4 Ways to Treat Pesky Knee Pain
Knees: a part of the body that is used every single day. Whether you’re walking, running, or just standing up, knees make it all possible. However, the constant use of your knees can create some eventual problems over time. Fractures, loss of cartilage, and even ACL injuries are all possible problems, but not every problem is severe. Experiencing general knee pain is never a great feeling either. The constant pressure put on them can feel like they will never get better: that’s not entirely true. Here are some options for treating that annoying knee pain.
Stretching
Your knees are made up of a variety of different parts. Cartilage, sinew, muscle, and the patella (the kneecap) all come together to form this complex joint. If any of these parts are out of balance, rubbing, irritation, and other painful symptoms may occur. There are many different stretches and exercises that isolate the various parts of the knee. Try to find the general area of the knee that is feeling pain, and apply a measured stretching exercise for that portion. Also, be sure to warm up and cool down properly during your workouts. Here is a great stretching exercise for runners.
Pain Medication
Certain types of knee pain aren’t easy to get rid of without surgery or other advanced treatment methods. Administering low doses of pain relievers is a possible way to handle the worse knee-pain days. Tylenol and ibuprofen are great candidates that work quickly and won’t negatively affect your body in low doses. Be mindful to not take pain medications on an empty stomach or with alcohol.
Steroid Shots
Another option to treat chronic knee pain is the implementation of steroid shots (No, not like weightlifter “steroids”). Also called corticosteroid injections, steroid shots help reduce inflammation in the administered area. This can address certain ailments such as arthritis and joint pain. Steroid shots can be administered on a routine basis if pain continues to linger.
Stem Cell Therapy
Lastly, introducing stem cells to a damaged knee can fix pain-related problems. What do stem cells do? Basically, they are cells that mimic surrounding cells, grow rapidly, and can replace damaged cells in the process. Stem cells A main use of stem cell therapy is the regeneration of lost cartilage. Degradation of cartilage creates bone-on-bone friction. Stem cells —harvested from the adult’s body – can be introduced into the area to promote cartilage growth. Interested in regenerating knee cartilage? Contact the medical experts at ThriveMD for more information