Enduring weeks, months, or even years of knee pain and stiffness may lead you to believe that surgery is your only realistic treatment option, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, the effectiveness of many conservative therapies is steadily increasing, allowing many patients to delay or even avoid the need for knee surgery altogether. Before considering knee surgery, you may want to give these nonsurgical alternatives a try:
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a strategic regimen of gentle exercises and conservative techniques that are designed to help strengthen the structures that support the knee joint and promote healing. It is a proven method that can provide significant results for patients who adhere to their physical therapist’s instructions.
Knee Injections
Knee injections like platelet rich plasma therapy and hyaluronic acid injections—also known as viscosupplementation or knee gel shots—can help stimulate the body’s natural healing processes and lubricate the knee joint to promote more comfortable, fluid movement.
Bracing
Wearing a knee brace is a simple way to help gradually realign the joint structures and support the muscles that stabilize the knee. This can, in turn, reduce pain and improve mobility while also protecting the joint from further injury.
Anti-Inflammatory Medications
Prescription and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications can provide significant pain relief by reducing inflammation in the knee joint caused by osteoarthritis and other degenerative conditions.
Lifestyle Modifications
Making healthy changes to your lifestyle can go a long way in reducing your knee pain and improving your mobility. Try losing excess weight, engaging in regular low-impact exercises like walking and swimming, taking joint supplements like glucosamine, and quitting smoking and other bad habits before rushing into knee surgery.
Knee Surgery Alternatives from Tampa Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Group
Tampa Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Group provides a full spectrum of specialized care to patients with all types of knee conditions. Our treatment options include knee surgery alternatives like PRP therapy, knee gel shots, bracing, corticosteroid therapy, and more. As our patient, you can be assured that your orthopedic health is in the most capable of hands; our practice is led by orthopedic sports medicine surgeon Dr. Daniel Murphy and sports medicine physician Dr. Arnold Ramirez—two board-certified specialists who emphasize compassionate and personalized care.
It’s important to mention that knee surgery is sometimes the clinically appropriate treatment option and may provide you with meaningful, lasting relief from your symptoms. If you’re fearful of a major surgical operation followed by months of miserable recovery, you can be assured that Dr. Murphy utilizes the latest advancements in minimally invasive and muscle-sparing techniques that help streamline the recovery process and reduce post-operative discomfort.
To learn more about your knee surgery alternatives and what course of treatment may be best for you, contact Tampa Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Group today. Our practice accepts most major health insurance plans and is proud to be a division of Florida Medical Clinic.
