Degeneration of the knee joint is a health problem met often, particularly in older people whose bones degenerate with increasing age, until it affects movement and the quality of life. However, at present there are approaches that help solve the problem, so that a degenerated knee joint can be treated without surgery, which can help relieve the symptoms and slow the degeneration of the knee joint effectively. This article will reveal the methods of treating a degenerated knee joint without surgery, together with advice on caring for the health of the knee joint for a better quality of life.

What is a degenerated knee joint?

Knee Osteoarthritis is a state arising from the degeneration and wearing away of the cartilage in the area of the joint of the knee. Normally this cartilage acts as the medium in bearing weight and helping the movement of the knee joint proceed smoothly. But when the knee joint degenerates, it results in inflammation of the cartilage and the membrane of the joint, so that the ability to produce joint fluid decreases and movement becomes more difficult.

In the long term, this degeneration will make the surface of the joint rough and not smooth, and bone spurs may arise in the area around the joint, resulting in bending and loss of balance of the knee joint more and more, according to the level of severity of the disease, which will affect the movement and the living of daily life of the patient.

Can a degenerated knee joint be treated without surgery?

When a degenerated knee joint can be treated without surgery, when it is in the early stage through to the middle stage, treatment without surgery can help relieve the symptoms and slow the degeneration of the knee joint effectively. The methods of treatment without surgery have several approaches, from changing the behaviour of living, controlling weight, and doing physiotherapy, through to using medicine to relieve the symptoms.

When a degenerated knee joint can be treated without surgery, there are several advantages, such as reducing the risk from complications that may arise from surgery, taking less time to recover, and having a cost much lower than surgery. However, the effectiveness of treatment without surgery depends on many factors, such as the stage of the disease, the cooperation of the patient in following the doctor's advice, and the response of the body to the treatment.

Revealing the causes that make the knee joint degenerate

The causes that give rise to the state of a degenerated knee joint can be divided into 2 main kinds, namely internal factors arising from our own body, and external factors arising from the environment or the behaviour of living. Understanding and knowing the causes that make the knee joint degenerate will help us be able to prevent and slow the arising of degeneration of the knee joint effectively.

Internal factors arising from the body

Increasing age: when one is older, the degeneration of the cartilage of the joint surface, the muscles, and the nerves will increase naturally
Heredity: some people may have a genetic tendency that makes a degenerated knee joint arise more easily than in ordinary people
Sex: women have a tendency to have degeneration of the knee joint more than men, particularly after the menopause
Body weight: those who are overweight or obese have a high risk of a degenerated knee joint arising
Abnormality of the structure of the body, such as bow legs, knock knees, or legs of unequal length

External factors

Injury of the knee joint: an accident or an injury from playing sport
Using the knee joint too much, such as work requiring standing for a long time, lifting heavy things, or going up and down stairs often
Unsuitable postures in living daily life, such as sitting with the legs folded to one side, or being in the same posture for a long time
A lack of exercise, making the muscles around the knee joint weak
Certain diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or infection in the joint

What are the symptoms of a degenerated knee joint?

Pain in the knee, particularly when moving, such as walking up and down stairs, or getting up and sitting down
A crackling sound (Crepitus) when moving the knee joint
The knee joint catching, stiff, tight, and rigid (Stiffness), particularly in the morning or after sitting for a long time
A feeling of a sharp twinge in the knee when walking or moving
The knee joint swollen, hot, and tender to pressure
The knee joint bent, the thigh wasted, or the knee joint deformed (in a case where it has been there a long time)
The movement of the knee joint having limitations, so that the leg cannot be bent or straightened fully
Pain that becomes more severe when the weather is cold or damp

The preliminary diagnosis of the symptoms of a degenerated knee joint

The preliminary diagnosis of the symptoms of a degenerated knee joint consists of several steps, beginning with the doctor taking the history and examining the body, examining the degrees of movement of the knee joint, the inflammation of the tendons, and the tender points around the knee joint. If the symptoms fit the disease, preliminarily an X-ray will be requested in order to assess the line of the joint and the bone. An MRI may be considered in order to examine the condition of the meniscus and the ligaments of the knee in detail. This comprehensive diagnosis lets the doctor plan treatment suited to each patient suitably.

The approach to the methods of treating a degenerated knee joint without surgery

When signs or symptoms of a degenerated knee joint are met, treatment should be carried out early, because letting the symptoms spread until they become chronic may make the treatment more difficult and the symptoms worse. At present, for the approach in which a degenerated knee joint can be treated without surgery, there are several methods together, which can help relieve the symptoms and slow the degeneration of the knee joint effectively.

Controlling weight

Losing weight is a very effective way of treating a degenerated knee joint, particularly for those who are overweight. Losing only a little weight can greatly help reduce the pressure on the knee joint, which will help relieve the pain and slow the degeneration of the knee joint. Besides this, eating food that is nourishing and controlling calories also helps reduce inflammation in the body, which is an important cause of the pain in degeneration of the knee joint.

Adjusting the behaviour of living

Changing the behaviour of living daily life is an important thing in treating a degenerated knee joint. One should avoid activities that cause high impact on the knee joint, such as running on a hard surface, jumping, or playing contact sports, but should choose exercise with low impact, such as swimming, walking in water, or cycling. Besides this, using walking aids, such as a stick, or wearing shoes that support the heel well, can also help reduce the pressure on the knee joint effectively.

Restoring the strength of the muscles of the knee

Restoring and building up the strength of the muscles around the knee joint is an important part in treating a degenerated knee joint. Strong muscles will help bear the weight and reduce the impact acting on the knee joint. Besides this, doing physiotherapy under the care of rehabilitation physicians and physiotherapists will help you receive training that is correct and safe. The programme of training may include exercising the muscles of the thigh, stretching the muscles, and training balance. Besides this, doing physiotherapy may also include the use of other techniques, such as hot and cold compresses, massage, the use of ultrasound, needling (dry needling), the use of high-energy laser, or stimulation with electromagnetism (PMS), in order to help relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation.

Recommending the steps of treatment without surgery at Pyong Rehabilitation Clinic

At PYONG Rehabilitation Clinic we are determined to treat a degenerated knee joint by methods that do not require surgery, using a holistic approach to treatment adjusted to suit each patient. We emphasise restoring the condition of the knee joint and building up the strength of the surrounding muscles, together with giving advice on changing the way of life in order to slow the degeneration of the knee joint in the long term.

The way to prepare before receiving treatment

Consult the doctor in order to assess the symptoms and plan the treatment
Prepare the history of treatment and the related medical test results
Inform the doctor about the medicines used regularly and any allergies to medicine (if there are any)
Wear clothing that is comfortable and favourable to physical examination and to doing physiotherapy

Caring for oneself after the treatment

Follow the advice of the doctor and the physiotherapist strictly
Exercise the muscles and the joints according to the programme received regularly
Use medicine as the doctor prescribes correctly
Avoid using the knee joint too heavily in the early stage of the treatment
Observe abnormal symptoms and inform the doctor at once if the symptoms become more severe
Come for follow-up of the result of the treatment as appointed regularly

The approach to preventing the problem of a degenerated knee joint

Preventing the problem of a degenerated knee joint is an important matter that everyone should pay attention to, particularly those at risk of a degenerated knee joint arising easily. One should prepare to exercise and keep the muscles strong from adolescence onwards, so that when one is older the risk of a degenerated knee joint arising is reduced.

As for the approaches to preventing the problem of a degenerated knee joint, they can be done from keeping the weight within the normal range and exercising regularly, in order to build up the strength of the muscles around the knee joint. Besides this, one should avoid activities that risk injury to the knee joint, adjust the postures of work and of living daily life so that they are suitable, eat food that is nourishing, particularly food rich in calcium and vitamin D, and avoid other risk factors, such as smoking and drinking alcohol in large quantities. An annual health check and consulting a doctor when there are abnormal symptoms are also an important part in preventing and detecting the problem of a degenerated knee joint early.

FAQ

For anyone who has read to this point but still has questions they wonder about concerning a degenerated knee joint being treatable without surgery, we have gathered the questions met often in order to answer your doubts.

After treating a degenerated knee joint, within how many months can one return to exercising?

The length of time in treating a degenerated knee joint will differ in each person, depending on the stage of the disease and the symptoms. In general, exercise suited to the stage of the disease is one of the methods of treating a degenerated knee joint, so one can exercise at once after the treatment, but it must be under the advice of a rehabilitation physician. Preliminarily it will begin from exercise by tensing the muscles of the thigh (isometric strengthening exercise), after which movement begins to increase, and weight is added according to ability.

Does treating a degenerated knee joint make it heal completely?

Although a degenerated knee joint cannot go back to being like a normal joint, it can be cared for and further degeneration prevented, as well as behaviour adjusted, the strength of the core muscles built up, and the pain from the muscles, the tendons, and the nerves around it put right. Therefore patients can live together with the state of a degenerated knee joint with the least possible pain, if there is treatment according to the correct approach.