Your knees bear your weight and enable you to perform complex movements, such as jumping and pivoting. While age plays a role in knee injuries, younger people who play sports, make a misstep, or collide with another player during a game can develop a variety of musculoskeletal problems. Let’s look at the most common knee injuries and the treatments for these conditions.
Common Knee Injuries
Meniscus Tears
You could tear the meniscus in your knee if you suddenly twist your knee during a tennis or basketball game. The meniscus is the C-shaped cartilage that cushions the space between your upper and lower leg bones. Pain, swelling, and even a grinding noise emanating from the knee are common symptoms.
ACL Sprains and Tears
The anterior cruciate and posterior cruciate ligaments–the ACL and PCL–are the connective tissues that control and stabilize the forward and backward motions of the knee. Sadly, they can overstretch (sprain) or even tear, and ACL tears are one of the most common knee injuries in active individuals. When an ACL or PCL injury occurs, there may be a sudden popping sound, and the individual loses normal range of motion and weight-bearing capabilities.
Kneecap Dislocations and Fractures
If you fall hard on your knee or receive a sudden blow from a car accident or soccer maneuver, you could dislocate or fracture your kneecap. The kneecap is a small, triangular bone that is mobile and slides in a groove located in the thigh bone, or femur. Swelling, obvious knee deformity, and inability to bear weight are the symptoms providers see most with patellar fractures and dislocations.
Knee Bursitis
This is an inflammatory condition in which the small, fluid-filled sacs called bursae become inflamed. Bursae act as cushions within the knee joint, and due to overuse or sudden, acute impacts, they can become inflamed and dysfunctional. Pain and swelling are the common presenting symptoms.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Knee Injuries
When you see your healthcare provider with a knee injury, you will discuss your symptoms and how severe they are. Your physician will inspect your knee and evaluate your ability to bear weight and walk on it. Your provider may order an X-ray or MRI to provide clear images of suspected injuries within the joint.
To treat the knee injuries discussed here, your provider will formulate a care plan which can include the following:
- RICE–rest, ice, compression with an elastic bandage, and elevation to reduce swelling
- Physical therapy – a combination of exercises, bracing (and other assistive devices), and targeted therapies to improve strength, reduce pain, improve balance and coordination, and restore full range of motion
- Viscosupplementation – knee injections composed of hyaluronic acid, the body’s natural joint lubricant
- PRP therapy– injections made up of concentrated blood platelets and growth factors taken from the patient’s blood
- Pain medications – over-the-counter pain relievers like NSAIDs
Surgery to repair or replace joint components usually is a last resort. Fortunately, there are other knee pain solutions that combine the best of natural, regenerative solutions. There are ways for the body to heal well and in the least invasive way possible, using the body’s own power to heal and rehabilitate.
Natural Knee Pain Treatments in Jacksonville, FL
At NIVA Health, we specialize in natural regenerative treatments that can reduce pain and swelling, improve strength and flexibility, and allow patients to resume their normal home, work, and sports routines. If you have knee pain resulting from a sudden injury or degenerative condition like osteoarthritis, we can help.
We offer knee pain consultations that diagnose problems precisely, and we tailor treatment plans to your health, desired therapeutic outcomes, lifestyle, age, and much more. We use non-operative approaches that keep you out of the hospital.
Contact NIVA Health today for your consultation at one of our seven locations across Florida, Illinois, Michigan, and Georgia. We serve patients of all ages and activity levels.
Call us today at (866) 377-5872 or request your appointment here. We hope to see you soon!
