Knee pain is one of the most common medical problems affecting Baby Boomers. There are a number of reasons why the incidence of knee pain (KP) is increasing.
The first is the obesity epidemic. It has been estimated recently that more than one-third of Americans are considered "obese."
The second is that Boomers are more active than their parents or grandparents were at comparable ages. Increased activity related to sports and other pursuits may increase the likelihood of injury.
Here are ten tips... 5 things to avoid and 5 things to do if you suffer from KP.
Avoid tip #1: Don't ignore the symptoms. If your knee(s) hurt, your body is telling you something. While it's tempting to avoid seeing a doctor, it's probably not the correct move to make. Oftentimes chronic conditions that are treatable in their early stages may be much more difficult to treat later.
Do tip#1: If you have KP, see a physician. The early diagnosis and treatment of a problem may save you a lot of headaches in the future. Think of it like insurance. You pay a little now to save big if something catastrophic occurs later on.
Avoid tip #2: Don't keep pushing if your knees hurt. The old adage, "no pain ... no gain" is wrong. Trying to push through the pain may lead to irreparable damage. In particular, if there is swelling, heat, redness, pain, or fever, don't try to work through it!
Do tip#2: Rest is the best medicine for most forms of acute KP. Try it for a few days and see if things improve. If not, then it's time to seek professional advice. Simple.
Avoid tip #3: Don't try to diagnose yourself. Even physicians oftentimes try to diagnose their own maladies and treat themselves only to find they were wrong. If a professional who's been through that much education and training can make a mistake, you can to. There are more than 20 different causes of knee pain. Do you know them all?
Do tip#3: Once a diagnosis has been made, adhere to the treatment plan. Don't try to modify it with Aunt Millie's remedy. While folk medicines do have their place, inserting them into a conventional medical plan is probably not the right time to try them out. Herbs can interact with prescription medicines.
Avoid tip #4: Sticking with the plan if you continue to hurt. What good is treatment if it doesn't work? If the initial approach isn't helping, let your doctor know. You do need to give it some time... say a couple of weeks for a minor problem and a month for a more serious one. And if what's being done doesn't work, then you need a plan B.
Do tip #4: Once the KP improves, don't go out and run a marathon right away. Your body is healing. Pushing too hard too early is not going to help you.
Avoid tip #5: If you have osteoarthritis of the knee, don't immediately assume the diagnosis and advice of "You need a knee replacement..." is the only way to go. There are many alternatives nowadays.
Do tip #5: Do your homework. There are many alternatives to surgery for knee osteoarthritis. These include platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and autologous stem cell procedures that appear to be able to heal and possibly rebuild cartilage. You need to investigate them all before you commit to surgery.
