How to Treat Knee Osteoarthritis Without Medication
- Posted on: Apr 6 2017
So at this point, you’ve established that you have knee osteoarthritis based on evaluation from a qualified doctor or physical therapist and have had scans to confirm the diagnosis.
At this point, you’ve probably tried taking medication to ease the pain in order to function in daily life. However, taking medication daily is not the best solution to debilitating pain that may occur every day, especially in the mornings.
“There’s growing concern about the toxicity of drugs, particularly for people with osteoarthritis, who often have other conditions.” notes Timothy McAlindon, MD, chief of rheumatology at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and author of Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) guidelines for management of knee OA.
Expert opinions such as the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) now favor non-drug therapies to deal with the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis. OARSI, AAOS, and ACR guidelines all agree that among the best methods of relieving pain from knee OA are proper exercise regularly and decreasing extra weight to relieve undue stress on the knee joint. Research has shown that weight loss of even 1 pound has a decreased load of 4 pounds on the knee joint. Each pound lost exponentially decreases the load and stress on the knees, effectively diminishing pain and improving function.
Proper targeted exercise will not only help with weight loss but can also strengthen the muscles around the knee to offer more support to the joint. Physical therapy can speed up the process by offering precise assessments to muscles that may be weakened and stretch surrounding musculature that can be tight as well as improve balance and joint alignment that will allow for improved function.
Make an appointment today with a qualified physical therapist at AOSMI to assess your needs and improve your quality of life.
Posted in: Knee
