You do not want to have surgery on your knee joint if what you truly are experiencing is a condition in your back. If you are curious to know whether your back is the cause of your knee pain, there are signs to look for, such as hamstring tightness, bunion formation, and if you are experiencing both back and knee pain.
Urquhart: I always start by telling patients that total knee replacement surgery shouldn't be thought of as the only way to treat knee pain. Patients who can walk on level ground without much difficulty, or who only have pain when going up and down stairs, are not good candidates for knee replacement surgery.
There is no set age cutoff for a knee replacement, as each patient's case is different. Before surgical intervention becomes an option, other less invasive treatments such as anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, and physical therapy should be explored.
As knee arthritis progresses, the knee becomes much looser and more unstable. In some cases, this is mild. In other cases, it is substantial enough that cause the patient to fall. Patients who have bone-on-bone arthritis and are starting to fall because of it should strongly consider surgery.
When you put off surgery for too long, you can experience a continued loss of mobility and function in your joint. Plus, your body continues to age and your risk increases for developing other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Recovery is slow
While it's different for everyone and depends on the type of knee surgery you've had, many people are surprised by how long it takes to recover. The time it takes to start doing simple tasks around the home, get back to work and importantly bending your new and improved knee may catch you by surprise.
Pain becomes more common during simple activities like walking or rising from a chair. Eventually, the bone on bone pressure causes the growth of bone spurs. These lumps of bony excess cause further discomfort and stiffness within your joint.
The answer: a resounding yes! In fact, people with knee osteoarthritis who walk for exercise are significantly less likely to go on to develop worse pain, according to a 2022 study published in Arthritis & Rheumatology.
Severe knee cartilage loss makes walking, sitting, standing, squatting, and going up and down stairs extremely painful. People with a total loss of knee cartilage can benefit from joint injections. In many cases, surgery including a total knee replacement is needed to treat no cartilage in the knee.
Spring and fall offer lots of daylight and fresh air. Your physical therapy is another reason to choose spring and fall for your knee surgery. Part of your therapy will be performing exercises indoors and outside, which will be more appealing when the temperature isn't too hot or cold.
Even with a completely successful surgery, patients who waited to have knee replacement surgery tend to have lower function and higher rates of dissatisfaction with their surgeries.
Most patients can start walking while still in the hospital. Walking helps deliver important nutrients to your knee to help you heal and recover. You can expect to use a walker for the first couple of weeks. Most patients can walk on their own roughly four to eight weeks after knee replacement.
These minimally invasive injections can help ease pain, enhance knee function, and postpone or forgo surgery by adding lubricant and cushioning to the joint. Knee gel injections have been found to be successful for many people, albeit their duration of pain alleviation varies widely.
You can expect some pain and swell for a few months after surgery. Improved surgical techniques and new technology, such as robotic arm-assisted technology, makes the knee replacement recovery process quicker and less painful.
Sleeping with knee pain may require you to elevate the knee and leg. If so, sleeping on your back is the best option. Place pillow under both legs to elevate the knee above the level of the heart. If there is swelling in the knee, the elevation can help to reduce it.
Hylauronic acid is a substance that is naturally present in joints, and functions as a lubricant and a shock absorbent. The idea behind these injections is that they will temporarily restore the natural function of the knee by injecting a substance which will provide cushioning and reduce bone-on-bone contact.
Ice and over-the-counter pain medication like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help. Sometimes physical therapy or a guided exercise program can provide bone-on-bone knee pain relief by strengthening the muscles that support the knee, particularly the quadriceps.
Physical Therapy
Strengthening and stretching the leg muscles can help to restore full range of motion to the knee. Low-impact exercises such as stationary biking may reduce your level of pain and improve function to the area around the knee cartilage tear.
Over-the-counter medications — such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and naproxen sodium (Aleve) — may help ease knee pain. 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.
Heat and ice can both be used to manage different parts of knee pain. Ice helps reduce swelling and inflammation and is best with injuries. Heat can help with pain management, especially on stiff joints. It can also help mobility.
In some cases, one or several cortisone shots can cure a condition, particularly those that affect the hand and wrist, Dr. Halim says. “But for conditions that affect the knees, shoulders, and hips, a cortisone injection will make the pain better for a period of time, but is seldom curative,” she says.
Blood clots or DVT (deep vein thrombosis)
A blood clot that forms in the leg can sometimes travel to your lungs (pulmonary embolism). This can cause serious complications. To reduce the risk of blood clots your doctor might suggest wearing compression stockings or taking anticoagulant medicines.