Nonsurgical Treatment for Knee Joint Pain

Knee joint pain is a common problem that can be caused by a variety of conditions--some minor, some severe. Thankfully, there exist numerous non-surgical treatment options available that can effectively reduce knee joint pain.

Activity Modification

• Avoiding high-impact physical activities that overly stress or irritate the knee joint can be an effective way to reduce knee joint pain. Activities such as running, jumping and step aerobics can be replaced with knee-friendly activities such as swimming, cycling and walking.

Pain Medication

• There are a variety of pain medications available that can help reduce knee joint pain. NSAIDS, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, are the drugs of choice for helping to control mild to moderate levels of knee joint pain.

Physical Therapy

• Various physical therapy techniques, including stretching, range of motion exercises and accupressure, are often used effectively to help reduce and manage a chronic knee joint pain problem. Physical therapy helps to increase knee joint flexibility and stability, which can help reduce chronic pain.

Joint Injections

• Knee joint injections are often used to treat severe knee pain problems that fail to respond to other forms of treatment. These injections involve placing small amounts of a corticosteroid, an anti-inflammatory, directly into the knee joint.

Bracing

• Wearing a knee brace can often help reduce knee joint pain and improve knee joint stability. Knee braces can be purchased over-the-counter and come in a variety of styles and materials to make application easy.