How to Know Which Knee Treatment Is Right for You

Knee pain can stem from many sources, and the treatments can be just as numerous. The good news is, if you have a knee injury, you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, our team of board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists are experts in treating knee pain. In this blog, we explain some of the common causes of knee pain and go over some of the common treatment options.

If you’re experiencing knee pain now, we invite you to schedule an appointment at any of our nine locations in the greater Baltimore, Maryland, area for a thorough examination and a personalized treatment plan.

Which knee treatment do I need?

Your knee is a complex joint that carries a lot of weight and responsibility. If any of the internal parts becomes damaged or compromised, it can cause pain, inflammation, and the potential for progressive damage if you don’t receive the right treatment at the right time.

At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, we specialize in diagnosing the root sources of pain and matching our patients with the right treatments. When it comes to knee pain, there are so many variables involved that it’s impossible to say which treatment you may need without first evaluating the injury. 

However, some general rules apply to knee pain. Here’s a list of some of the most common causes of knee pain and the treatments we often apply.

Knee sprain and strain

A knee sprain occurs when you overly stretch or tear a ligament in your knee. 

When you overuse your knee, you may develop knee strain, which is the overstretching or tearing of a muscle or tendon in your knee. Treatments for both sprains and strains include:

• Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE method)
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medications
• Bracing and immobilization
• Physical therapy
• Weight training

In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to repair the damage.

Knee arthritis

There are more than 100 types of arthritis, but the three most likely to affect your knee are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic arthritis. Treatments include:

• Physical therapy
• Joint injections
• Splinting and bracing
• Cold therapy
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medications
• Paraffin wax dips

There’s no cure for arthritis, but the right treatments can keep you mobile and out of pain. 

Knee fracture

Car accidents and sports are two of the main causes of knee fractures. More specifically, we’re talking about breaking your patella, that triangular bone you may know as your knee cap. Depending on the severity of the fracture, treatment may include:

• Immobilization
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medication
• Physical therapy
• Surgery

At CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center, our goal is to help you avoid surgery when possible and regain full function of your knee. 

Knee dislocation

If extreme force, direct impact, or a wrong move shifts the bone in your knee joint out of position, it’s called a knee dislocation, and it causes a lot of pain and swelling. Treatments can include:

• Manual repositioning of your bones
• Immobilization
• RICE method
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medication

Physical therapy can help you rehabilitate your dislocated knee once it’s healed enough to withstand some activity. 

Knee tendonitis and bursitis

Inflammation of your knee’s tendons or the small bursa sac that cushions your bones can lead to pain, limited mobility, redness, swelling, and a grating sensation when you bend your knee. Treatments can include:

• RICE method
• Antibiotics if an infection is present
• Joint injections
• Anti-inflammatory and pain medications

Surgery is typically not required for tendinitis or bursitis, but if you have an acute or chronic condition that has led to these inflamed tissues, surgery may be necessary to resolve the underlying problem.

How to choose the right knee treatment

Any time you experience knee pain, stop and take stock of the situation. Don’t do anything that could cause the pain to worsen. Rest your knee, ice it, and elevate it if it’s beginning to swell. Don’t apply heat and don’t massage it. 

Then, call us at CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center. The only way to know for sure why your knee is in pain and which treatment is right for you is to get an accurate diagnosis using X-rays, MRIs, and a thorough physical examination by trained professionals, such as those on our team. 

If you have knee pain, we can help. To learn more, book an appointment online or over the phone with CHOICE Pain & Rehabilitation Center today. Our Maryland offices are located in Hyattsville, Gaithersburg, Lanham, Dundalk, Oxon Hill, Rosedale, and Olney, and we have two offices in Baltimore.