Treatment Options:

After your doctor diagnoses the nature of your injury, there are several types of treatment options available to help fix the problem:

Medications – If your diagnosis does not require surgery or physical therapy, your doctor may simply prescribe medications to treat your symptoms.  This is common for conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or gout. 

Physical therapy – Many knee injuries do not require surgery and your doctor may simply recommend physical therapy to help you strengthen the muscles that surround your knee.  This helps keep the joint more stable. Typically, physical therapy for the knee centers on the quadriceps and hamstrings.

Orthotics and bracing – Orthotic shoe inserts are designed specifically to distribute pressure away from the side of the knee most affected by osteoarthritis. There are also different types of braces designed to help support and protect the knee joint.

Corticosteroid injections – Corticosteroid drug injections can sometimes help with pain due to inflammation.  The steroid is often used to treat symptoms of arthritis. Though the injections aren't effective in all cases, many patients have positive results that can last months for many patients.

Hyaluronic acid injections – Hyaluronic acid is a thick fluid found in most healthy joints.  When injected as a series of shots into damaged joints, it can provide pain relief and lubrication. Pain relief from a hyaluronic acid injection can last anywhere from six months to a year.

Surgery – Of course, surgery may be the only option to treat certain knee problems.  Typically, knee surgery is not an emergency, so it’s important that you speak with your doctor about all of your options and work with him/her to make the decision that’s right for you.  Should you decide to have surgery, you may choose to have one of the following:

• Arthroscopic surgery – Arthroscopic surgery is one of the less-invasive types of knee surgery and it is often used to repair torn cartilage and ligaments and to remove any loose bodies (pieces of cartilage, for example) from your joint that may be causing pain.  Arthroscopic surgery only requires two  small incisions to insert a fiber optic camera for examination of your joint as well as the tools to fix the problem. 
• Partial knee replacement surgery – In a partial knee replacement, your surgeon replaces the inside (or medial) compartment of your knee with artificial parts made of medical grade plastics and metals.  The surgery often only requires a small incision and a one to two day hospitalization.
• Total knee replacement – A total knee replacement is the most intense surgical option and requires the longest recovery time.  When you have a total knee replacement, the surgeon removes the damaged ends of bone and cartilage from the joint and replaces it with an artificial version.  This surgery usually requires a two to three day hospitalization.

                                                     
When you should see the doctor
To be sure you receive a proper diagnosis, seek treatment if you experience pain in your knee, especially if you:

• Hear a “pop” in your knee and it gives out at the time of injury
• Have severe pain
• Cannot move your knee
• Begin limping
• Experience swelling in your knee
• Aren’t able to do activities of daily living because of the pain
• Cannot walk

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