Treatment Options for Knee Arthritis

Knee arthritis can be a painful condition, but different treatment options can help. You can effectively manage your knee arthritis symptoms with lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and surgery if needed.

How Can I Manage my Knee Arthritis?

Lifestyle Changes

Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important ways to treat knee arthritis. If you are carrying extra weight, you’re putting pressure on your knees. When you step, your knee is met with a force that’s equal to 3-6 times your weight. That means even an extra 20 pounds adds an additional burden on your knee of 60-120 pounds. If you lose weight, you can ease the symptoms that knee arthritis can cause.

Physical Therapy

Exercise and physical therapy can help ease your symptoms in the early stages of knee arthritis. Your orthopedic doctor can recommend strengthening exercises for your muscles. Also, your doctor may recommend physical therapy sessions for your knee within a structured program.

Surgical Treatment Options for Knee Arthritis

Knee Arthroscopy

This minimally-invasive procedure can be used to treat joint lining inflammation. Your surgeon uses a device that is light and a camera in a small, thin tube. The device is inserted into the knee and used to make joint lining repairs.

Knee Osteotomy

If knee arthritis has damaged one side of your knee more than the other, a surgical procedure called an osteotomy could help. A knee osteotomy is a procedure where your orthopedic surgeon makes an incision across the bone either above or below the knee. Your surgeon then adds or removes a bone wedge to help shift your weight away from the damaged portion of your knee.

Knee Joint Replacement

A knee joint replacement procedure involves your orthopedic surgeon removing the damaged joint surfaces and replacing them with a prosthesis made of plastic and metal parts. The two options for knee replacement are total, which means the whole knee joint is replaced or partial, only one part of the knee is replaced.

There is no cure for knee arthritis but managing it can slow down joint damage and decrease the possibility of future complications. If you believe you may have knee arthritis, don’t delay in seeking treatment. Knee arthritis treatment can help you stay active and achieve a good quality of life.

For more information on knee arthritis treatment and different ways to manage it, make an appointment today with Specialty Orthopaedics in Harrison, NY. We’ll provide the most effective forms of treatment to help relieve your pain and restore your range of motion.