Knee pain has become very common especially with athletes and playing sports when getting older.
It could be a car accident, during an athletic activity, walking, moving incorrectly. The knee is a very complex joint with many muscles and tendons working around it. Ligaments inside the joint can get wear and tear and be torn easily with additional pressure or being turned improperly.
Arthritis can occur when stress is applied to joints. This kind of arthritis is called Osteoarthritis. Spurs and decreased space in the joint will cause pain and immobility of the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is an inflammatory arthritis that causes pain in the joint as well.
Our body parts are connected. Just like a car, they all work together to run efficiently. Our feet help us move along with our ankles, knees, hips, low back. Our arms also move in a certain way to help the rest of our body function and keep strain and stress off.
The more weight we put on the more stress there is on our body. Our knees, low back, hips, feet and spine have to keep us erect and support gravity all day long. The more weight we have, the more load. In time the body is over stressed and the brain will send pain signals and lock up the area in order to protect it.
Knee replacements are very common, especially as we get older. We want to do the things we love and having pain will not allow us to play tennis, run, pickle ball, soccer, basketball, baseball or any sport that requires us to move. We also want to be able to sit or sleep without pain.
When going into a medical doctor for pain in the knee, they will normally prescribe pain pills, give a cortisone shot, hyaluronic injections (hyaluronic acid for lubrication of the joint), or Platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP). This injection consists of two elements: plasma, or the liquid portion of blood, and platelets. If these do not work, then knee replacement is recommended.
There are almost 800,000 knee replacements each year in the United States. Some are successful and some are not. There is also a very long recovery after getting a knee replacement. It is not as easy as going in and coming out of it unscathed.
1. Infections:
This may require another surgery to clean out the infection if antibiotics do not work.
2. Bleeding into the knee joint
3. Damage to the ligaments, artery or nerves around the knee joint
4. Blood Clotting:
Clots can form after any surgery, especially if you aren't moving around very much. Support stockings, movement and anticoagulant drugs may be prescribed.
5. Fracture in the bone during the surgery
6. Excess bone formation around the joint in response to the stress of the surgery. This restricts movement and may require another surgery.
7. Scar tissue formation:
Any time there is a surgery, they have to cut through tissue. This causes scar tissue. Surgery may be required to remove this scar tissue
8. Knee cap dislocation:
The knee cap moves with the muscles, ligaments and tendons around it. Surgery will change the way the knee moves which can cause the knee to pop out of place.
9. Numbness, tingling around the scars in the knee:
Nerves are affected during surgery and they can be irritated causing discomfort.
10. Pain in the knee:
This is what we wanted to get rid of but surgery right?
11. Allergic reaction to bone cement used in the procedure.
How long does a knee replacement last?
It is not a long term fix. It will normally have to be replaced again in 12 years.
How does our San Francisco Chiropractor help with knee pain?
Chiropractic helps and aids the whole body function, heal and stay healthy. Our doctor at Precise Moves Chiropractic can help prevent surgery and invasive procedures. Contact us today for an appointment!
References:
https://www.popb.md/2021/11/19/knee-replacement-surgery-statistics-you-should-know/
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/knee-replacement/risks/
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/plateletrich-plasma-prp-treatment
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