Those who experience chronic knee pain may feel like surgery is the only option. However, this isn’t always the answer. Many problems can be solved through physical therapy. Recent studies have been following those who suffer from knee pain and what to do to decrease symptoms.
A study from the journal Age and Ageing confirms that older men should take steps to address and prevent knee pain to avoid future injury. The December 2013 journal article from researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia reported that chronic knee pain puts men in their 70s at greater risk for mobility disease, back pain and loss of muscle mass if left untreated.
The study followed 1,587 men aged 70 years and older over the course of two years. At the beginning of the study, 40 percent of the men reported chronic knee pain. By the end of the study, those who noted chronic knee pain saw a link between this pain and decreased muscle mass, something that had only been recognized in women prior to this research.
Chronic knee pain can be caused by a number of health-related issues, one of the most common being a torn meniscus, or a rupture in the knee cartilage. Arthroscopic knee surgery is one of the most common ways to treat a torn meniscus, but recent studies show that physical therapy may be a better option. A study in August of 2013 published in the New England Journal of Medicine assigned a group of 351 patients aged 45 and older to either physical therapy or to surgery followed by physical therapy. Results showed that those who avoided an operation had similar rates of functional improvement and similar pain scores to those who underwent surgery. According to the research, surgery isn’t always the best option for a torn meniscus or chronic pain caused from arthritis and can often be avoided with regular physical therapy.
Knee surgery can be extremely costly, averaging $11,900 per procedure, when physical therapy can produce the same, if not better, results. At ATI Physical Therapy, professional staff members can provide a variety of therapeutic exercises, strength training and manual therapy to help patients feel less knee pain while avoiding surgery.
ATI Physical Therapy is dedicated to getting patients back on their feet and rehabilitating injuries. Stop into one of our locations today to get a complimentary injury screening so we can start the healing process.