Understanding When Your Knees Are More of a Liability Than an Asset

Your knees are essential joints in your body, making it possible for you to sit, stand, jump, and walk. However, when you have chronic knee pain, it is sometimes impossible to do most things that you need and want to do. Knee pain is a widespread condition affecting people of all ages, but especially older adults.

At Crescent City Orthopedics in Metairie, Louisiana, we are experts in knee pain diagnosis and treatment. Our top-notch team of highly skilled orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine doctors bring a wealth of knowledge experience to our practice. As a result, you get the absolute best knee treatment that allows you to get back to living without pain.

What causes knee pain?

Knee pain can be caused by injuries to the knee and many different conditions, including:

• Fractures
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Dislocated kneecap
• Osteoarthritis
• Sprains

Because there are so many different causes of knee pain, it’s necessary to be examined by an expert medical specialist to find the exact cause. Our doctors use their knowledge of knee injuries and conditions combined with the latest diagnostic tools such as  MRI, CT scans, and bone scans to find the cause of your knee pain.

Am I at high risk for knee pain?

There are several risk factors that increase your chances of developing knee pain, which include:

• Being significantly overweight or obese
• Sports that put stress on your knees
• A past injury
• Lack of muscle flexibility or muscle strength
• Occupations that involve bending or lifting

Minimizing your risk factors for knee pain can reduce your chances of developing it and lessen the severity of your condition. 

Knee pain treatments

At Crescent City Orthopedics, we have several surgeons on staff who specialize in knee pain. Once your doctor has found the specific location and possible causes of your knee pain, he develops a treatment plan that reduces your discomfort while targeting the cause of the pain.

Some of the treatment options we use include:

• Rest
• Prescription medications
• Cast or brace
• Physical therapy
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Complete knee replacement

We typically recommend starting with the least invasive treatment options to see if your injury or condition responds to those. If the more conservative treatments aren’t effective, we typically recommend options such as surgery. We offer minimally invasive surgery, which involves much smaller incisions, better results, and significantly shorter recovery times as compared to traditional surgeries. 

Knees are essential joints in your body that can be injured or damaged from injuries and chronic conditions such as arthritis. It’s important to get proper care for your painful knee conditions from experts who give you the most accurate diagnosis and effective treatment options.

To set up an appointment at Crescent City Orthopedics, call our office and talk to our friendly and helpful staff.