Knee pain can impact anyone and often varies in location. What are the causes behind this and how can we get past it? Dr. Rafael Rey, director of the Arthritis and Pain Department of Cano Health, spoke about what we can do to treat and prevent this pain.
"The knees carry the weight of the body," he says. "What's happening in your knee, is you have a wearing down as time goes on with years of movement and activity."
Dr. Rey compares it to tires on a car. As tires wear down over time, so does the cartilage in your knee. It can reach a point where the cartilage, which acts as a cushion, completely wears down and you begin to get bone on bone rubbing. This is what causes swelling and pain.
Symptoms can include difficulty getting up in the morning and taking your first steps, getting in and out of the car, or even just getting up from your chair after sitting for a while.
Rather than traditional treatments such as pain medicine, Cano Health has been focusing on alternative treatments.
"People are tired of the usual," says Dr. Rey. "They go to their physician and they get a prescription. They get an anti-inflammatory...we know that these prescriptions are just a temporary relief."
Cortisone shots have also been widely used, but they can lead to adverse side effects, especially if you're diabetic. Cano Health tries to avoid using these as much as possible.
The final option is surgery for a knee replacement. Dr. Rey offers natural injections, including Platelet Rich Plasma Injections, to heal damaged cartilage and potentially avoid these surgeries. These techniques are available for several parts of the body.
For more information or to set up a consultation, you can call 1-800-749-7202.
