Gel shots
Gel injections contain hyaluronic acid, a thick substance that works like a synovial fluid in the joints. Synovial fluid acts like a lubricant in the joint, making movement smooth.
Gel injections work by providing lubrication for the joint’s smooth functioning. Gel injections are mainly effective for mild to moderate pain.
Prolotherapy
Prolotherapy is an alternative treatment that proponents claim boosts the body’s natural healing process. In practice, it is the injection of a dextrose (sugar) solution into the joint.
The treatment is not widely used because research on its efficacy is inconclusive. Yet, many patients claim that they find relief from pain after an injection.
Orthobiologics
Orthobiologics, or regenerative medicine, is a relatively new category of joint treatment. These injectables are made from the patient’s own blood or tissue.
The most studied orthobiologic is platelet-rich plasma (PRP). With PRP injections, your blood is drawn, the platelets are isolated, and then injected into the knee joint. This treatment is used for joints, ligaments, and tendons throughout the body.
Cell Therapies
Instead of blood, cell therapies use cells and tissues from the bone marrow or fat tissue of the patient. The cells are treated and then injected into the joint, ligament, or tendon.
Many patients have found cell therapy helpful. The treatment reduces chronic inflammation in many patients. Orthopaedic surgeons have been applying orthobiolics for some time, but more scientific research is necessary to prove its ability to stimulate a healing response in the body.
What If I Need A Surgery
In the last instance, when nonsurgical methods have not provided pain relief, it may be time to consider a knee surgery. Before deciding on the treatment for knee pain, it is usually advised by a specialist to do a diagnostic imaging on your knees to identify the potential source of problem. The specialist will then advice on whether a surgery is needed to solve the root issue.
Singaporeans can contact a knee specialist in Singapore for advice on effective treatments for knee pain, including surgery.
