3 knee pain treatment options for seniors

As one grows older, mundane daily activities like climbing the stairs, walking to the next room, or putting on the socks by bending the knee can sometimes be a herculean task due to the constant presence of knee pain. Supplements have been great aids as knee pain relief products. With age, the wear and tear of the joints, especially the knee, is unavoidable. Taking the right supplements for the prescribed amount of time is always the best way to manage the pain and eventually battle it out when you are getting old.

There is no one medicine to cure the pain, but there are different supplements for each, and they vary based on the level of injury or degradation at the knee. A few common supplements that are usually recommended are those that contain the following: glucosamine plus chondroitin, collagen, vitamin C, turmeric, krill oil, rosehip, ginger, cherry. Some other non-surgical options that have been proved to be successful other than supplements are the following:

  • Custom-made braces: While the market-ready ones can help to a certain extent, the custom-made ones are made to a person’s specifications by factoring in age, pain level, etc. Bracing not only provides an external support but also helps to prevent the knee from further aggravation and prevent serious injury.
  • Cortisone injections: For seniors who face knee pain flares or arthritic flares, cortisone injections help to cut out the inflammation quickly. However, these injections can prove to be useless over repeated use and are used only in cases of extreme pain.
  • Viscosupplementation: This form of treatment is through the injecting of Hylagan injection which aid in lubrication of the joint and also act as a shock absorber. These injections have proven to be useful in decreasing the overall friction or rubbing that happens at the kneecap. This medication is prescribed to only those with extreme knee conditions.

There are surgical options such as chondroplasty, abrasion arthroplasty, or Osteochondral Autograft (or allograft) transplant, and other knee replacement procedures which are prescribed in cases where the worn out knees are salvageable.

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