Knee Joint Pain Treatment

Pain in the knee joint is one of the most common and troublesome complaints an orthopedic doctor encounters. The largest joint in the body, the human knee, is made to take abuse, but even the strongest knees can take more of a beating than they should. This article will give you some ideas on how to treat knee pain.

NSAIDS - Your best friend

• Begin with over-the-counter NSAIDs. Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are a knee pain sufferer's best friend. These are drugs such as Ibuprofen, Aleve, Tylenol, Aspirin, etc. Be sure and check with your doctor if you are unsure about dosage or allergies, but these drugs will improve knee pain and knee function significantly. They reduce swelling, ease stiffness, and if a constant level is maintained in the bloodstream, they can significantly help even chronic knee pain sufferers.

ICE Method

• Another simple and highly successful method is the ICE method. (I)ce, (C)ompress, and (E)levate. Get off your painful knee and elevate it above your hip level. Apply an ice bag (a frozen bag of peas is excellent for this) to your knee and keep it there for about twenty minutes. Then wrap your knee with a compression bandage, like an Ace wrap, to support it until the pain is reduced. By giving it some compression, you are encouraging any fluid buildup to "disperse", which will alleviate pain.

See the Knee Doc

• At some point, if the knee continues to be painful despite these treatments, you will need to consult a professional. Orthopedic doctors have exhaustive training on knees, and will be able to give you a variety of options to help with your knee pain - and no - surgery will NOT be the first thing they want to try. Usually, surgery is the last resort for any orthopedic doctor, and you will go through many rounds of various treatments before it is even a consideration. So do not let fear of surgery keep you out of the doctor's office.