Knee Arthritis is a painful medical condition in which the function of the knee of the patient becomes compromised. The inability to move the knee joint is accompanied with severe debilitating pain that is excruciating in nature. The main cause for this pain is the constant rubbing of the bones connected at the knee joint because of the wear and tear sustained by the cartilage that acted as a cushion in between them.

Knee arthritis is common in people who work in environments where excessive amount of stress is put on their knees. The following are some of the non-operative pain treatments that are available for the patients suffering from knee arthritis.

Medications

There are a number of pain relieving medications that can be used by knee arthritis patients. NSAIDs or Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs are often used as the first line of treatment for reducing the pain suffered by the patients.

However, the use of these painkillers often does not work. In cases where over the counter NSAIDs do not work, the use of a COX-2 Inhibitor is suggested by workers compensation doctors.

For patients who have advanced stages of knee arthritis, corticosteroids are given for pain management. These powerful anti-inflammatory drugs can be injected directly in to the joint and have been found to be excellent for decreasing the high levels of pain suffered by the patient. Chondroitin and Glucosamine are supplements that have been found to be very effective in treating the joint pain associated with knee arthritis.

Therapies

Besides the use of drugs and supplements, several therapies are also available for knee arthritis patients that can help them in managing their pain and becoming more active in their life.

Physical exercises are among the most important form of therapy for knee arthritis patients that can not only improve their quality of life but can also buildup strength in their leg muscles which will eventually help them in curbing their pain. Icing and water therapy are also some non-operative pain treatments for knee arthritis that have shown promising results. According to studies, the use of these therapies can help in lessening the swelling that usually accompanies the pain and also in providing instant relief from the never ending pain.

In addition to physical therapy the use of support devices like braces can also take away the pressure put on the knee during walking and thus reduce the pain suffered by the knee arthritis patients when moving around. Moreover, the use of a cane during walking can also alleviate the stress suffered by the knee joint allowing the patient to walk for longer distances without feeling much pain.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an alternative treatment method for knee arthritis that has been gaining a lot of popularity among the patients. In involves the use of needles for harmonizing the blood flow in the body that ultimately results in reliving the pain suffered by the knee arthritis patient.