How Soon Can I Lift Weights After a Rotator Cuff Injury?
Rotator cuff injuries affect athletes and others who lift weights as part of their routine. Find out how to recover from a rotator cuff injury and when you can safely start lifting again.
Why Your Knee Pain Keeps Coming Back
The knees are essential to mobility. When they hurt, it affects every aspect of your life. Unfortunately, persistent knee pain is a common problem for many people.
The key to alleviating chronic knee pain is determining what's causing the discomfort. At the practice of orthopedic surgeon Steven J. Svabek, DO, PA in Coral Springs, Florida, Dr. Svabek and his team offer diagnostic testing and effective treatments for knee pain.
Causes of persistent knee pain
The knee is a large hinge joint that allows you to flex and bend. The joint consists of bones, ligaments, tendons, and cartilage that protect it from injury.
Knee pain affects all ages. Causes include:
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis happens when the protective cartilage in the knee breaks down, allowing the bones to rub together. Inflammation and pain follow and often worsen with activity. Without treatment, arthritis pain persists and leads to intermittent pain that affects everyday activities.
Unhealed injury
Knee injuries that don't heal properly can cause recurrent knee pain, even after you thought the injury had healed. Without proper rehabilitation and time, a knee injury won't heal correctly, leading to chronic pain and other complications.
Improper footwear
Your shoes directly impact your knees, meaning intermittent pain could result from what you wear on your feet. Shoes that lack support strain the knee joints, leading to persistent discomfort.
Poor mechanics
Improper walking or exercising mechanics strain the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage in the knee joint, causing pain that can persist. For athletes and other active people, poor mechanics also increases the risk of knee injuries.
Muscle imbalances
Tight or weak muscles around the knee can strain the joint tissues and affect the knee’s alignment, causing frequent pain.
Lifestyle changes to reduce knee pain
If you live with persistent knee pain, you can do a few things to improve symptoms. First, we recommend making an appointment with Dr. Svabek for a knee evaluation to determine the cause of the pain.
Along with professional treatments, he often recommends lifestyle changes to relieve joint stress and improve pain.
Activity modification is essential to control chronic knee discomfort. Dr. Svabek recommends altering your exercise routine to include low-impact activities to reduce strain on the knee tissues. Avoid any activity that makes the pain worse.
If you're overweight or obese, losing weight helps. Excess weight puts unnecessary strain on the bones and ligaments in the knee and increases your risk of osteoarthritis.
Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications also relieve inflammation due to chronic issues such as arthritis or repeat injuries.
Other treatments we recommend
Activity modification isn't always enough to relieve persistent knee pain. Other conservative measures may be effective for mild to moderate knee pain. These include physical therapy, steroid injections, and bracing.
Severe cases of chronic knee pain that don't resolve with conservative treatments may require surgical intervention. The type of surgery depends on the root cause of pain and the extent of damage within the joint.
People with significant osteoarthritis in the knee may require a total or partial knee replacement for permanent relief. This surgery involves replacing damaged bone and tissue with long-lasting prosthetics.
To learn more, call our office today to schedule a knee pain consultation with Dr. Svabek, or request an appointment online.
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