Are Your Knees Worn Out? What To Know Before Considering a Knee Replacement

November 01, 2021

Lady with knee pain

If you suffer from knee pain, stiffness, and swelling and in general feel that your knees are just worn out, you are certainly not alone. An astonishing 250 million people worldwide suffer from knee osteoarthritis, the major cause of “worn out” knees. In fact, osteoarthritis is often referred to as “wear and tear” arthritis. Although knee osteoarthritis can occur in younger people, it’s much more likely in people 45 years of age and older, with women more likely to be affected than men

This is because the cartilage, that layer of spongy cushioning tissue between the bones of the knee joint, gets worn out and can no longer do its protective job. The bones of the joint begin to rub on each other causing painful symptoms, loss of mobility, and an increased risk of falling.

Many people who have painful knee osteoarthritis may think their only option is to undergo a knee replacement. But that’s not necessarily true. Let’s look at what options you should explore before you agree to knee replacement surgery. This is especially important if you are younger than 60 years of age. Because knee implants only last from 12 to 15, many orthopedic surgeons may be less inclined to do surgery on people who are less than 60 years old or so, although there are many factors other than age that must be considered before surgery is offered.

So if you have knee osteoarthritis and don’t want rush to undergo surgery, and the sometimes lengthy and painful physical rehabilitation afterward, here are some options to consider:

1 - The most important thing is to try to maintain your present functioning and not allow it to get worse. Protect the knee from injury and ice it after use to minimize swelling and pain.  Take DeepMarine Collagen to reduce swelling/inflammation.  DeepMarine’s collagen peptides work to calm the immune system and reduce the expression of inflammatory cytokines.  This helps to bring down swelling and make the joint more comfortable.

2 - Physical therapy may help to decrease pain and increase mobility. Decreased mobility and abnormal knee motion can cause your osteoarthritis symptoms to worsen due to additional stress on the joint.  Your gait might have changed due to the joint pain and a physio therapist might be able to assist with motion correction.

3 - Talk to your health care provider about the best pain reliever or pain-relieving combinations that may help to give you some relief, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Nuprin, Motrin-IB), naproxen (Aleve), and glucosamine/chondroitin.  Don’t forget that DeepMarine Collagen can help to rejuvenate joint cartilage by building strength and durability in the cartilage that is present in the joints.  This can bring significant pain relief and improved range of motion.

4 – Seek out an experienced and well trained acupuncturist and consult with them about what sort of pain relief they might be able to bring.  Acupuncture has also been shown to help with arthritis pain.

5 - You may want to also discuss with your orthopedic specialist the possibility of joint injection with a steroid medication to reduce inflammation or injection with hyaluronate that is quite similar to a natural substance found in joints and can sometimes help as a shock absorber and lubricant.

6 - Your orthopedic specialist may also opt to offer you arthroscopic surgery, in which a small incision is placed in the knee and a scope is inserted. Some repairs for certain knee conditions can be done this way such as removing loose pieces of bone or cartilage in the joint, a torn meniscus, trimming of damaged cartilage, reconstruction of a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament).

Marine collagen can help many people with arthritis symptoms by reducing inflammation and rejuvenating existing cartilage.  It is always a good idea to see if there are workable surgical alternatives before going under the knife, especially when a replacement knee will have a limited lifespan.  Talk to your orthopedic specialist to discuss your individual situation.



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