Skip to main content

Knee Replacement Alternatives You Can Consider

 Do you get a crunching sound while climbing the stairs? Are you experiencing chronic knee pain and swelling? Do you plan to opt for knee surgery? We can understand how terrible the pain can be and that you want to address it as soon as possible. However, don’t opt for surgery right away without exploring other alternatives. Remember going for a knee replacement is just one of the options available to you. Some people cannot go for knee replacement due to many reasons. Some might be too young for the surgery. A lengthy rehabilitation after the surgery with extended downtime is not feasible for others.

An artificial knee can last only for 15-20 years. After that, the person may require revision surgery. Hence, it is worth exploring several other nonsurgical options under medical guidance to delay the surgery as long as possible. Various knee replacement alternatives can provide lasting relief from knee pain. Here are our five recommendations:

Home-based treatment – R.I.C.E. formula

    • Rest: Take rest and stop activities that can worsen your knee pain. Use crutches and don’t put excess weight on the knee.
    • Ice: Ice therapy can reduce knee pain and swelling. Use cold packs like towels filled with ice cubes for 15-20 minutes every four to six hours. Follow this step within 24-48 hours of injury.
    • Compression: Wear an elastic compression bandage to prevent inflammation and swelling.
    • Elevation: Keep your leg higher than the heart level while taking rest to reduce swelling. You can even keep your legs on two pillows while sitting on a chair.

Physical therapy

Physical therapy can stabilize and support the knee joint. The therapists use stretching and strengthening exercises to increase the blood flow to the affected area. These exercises can strengthen the muscles around the knees and provide relief from pain and stiffness. It can also distribute the weight evenly around the knee. 

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

Administration of NSAIDs can reduce both pain and inflammation. However, you cannot continue them for a long duration. You may experience side effects, including heart, gastrointestinal, and kidney problems.

Corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid injections

The physician may recommend corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid injections to reduce pain and enhance mobility. However, the effect will be only for a short duration. Prolonged administration, especially for elders, may cause potential side effects. Corticosteroids may deteriorate the injection region and the surrounding areas and make them more prone to rupture in the case of ligaments.

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine is a minimally invasive method that helps to manage the associated symptoms and provide pain relief. Unlike NSAIDs, corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid injections, Regenerative therapy can help biologically heal the underlying cause of pain and not just mask its symptoms. This daycare procedure can rebuild the affected cells and regenerate them naturally. Regenerative therapy includes platelets rich plasma (PRP) therapy and cellular therapies, and as it involves your own blood plasma and cells for treatment, you won’t experience any significant side effects. It has more than 30 healing proteins enabling pain relief and enhances healing mechanism. This treatment takes only about an hour and a half, where you will be fully conscious as only a local anaesthetic is required. Moreover, you may find significant improvement in symptoms within 1-2 weeks, with further improvements manifesting for up to one year. Regenerative therapy’s timely administration may significantly delay the need for knee replacement and, in some cases, be a natural alternative to knee replacement surgery.

If you would like to know more about regenerative treatment, contact our Medica Stem Cells Clinic. Our medical team of experts, including orthopaedic surgeons, will provide you with comprehensive advice after diagnosing your medical condition and offer the best suitable nonsurgical options if you are a qualified candidate for Regenerative therapy.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Start running again with Regenerative Treatment for Runner’s knee

  The Knee joint is one of the most important and strongest joints of the locomotor system of the human body. The pressure experienced by the knee joint is approximately three times the body’s weight when walking and about five times the body’s weight when running. In short, a person who weighs 80 kg puts about 400kg of pressure on the knee when landing each running stride. The immense pressure experienced by the knee, especially in runners, makes the knee more prone to injury. Iliotibial or IT band syndrome, also called runner’s knee, is a common knee injury, especially in runners. It is the second most common knee injury in runners after the jumper’s knee.  What is Iliotibial or IT band syndrome or runner’s knee? The Iliotibial band, or IT band, is longitudinal fibrous support of the Fascia Lata. It is originating from the upper outer part of the hip and runs along the outside and lastly attaches to the top of the shinbone (tibia). When the knee bends, the IT band ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Heal Jumper’s Knee Naturally with Medica Stem Cell Therapy

  Are you a runner or a competitive jumper? Do you overuse your knee repetitively? Check whether you have a Jumper’s knee condition? Jumper’s knee can be referred to as Patellar tendonitis. Your physician may recommend surgery, especially if the non-surgical methods don’t provide any significant relief. This condition requires treatment, but that need not be surgical. Medica Stem Cells Clinic in the UK recommends Medica Stem Cells therapy and PRP therapy as the best alternative to treat Jumper’s knee. Before knowing the importance of Medica stem cell therapy , let us learn what patellar tendonitis is. What is Jumper’s knee/patellar tendonitis? Patellar tendonitis occurs when there is an injury to the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone. It arises due to the stressed patellar tendon. The repeated stress of the tendon causes micro-tears that become inflamed over time. The risk factors may include: Partaking in sports or other physical activities that involve running or ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to Treat Ankle Arthritis with Regenerative Cell Treatment?

    Don’t let this constant severe ankle pain due to arthritis hinder you from doing your routine activities? If your physician says medication and surgery are the only treatment options for ankle arthritis, hold on! Medica Stem Cells therapy in the UK may help in healing the ankle arthritis naturally by itself. Let us first understand the causes and symptoms of the ankle arthritis and see how regenerative cell treatment can be the right surgical alternat ive. What is ankle arthritis? Ankle arthritis occurs at the joint that connects the tibia (shin bone of the leg), and the talus (above the heel bone) called the tibiotalar joint. Ankle arthritis pain emerges at this point in your ankle. It greatly affects your quality of life by hindering your mobility.    Ankle osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease where the articular cartilage helps in providing a cushion between the bones of the talocrural joint, starts to degenerate gradually. It will decrease...
Post a Comment
Read more