Most knee pain is not due to arthritis. It is due to faulty movement patterns because of mobility dysfunction/tightness in the pelvis/hip or foot/ankle. The knee is trapped between the hip and the ankle. If the hip or ankle do not move fluidly the knee cops the strain and experiences pain. Improving the mobility of these areas is an essential component of managing knee pain due to movement pattern/tracking disorders. If left unchecked poor quality movement patterns predispose one to developing knee OA.
The main risks of knee pain developing into OA include traumatic injuries, heavy manual work, overuse, sports injuries, older age, genetics and excess weight. Treat the cause of the knee pain before it develops into OA.
Knee injuries constitute 35% of overuse injuries and are a common cause of disability. According to the study by Liao C. et al. (2018), focused shockwave (FSW) significantly reduces knee pain, improves functional recovery, and increases the overall treatment success rate. In a clinical case, the morning knee pain of a 28 years old professional runner dropped from 8/10 to 0/10 after 5 sessions of FSW in 8 weeks together with a personalized strengthening program. Ultrasound images, after the treatment as compared to the pre-treatment images showed increased collagen alignment and decreased tendon thickness/swelling. Pain management with FSW allows patients to do their rehab exercises. The stronger you are the easier it is to align your knees, move better, get fitter, manage weight and reduce the risk of developing OA.
If you already have OA in your knees FSW can alleviate the pain through a few mechanisms. Chronic inflammatory cytokines activity and substance P are flushed from the area and their production is down-regulated. Lubricin production in the synovial tissues of the joint capsule and tendons increases, improving lubrication, allowing the joints and tendons to move freer. There is a proliferation of blood vessels and stem cells in the bone under the cartilage. As the bone regenerates, and becomes stronger and healthier it is more able to nourish and heal the damaged overlying cartilage. Stem cells are also drawn into the cracks and fissures in the cartilage to rebuild it.
Getting OA of the knee treated with FSW may mean being able to participate in your desired activities and avoid an expensive joint replacement. Even knees with a bit of bone on bone are worth treating but they may require a booster dose every 6-8 weeks. Keep up your rehab exercises and you may experience relief for decades.
Alternative treatments for OA
Corticosteroid injections are commonly prescribed for knee pain in Australia but they have poor long-term outcomes. The strong anti-inflammatory injection simply masks the symptoms for a short period but increases the rate of joint degeneration. When the pain comes back it is worse. Many sufferers of OA are offered 2-4 injections, at a cost of a few hundred per injection over a year with minimal relief. When the pain recurs they are told that they can’t have any more injections due to adverse health risks. If you get corticosteroid injections into the knee you diminish the possible benefits of PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections and FSW.
If you want an injection in your knee get a PRP injection. The PRP injection bathes the entire inside of the joint with numerous white blood cells and platelet-associated growth and anti-inflammatory factors. This cleans up the surface of the joint space and draws stem cells to the cracks/fissures in the joint cartilage to heal it. There is no problem combining PRP injections with FSW. The FSW reinforces the benefits of PRP inside of the joint and can specifically address the damaged tissue on the external aspects of the joint like the surrounding tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Living with knee OA means sleepless nights, difficulty going up and down stairs, an inability to get down on the floor and up again without using your hands, reduced strength, difficulty getting out of a chair, having to reduce daily activities of living and a possible reliance on drugs with their toxic side effects. Since I have been trained in the use of FSW, have experienced it on my knees and do regular rehab exercises I can apply the therapy to your knees and prescribe the required exercises to rehabilitate your movement patterns, like in the image below, and damaged arthritic knee tissues. There is no need to delay getting better.
To make an appointment for FSW please call us on 3823 2282 or 0409878180.
Knee pain and Osteoarthritis (OA): why we get it and what to do about it
May 27, 2024 by manager • Uncategorized Tags: knee pain, osteoarthritis, Shockwave •
Most knee pain is not due to arthritis. It is due to faulty movement patterns because of mobility dysfunction/tightness in the pelvis/hip or foot/ankle. The knee is trapped between the hip and the ankle. If the hip or ankle do not move fluidly the knee cops the strain and experiences pain. Improving the mobility of these areas is an essential component of managing knee pain due to movement pattern/tracking disorders. If left unchecked poor quality movement patterns predispose one to developing knee OA.
The main risks of knee pain developing into OA include traumatic injuries, heavy manual work, overuse, sports injuries, older age, genetics and excess weight. Treat the cause of the knee pain before it develops into OA.
Knee injuries constitute 35% of overuse injuries and are a common cause of disability. According to the study by Liao C. et al. (2018), focused shockwave (FSW) significantly reduces knee pain, improves functional recovery, and increases the overall treatment success rate. In a clinical case, the morning knee pain of a 28 years old professional runner dropped from 8/10 to 0/10 after 5 sessions of FSW in 8 weeks together with a personalized strengthening program. Ultrasound images, after the treatment as compared to the pre-treatment images showed increased collagen alignment and decreased tendon thickness/swelling. Pain management with FSW allows patients to do their rehab exercises. The stronger you are the easier it is to align your knees, move better, get fitter, manage weight and reduce the risk of developing OA.
If you already have OA in your knees FSW can alleviate the pain through a few mechanisms. Chronic inflammatory cytokines activity and substance P are flushed from the area and their production is down-regulated. Lubricin production in the synovial tissues of the joint capsule and tendons increases, improving lubrication, allowing the joints and tendons to move freer. There is a proliferation of blood vessels and stem cells in the bone under the cartilage. As the bone regenerates, and becomes stronger and healthier it is more able to nourish and heal the damaged overlying cartilage. Stem cells are also drawn into the cracks and fissures in the cartilage to rebuild it.
Getting OA of the knee treated with FSW may mean being able to participate in your desired activities and avoid an expensive joint replacement. Even knees with a bit of bone on bone are worth treating but they may require a booster dose every 6-8 weeks. Keep up your rehab exercises and you may experience relief for decades.
Alternative treatments for OA
Corticosteroid injections are commonly prescribed for knee pain in Australia but they have poor long-term outcomes. The strong anti-inflammatory injection simply masks the symptoms for a short period but increases the rate of joint degeneration. When the pain comes back it is worse. Many sufferers of OA are offered 2-4 injections, at a cost of a few hundred per injection over a year with minimal relief. When the pain recurs they are told that they can’t have any more injections due to adverse health risks. If you get corticosteroid injections into the knee you diminish the possible benefits of PRP (platelet-rich plasma) injections and FSW.
If you want an injection in your knee get a PRP injection. The PRP injection bathes the entire inside of the joint with numerous white blood cells and platelet-associated growth and anti-inflammatory factors. This cleans up the surface of the joint space and draws stem cells to the cracks/fissures in the joint cartilage to heal it. There is no problem combining PRP injections with FSW. The FSW reinforces the benefits of PRP inside of the joint and can specifically address the damaged tissue on the external aspects of the joint like the surrounding tendons, ligaments and fascia.
Living with knee OA means sleepless nights, difficulty going up and down stairs, an inability to get down on the floor and up again without using your hands, reduced strength, difficulty getting out of a chair, having to reduce daily activities of living and a possible reliance on drugs with their toxic side effects. Since I have been trained in the use of FSW, have experienced it on my knees and do regular rehab exercises I can apply the therapy to your knees and prescribe the required exercises to rehabilitate your movement patterns, like in the image below, and damaged arthritic knee tissues. There is no need to delay getting better.
To make an appointment for FSW please call us on 3823 2282 or 0409878180.