Knee Pain Flare-Ups? Try This Before Booking an Ortho Appointment

Recently, a family member reached out to me about his left knee.  

Last September, he experienced some pain, swelling and stiffness – enough that he could “barely walk” – but it went away the next day.  

He thought perhaps it was “a one-time fluke.”

But then it happened again in May.  

This time he said it was much better after a couple of days, “and almost 100% after a week.”

However, two weeks later “the problem flared up again.” 

“So I'm somewhat concerned that this could become/is chronic.”

“I mentioned this problem to my doctor at my annual physical a week ago and she suggested maybe I might want to see an orthopedic doctor.”

Knee Pain Relief

Pain is the most common motivator to seek help for your knees.

Stiffness and swelling are other reasons.  

And more often than not, when someone goes to see a doctor for their knees, the treatments offered are aimed at making symptoms go away.  

According to a study of 8,776 people with newly diagnosed knee arthritis, 26% of them were given a steroid injection during their first doctor’s visit. (source)

Steroid injections eliminate or drastically decrease pain, soreness, stiffness, and swelling. 

This initially feels good; however, the symptoms typically return after several days or weeks.  

Not only that, but steroid injections are not as benign as they were previously thought to be. (source)

Multiple studies have shown that they worsen knee arthritis and increase the likelihood of getting a knee replacement. (source, source, source)

A Better Alternative

Steroid injections aren’t your only option for knee pain relief.  

You can make your knee feel better without making your knee arthritis worse and without increasing your risk for a knee replacement.  

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, Dr. Brad Fullerton of ProloAustin recommends that if a doctor offers you a steroid injection, “You can say, ‘hold on, I don't want an injection today. I want to talk about it and think about it.’ ” 

“[And] if the physician is offended by that, then probably you need to see a different physician because they're not respecting your autonomy.” (source) 

Rather than encouraging my family member to go see his doctor, we visited on the phone.  

I explained what was going on in his knee.  

And I shared an overview of how to make his knee feel better, as well as how to make his knee stronger so the pain and symptoms wouldn’t return.

Then, I gave him one thing to do.  

I asked him to turn “on” the muscles on the front of his thigh without bending or straightening his knee.  

Because this type of isometric exercise has been shown to improve the fluid inside the knee. (source)    

I gave him two ways of achieving this: Quad Sets and Standing Forefoot Raises.

And I asked him to aim for completing 10 - 20 consecutive repetitions, multiple times a day, for a total of 100 daily repetitions.    

His response was he thought the hardest part would be working these exercises into his daily routine.  

But a few days later, he sent me this text:

His knee had begun feeling better in less time than it probably would have taken to get an appointment with an orthopedic doctor.

The limits of knee pain relief

Getting rid of knee pain isn’t a guarantee that it won’t come back.  

This is true regardless of if your knees are feeling better due to steroid injections or because you’ve completed the right type and volume of exercise.

When your knees feel better, strengthening inside your knees is the next step.  

Make your knees feel better at home

Here's a guide to get started:

You can access it here. 

For personalized guidance to build Better Knees:

Schedule a free 20-minute Strategy Session.  (Find your best time here.)

Disclaimer: The information in this blog post is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any health issue or disease without consulting with a qualified healthcare professional. The author of this blog and the website do not bear any responsibility for any actions taken based on the information provided in this blog.