What causes knee pain?
The knee is made up of an intricate system of bone, cartilage, ligaments, tendons, nerves, and much more. They bear up to 1.5 times your body weight with every normal step you take on level ground, making them one of the most vulnerable joints in your body.
The source of knee pain could be an injury, inflammation, or medical condition that affects any of those complex parts of the knee.
Knee pain is usually associated with one of the following:
- Torn meniscus
- Torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)
- Kneecap fracture
- Ruptured tendon
- Arthritis
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis
In non-urgent cases, you can schedule an appointment at Optimized Wellness if your knee pain doesn’t get better after several days of self-care measures, and your leg can’t straighten or bear weight.
How is knee pain diagnosed?
Typically a review of your medical history, physical exam, and imaging tests are required to make a proper diagnosis. Your provider may also request labs to check for markers of infection or inflammation.
Medical History
Your doctor asks questions about your general health, past medical conditions, family history, and other factors that could affect your health. The team may also ask for details about your pain and the events that led to the pain.
Exam
A physical exam often involves a visual observation of swelling and bruising and mechanical movement to test your strength and range of motion.
Imaging tests
X-rays are often the first method of testing as they can show fractures. Next, your provider may order a CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound to check for more specific problems.
What treatments are available for knee pain?
Jordan Bernard, ARNP, at Optimized Wellness are dedicated to using the most natural, non-invasive methods of treatment. They use non-surgical methods to promote your body’s own healing processes.
Two of the knee pain treatments they focus on are prolozone therapy and PRP injections.
Prolozone Therapy
Prolozone therapy involves injecting the joint with ozone gases to stimulate the joint’s self-repairing processes. The oxygen helps damaged tissues to heal.
PRP treatments
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments involve drawing blood from your body and separating the plasma from the rest of the components. Then, the plasma, concentrated with platelets and growth factors, gets injected into the joint to stimulate repair.
If knee pain is a problem for you, call the office or click the online scheduling tool to make an appointment at the Centennial, Colorado clinic.
