Dealing with knee and hip pain can significantly impact your daily life, making it difficult to perform simple tasks or even walk comfortably. Fortunately, there are effective treatments available to help alleviate the discomfort and improve mobility.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a common treatment option for knee and hip pain. A physical therapist can create a customized exercise program to strengthen the muscles around the affected joint, improving stability and reducing pain. Additionally, they may use techniques such as manual therapy and stretching to enhance flexibility and range of motion.
A physical or occupational therapist can help you develop an exercise program that’s right for you. Wrapping your knee joint with an elastic bandage or straps will help keep the swelling down and provide additional support. If a person has osteoarthritis in their hip, it may cause pain in the groin area, the buttocks, or the inside of the knee or thigh. A person with osteoarthritis in the knee may experience a grating or scraping feeling when they move their knee.
The Medical Letter table published in this issue of JAMA provides rich information on formulations, dosages and costs of many of the pharmacologic agents noted in this review. MRI is seldom indicated in the assessment or management of knee or hip OA. In clinical care, MRI can be useful if there is suspicion of conditions such as subchondral insufficiency fracture, tumor or infection that would be treated differently and more urgently than OA.
All of these tissues are capable of producing a host of pro-inflammatory factors and matrix degrading enzymes and thus contribute to the progressive remodeling and destruction of the joint. Strengthening the muscles around a damaged knee or hip can help reduce stress on a joint. For example, your hips have to do less work to support your body weight if your quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings, and abdominal muscles are strong.
Medications
Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that attach bones to muscles. You might not always be able to prevent hip pain, especially if it’s caused by an accident you can’t plan for or an issue with the natural shape of your hip joint. Injuries from falls and direct blows to the knee may also cause joint pain.
Whether you’ve just started to experience pain or have been battling it for years, this report will help you make informed decisions about staying active and independent for years to come. Some people find relief by rubbing the affected knee with creams containing a numbing agent, such as lidocaine, or capsaicin, the substance that makes chili peppers hot. Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain.
The pain it brings can turn simple steps into an achy shuffle. The meniscus is a C-shaped piece of tough, rubbery cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between the shinbone and the thighbone. It can be torn if you suddenly twist your knee while bearing weight on it. We attempted a moonshot effort to put all elements of this procedure into one arthroscopic surgery, an important goal for our team. To now see that come to fruition after some years is exciting and rewarding for the team, and hopefully it is a valuable improvement for our patients.
If over-the-counter pain relievers do not provide adequate relief, your doctor may prescribe stronger medications to help manage knee and hip pain. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can reduce inflammation and alleviate discomfort, while corticosteroids may be injected directly into the joint for more targeted relief.
Surgery
In cases where conservative treatments have been unsuccessful, surgery may be necessary to address underlying issues causing knee and hip pain. Procedures such as arthroscopy, knee replacement, or hip replacement can help restore function and reduce pain in the affected joint.
Alternative Therapies
Some individuals find relief from knee and hip pain through alternative therapies such as acupuncture, chiropractic care, or massage therapy. While research on the efficacy of these treatments is ongoing, many people report significant improvements in their symptoms after incorporating these modalities into their treatment plan.
Lifestyle Changes
Simple lifestyle modifications can also play a significant role in managing knee and hip pain. Maintaining a healthy weight, staying active with low-impact exercises like swimming or biking, and wearing supportive footwear can all help reduce strain on the joints and improve overall comfort.
Consultation
If you are experiencing persistent knee and hip pain, it is essential to consult with a healthcare professional for an accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plan. By addressing the underlying cause of your discomfort and following a comprehensive treatment approach, you can effectively manage your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
