BAD KNEES?
Safe, effective alternatives to surgery!
Considering surgery for knee pain? You’re smart to make it a last resort. A brand new study out of New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine reveals osteoarthritis-related knee surgery has doubled since 2000, yet it usually barely cuts pain and is often not really needed! What can you do instead, if the usual nonsurgical treatments (taking antiinflammatory meds, exercising, getting physical therapy or steroid injections) aren’t working? Enjoy great, long-lasting results by:
● Bracing yourself!
Slipping on an “unloader” knee brace—an elastic sleeve that shifts weight off the part of your knee joint affected by arthritis— can help make everyday activities pain-free, report University of Washington School of Medicine researchers. And you don’t need to wear the brace all the time. “If you want to walk the dog or rake the leaves, you might put the brace on for the duration of that activity,” says orthopedic surgeon and lead study author Seth Leopold, M.D.
● Getting needled!
When it comes to treating knee pain, “acupuncture is safe if delivered properly and has very few complications,” says pharmacologist Wen Chen, PH.D., a pain management expert at the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Exactly why it works isn’t clear, but scientists suspect that correctly placed acupuncture needles signal the brain to release painreducing neurotransmitters and inflammation-reducing hormones. Find out how to choose a qualified practitioner at Nccih.nih.gov/health/decisions/credentialing.htm.
● Adding a shock absorber!
Getting a shot of hyaluronic acid (a lubricating, shock- absorbing
substance similar to a gel-like lubricant your body makes less of over time) can significantly relieve mild knee osteoarthritis. Injected into the area around the knee joint once a week for three to five weeks, it reduces pain for several months in many patients, says family and sports medicine expert Dennis Wen, M.D., of the University of Missouri- Columbia Medical School.
● Taking a supplement combo!
Taking a combination of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate— cartilage building blocks found naturally in the body—may relieve moderate to severe osteoarthritis pain as effectively as the prescription drug Celebrex for some people, research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore suggests. Follow the package directions for dosage.