There are many procedures to counter chronic knee pain but there is limited to no evidence to support if these procedures help in avoiding knee replacement surgery. Many procedures may temporary provide relief from knee pain but are mainly to enrich the pockets of the medical practitioners. Many tests are now being done on these procedures to determine if they result in lasting pain relief or improved function. Arthroscopic surgery has been proven ineffective by research but because of its popularity before testing was done many people are still opting to get this procedure done to avoid knee replacement. More research needs to be completed to determine if all these procedures are beneficial or not. Until that time, if you are overweight, lose weight, pay attention to the activities you are participating in, take OTC pain medicine and attend physical therapy sessions.
Key Takeaways:
- Arthroscopic knee surgery eliminates pain only in about 15% of patients with meniscal tears or degenerative arthritis of the knee according to BAMA.
- In a recent British Medical Journal review of 12 trials, physical therapy was determined to be more effective than arthroscopic knee surgery in patients with meniscal tears or degenerative arthritis.
- Arthroscopic knee surgery can be very effective for traumatic and sports injuries to the knee.
“With walking now painful and my quality of life diminished, I finally had both knees replaced, which has enabled me to walk, cycle, swim and climb for the last 13 years.”
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/03/well/live/what-i-wish-id-known-about-my-knees.html
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