Weekend warriors and professionally paid athletes must consider injuries and recovery time. For many professionals, time lost can lead to a loss of contract and job. The type of damage to the knee joint ultimately determines what therapy is needed. Some cases may respond well to conservative therapy; others may need surgery immediately.
Physical Therapy
A physical therapist can use a combination of active physical therapy, such as exercises, and passive physical therapy such as ultrasound to help decrease pain and increase strength. The hamstrings on the back of the thigh and the quadriceps muscles on the front of the thigh are the main muscles that are worked on to help provide the knee more stabilization and proper tracking, according to the Mayo Clinic
Chiropractic
Chiropractic is a hands-on therapy used to manipulate joints to help return them to an optimal position for maximum range of motion and function. Chiropractic can be used to help decrease current joint pain and can be used as a preventative measure. The Journal of Biomedcentral Musculoskeletal Disorders published a study in April 2010 examining the effects of chiropractic care for intervention and prevention of lower back and lower extremity injuries in Australian rules football players. This study followed these players through a course of 24 matches. Some players got chiropractic care; others were put into a control group. At the end of the 24 matches, those treated with chiropractic had the most statistical improvement with decreased time missed in non-contact knee injuries and lower extremity muscle strains.
Injections
Several materials can be injected directly into the joint to help increase function or decrease pain. The Mayo Clinic indicates hyaluronic acid as a way to help increase the lubrication in the knee and allow for better movement. It may even help decrease inflammation. Each injection can last from six months to a year. Another option is a standard cortisone injection to help decrease swelling and inflammation.
Botox injections are also gaining in popularity for relieving knee pain. The journal Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation posted the results of a small study in April 2010, comparing the safety and efficacy of either large or small botox injections versus cortisone injections. After eight weeks, the low-dose botox group had the largest amount of overall pain improvement and no adverse effects were reported from any group.
Surgery
If at first a trial of conservative therapy doesn't help or the initial imaging of the knee shows torn tendons or ligament, surgery may be unavoidable. Surgery can range from an arthroscopic surgery--in which a small incision is made to fix small tears to tissues or remove lose bodies--to a full or partial knee joint replacement, according to the Mayo Clinic.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Knee Pain Treatment Options
- "BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders;" The effect of a sports chiropractic manual therapy intervention on the prevention of back pain, hamstring and lower limb injuries in semi-elite Australian Rules footballers: a randomized controlled trial.; Hoskins W and Pollard H.; April 8th, 2010.
- "PM & R" Efficacy of intra-articular botulinum toxin type A in painful knee arthritis: a pilot study.; Boon AJ. et. al.; April, 2010.
