How to Reduce My Knee Pain Without Medicines

No one wants to take medicine forever to relieve knee pain, and surgery isn’t always an option unless the knee joint has deteriorated to the point of needing a replacement. Some doctors will recommend periodic steroid injections, which can help, but don’t last long-term. Chiropractic care is another option for knee pain that can make your knees feel better and can keep the pain from coming right back. 

What Causes Knee Pain?

Knee pain can be caused by about a hundred different things. One of the most common causes of knee pain is often arthritis. For these patients, there’s no more cushion between the bones in the joint so the bones rub together. This causes the knee joint to become inflamed, causing pain. Chiropractic care is especially helpful for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. 

Why Choose Chiropractic Care for Knee Pain?

Chiropractic care is drug-free and very effective for reducing knee pain. For some patients it can help avoid or at least delay the need for surgery. In addition, chiropractic treatment for knee pain can improve your ability to move around, which leads to being more active. This is especially important for those who are trying to keep their weight under control. Additional weight on the joints leads to even more knee pain. 

Pain medications only treat symptoms, not the root cause of the pain. There can also be side effects of medications. Let's explore a few common ways chiropractors can relieve your knee pain at the source, without medicine.

Knee Traction

Knee traction isolates the knee and then increases the space in the joint using gentle stretching. After a few treatments patients have less knee pain. That’s because there’s more space in the knee joint (less bone-on-bone movement) and fluid can fill the space in and around the knee to keep it cushioned. Knee traction is often combined with cold laser therapy and/or manual therapy.

Cold Laser Therapy for Knee Pain

This technology, approved by the FDA, helps relieve inflammation and bring down swelling of the knee. If you're suffering from severe knee pain, cold laser therapy can be a part of treatment to help get blood flowing in the area for faster healing. 

The cold laser is placed just above the knee for several minutes at a time. You won’t feel anything – hot or cold. The laser is called “cold” because it doesn’t put out heat during treatment. But the light in the laser gives the benefits of pain relief without medicine.

Spinal Alignments for Knee Pain

Another option for reducing knee pain is spinal adjustments. By aligning the spine, the rest of the skeletal system starts to align itself as well. It can take a few adjustments for the effects to be lasting. Chiropractors are able to apply pressure to the spine that puts the vertebrae back into place. It sounds odd that realigning your back can help your knee, but it’s true! 

Preventative Measures to Avoid Knee Pain

Whether your knees are aching or you want to prevent knee pain, there are some things you can do to help your knees. 

Stretching often can help alleviate pressure on joints. It’s also good for increasing your flexibility and range of motion for the joint.

Low impact exercises are good if the pain is not severe. Swimming is especially helpful to keep in shape without pounding on your knees. Yoga can also be a good workout without impact on the joints. Keep in mind that although physical activity is beneficial for many people, it's not always recommended for everyone. Talk to your chiropractor or physician about what would be reasonable given the condition of your knees.

Your weight has a lot to do with how your knees feel. Extra pounds put added pressure on your knees. Try to follow a reduced-calorie diet paired with regular exercise if you’re going to lose weight. If you’re maintaining, try to eat foods that are known for anti-inflammatory properties, such as blueberries, cherries, salmon, nuts and olive oil rather than vegetable oil. 

Don't Suffer from Knee Pain Any Longer

If you're suffering from any sort of knee pain, it's important to get it looked at so you know the actual cause and so you can avoid long-term use of pain medications. Even over-the-counter pain medications can have an impact on your overall health. Using chiropractic care to treat knee pain can help relieve your symptoms and solve the problem at the source, allowing you to move about normally again. We get results using proven treatment methods that are state of the art and backed by research. 

Request an appointment at Village Chiropractic in the Woodlands for a consultation about your knee pain and the treatments options available to you.