Conservative Osteoarthritis Treatments for the Knee

URICE:

This philosophy is used to decrease inflammation and relieve pain for chronic or diagnosed arthritic knees within the first 48 hours of a flare-up:

• Ultrasound around your injured knee for 5 - 10 minutes, 3 times per day. This is best accomplished with a personal, therapeutic ultrasound device.
• Rest your knee and limit your activity (if you are able to move your knee); you may want to use a walking aid to prevent immediate weight bearing on the joint if severely damaged or painful.
• Ice your knee 2-3 times/day for approximately 15 - 20 minutes at a time to help reduce blood flow and fluid build up in your knee area. Gel packs are a better option than frozen peas if possible, as they mold to your knee shape and are reusable (do not apply ice/gel packs directly on your skin, instead wrap cold compress in a wrap or cloth).
• Compress your knee if possible by adding light pressure to minimize swelling (make sure the compress is snug, but not too tight as it could cause numbness, tingling or more pain).
  
  • Re-freezable cold therapy compresses are excellent because they provide ice therapy, compression and a protective covering to prevent skin burn from the cold. This combination drives the cold deeper into the injured tissue than regular ice packs, and speeds the healing process. These compresses are fitted to your knee, easy to use, mess-free and re-usable.

• Elevate your knee above chest level to relieve the pressure from swelling and allow fluid to drain from your injured area

If you do not have access to ultrasound therapy or you have experienced an acute knee injury and/or have not been diagnosed, adhere to the RICE philosophy within the first 48 - 72 hours. Gentle massage around the arthritic knee area or small flexing or extending knee movements will also help increase blood flow, oxygen, nutrients, and will prevent stiffness. It is important to move your joints often if possible.

Ultrasound is a great therapeutic option to decrease inflammation, pain and soft tissue (muscle, tendon, ligament, nerve and connective tissue) damage experienced with osteoarthritic knees. This can be received using a portable, home ultrasound device (self-administered) or by seeing a physiotherapist. The treatment is easy, painless, safe, and generally requires between 5 - 10 minutes. It is based on a form of deep tissue therapy, which is generated through high frequency sound waves (that we can not hear). These waves send vibrations deep into your body and raise the temperature of your soft tissue. The waves are delivered through a hand held transducer and medicinal conductive gel that are used together in a slow, circular motion on your skin over the injured area. You may experience a slight tingling or warm sensation during the process as a result of the gel; this enhances the therapeutic effects of ultrasound (Phonophoresis).

Ultrasound therapy increases collagen and tissue elasticity, which in turn promotes blood flow (circulation) and brings oxygen and nutrients to your osteoarthritic knees. This cleans your tissue by getting rid of cell waste products and helps your injury to heal. If not treated properly injured tissue can heal with a weakened state, which can lead to scar tissue or calcification. If used on an ongoing basis, ultrasound will help to improve your range of motion by breaking down any scar tissue that may form in your knee area. Ultrasound waves penetrate deep into your tissues, relax your muscles, decrease chronic inflammation and accelerate your recovery rate, so you can return to your daily activities as soon as possible.

A Black Body Radiant Energy Kit is one of the most helpful tools for a wide varity of painful knee related injuries and conditions. Through the absorption of radiant energy, tissues are safely and gently heated - increasing blood flow within the treated area. Your body's natural response to this increased temperature is to try to maintain a condition of homeostasis - a balanced environment or state of equilibrium throughout the body. To do this, your body responds with a rapid increase in blood flow to the area (this is known as vasodilation), increasing the supply of nutrients to injured cells and flushing out toxins (including lactic acid, commonly found in trigger points) to promote healing. Our Thermotex Platinum Pain Relief Device provides effective, non-invasive, non-addictive pain relief with no side effects.

Our Cold Compression Wraps are recommended by countless medical professionals. That's why we sell them, because they are the best. We have noticed over time that our customers are so fond of our cold wraps that they are frequently coming back and ordering a second one. The wraps are becoming very popular with baseball and soccer trainers, and the wraps can be conveniently stored in a cooler for quick application on the field when needed.

If you suffer from pain after certain activities or movements use ultrasound therapy when you complete the activity and then rest. Limit the application of ultrasound to a couple of treatments per day (the manual will recommend treatment frequency depending upon the injury). In between ultrasound treatments, maximize your pain relief and injury recovery by using the Thermotex Personal Therapy System. Proven Performance, Proven Relief - only found at MendMeShop.com. If you have been given a treatment plan by your health professional, make sure you adhere to it to ensure pain free living. In general, people who are committed to their therapies and exercises will have the best medical outcomes.