Noninvasive Treatment for Knee Pain

Knee pain can range from mild to severe and result from a number of different knee pathologies. Regardless of its cause, knee pain can be effectively treated and/or managed utilizing a number of different noninvasive treatment modalities. What follows is a brief list of the most common noninvasive-treatment options for dealing with knee pain.

Rest

• Resting a painful knee joint can be very effective for treating knee pain, especially acute types of knee pain that arise as the result of physical exertion. Many types of knee pain are caused by soft tissue and/or muscle inflammation within the knee-joint capsule. Allowing a painful knee joint to rest allows the irritated and inflamed soft tissues of the knee to heal and return to normal, which helps to reduce pain and improve function.

Ice Treatment

• Applying ice and/or an ice pack to a painful knee joint can help reduce knee inflammation and irritation, both of which help to reduce knee pain and increase knee-joint flexibility and function. Normally, ice treatment is best used to treat an acute case of knee pain, a type of knee pain that arises suddenly and, often times, intensely. Ice treatment helps to calm the initial swelling and pain of an acute knee flare-up. After the swelling and irritation start to subside, heat treatment can be applied to the knee to further relax and calm the painful knee joint.

Heat Treatment

• In addition to cold treatment, applying heat to a painful knee joint can help ease knee pain and increase knee flexibility. The application of heat to a painful knee joint helps to increase blood circulation to the muscles and soft tissues surrounding the knee-joint capsule; this leads to increased relaxation and pliability of these muscles and soft tissues, which helps to reduce knee pain and increase knee range of motion and function.

Massage

• Various types of massage techniques can be used to treat knee pain. Using the fingers and/or hands to apply gentle, rhythmic pressure to the soft tissues and muscles surrounding a painful knee joint can help to increase blood circulation to these areas. This pressure will help to prevent and/or reduce muscle cramping and muscle tightness, all of which can reduce and/or eliminate various types and degrees of knee-joint pain. Knee massage can also include the use of hand-held and/or motorized massage devices to add variety to a knee-massage therapy program.

Pain Medication

• Knee pain can often times be effectively managed and/or treated utilizing various types of pain medications, including both over-the-counter, nonprescription-based medications as well as narcotic/opiate-based prescription medications to treat more severe cases of knee pain. Managing knee pain with medication is a standard, noninvasive type of treatment that falls under the conservative/non-operative care-treatment umbrella that, along with reducing pain and increasing functioning, aims to avert and/or delay the need for knee-replacement surgery.