This post is part of our complete guide to Knee Pain Treatment in Medical Lake & Spokane. Browse the guide for more in-depth information on treatments, exercises, and recovery strategies.
What to Do About Your Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal complaint that brings people to their doctor. With today’s increasingly active society, the number of knee problems is increasing. Knee pain has a wide variety of specific causes and treatments. Osteoarthritis of the knee is one common cause of knee pain. It is an inflammatory disorder of the knee joint that is often painful. Arthritis has many causes.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a form of arthritis of the knee that is caused by degeneration of cartilage in the knee. In its extreme form, the menisci (cartilage) will be completely eroded, and the femur will rub on the tibia, bone on bone. Osteoarthritis (OA) causes a chronically painful knee that is often more painful with activity. It can be stiff with prolonged sitting and may become enlarged from new bone formation at the edge of the degenerated cartilage.
There are things you can do initially at home to bring some relief to your pain, like: resting the knee, ice the knee, and try over-the-counter pain medicine.When you are deciding whether to call the doctor about your knee pain, a good rule of thumb exists for most long-term knee injuries.
Regenerative medicine techniques like Neural Prolotherapy and Ozonated Dextrose treatments have proven to work to help lesson and even eliminate symptoms related to knee osteoarthritis.
If your symptoms have not gone away after trying a week of home remedies and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain meds, you should set up an appointment with your doctor,to further evaluate the pain. This rule can also be applied to new knee injuries that are not disabling. Remember, however, that this rule should only serve as a guide. If you are concerned about the pain, you should call the doctor.
Ready to feel better?
Our team at Essential Health Group in Medical Lake & Spokane is here to help. Same-week appointments available.
Dr. Christopher Wellwood, NP-C, MSN, DC, MS
Dr. Christopher Wellwood is a dual Board Certified Chiropractic Physician and Family Nurse Practitioner — a combination that puts him in a category of his own. His Doctorate in Chiropractic comes from the University of Western States, and his Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner from Purdue University.
His clinical focus spans physical medicine, regenerative injection therapy (prolotherapy, PRP, stem cell, ozone), interventional pain management, functional neurology, and primary care. He is a published author in scientific journals — his research on adrenal and thyroid disease treatment is indexed in the Library of Medicine — and served as a Clinical Research Specialist at the Center for Health Research, contributing to the Premier Blood Pressure Study.
Dr. Wellwood believes the body has the ability to heal itself when given the right conditions. His approach addresses root causes rather than symptoms, combining conservative physical medicine with regenerative therapies to help patients recover, adapt, and thrive.