Medicines for Knee Pain

People who suffer from chronic knee pain are, quite literally, in a world of hurt. The knee is the largest joint in the body, and when it is injured or diseased, the quality of life for the patient can become severely affected. Everyday activities become an effort, and even moderate physical exercise can become excruciating. There are many factors that can cause knee pain, and this article will give you some methods and medication suggestions to help alleviate pain in the knees.

I.C.E. Method

• The first method to try is the simplest. (I)ce the knee. Apply an ice pack for at least 20 minutes to help with swelling and pain. (C)ompress the knee with an Ace bandage or other support brace. (E)levate the knee to above hip level. Stay off it. Allow it to rest. If you do have to get up and move around, make sure that the compression bandage is on and gives you some support. In many cases this is all it takes to alleviate some of the worst of your knee pain.

NSAIDS

• Using NSAIDs--Non-Steroidal-Anti-Inflammatory-Drugs--is another way to keep the pain in your knees under control. These drugs were made specifically to reduce swelling and pain, and are perfect for use for knee pain. They are marketed under names like Tylenol, Advil, Aleve, etc., and can be purchased at any drugstore or supermarket. Check with your doctor for dosing and side-effect information.

Prescription Medications

• When the pain is bad enough, and the knees have a medical condition that justifies the use of pain medication, the doctors can prescribe oral narcotics to control the pain. Medications such as Darvocet, Vicodin, Lyrica and others are used to control pain in the knees and legs. Their use is highly addictive, however, and they should be limited and only used when necessary and at the lowest effective dose. Again, a doctor should be involved in this process start to finish.

Holisitc Methods

• There are many, many holistic treatments for knee pain. Everything from acupuncture to herbal treatments; adjustments by a chiropractor; to dietary supplementation have been used to treat knee pain. Some treatments are effective for some people, but it can safely be said that there is no holistic treatment that is a sure-fire method to alleviate pain in the knees. The only proven method has been the use of hyaluronic acid injections, given by a medical doctor in office. This fluid is derived from chicken combs and has shown to have a beneficial result in improving flexion in the knee, lessening pain.

Warning

• It is important to be aware of the side-effects and addictive properties of prescription pain medicines. Many of the medicines can be deadly if they are mixed with other medications that have not been disclosed to the doctor. They can also be used even when not needed to obtain a mellow form of "high." This is the beginning of addiction. Soon the patient is using the pain medication just to feel "normal," and then the process goes downhill after that. Always be aware of the dangers of narcotic pain medication.