Date Published: 17 Aug '23
Date Published: 17 Aug '23
These pages contain information on pain management options that are directly applied to the knee. Please contact us if there is an option
that you want to know about that does not appear here.
There is strong evidence that heat and cold therapies are effective and provide rapid relief from knee arthritis pain and inflammation, although the duration of time for which the relief lasts varies from patient to patient.
A TENS machine is a small electronic device that sends pulses to the nerve endings via pads placed on the skin of the knee. The device produces a tingling sensation which is thought to modify the pain messages sent to the brain.
Neuropathic pain is pain that is associated with damage to or malfunctioning of the nervous system. This is different from pain that you might experience from an injury such as a broken bone, where a different structure is damaged but the nerve itself is intact. Neuropathic pain can require different management, and should be kept in mind if you have a longstanding painful knee.
Radiofrequency nerve ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive procedure developed to treat pain by using high-energy radio waves to heat, and therefore destroy certain nerves that transmit painful sensations. RFA is typically only performed on sensory nerves, which are nerves that do not supply the muscles, so joint and muscle function remain unaffected.
Ultrasound uses sound waves to heat and deliver energy to the structures in the knee joint. Apart from the benefits of heat (see relevant section), the sound waves are thought to create small amounts of trauma at the cellular level, stimulating a healing response.
Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine, and involves inserting fine needles into to specific acupuncture points around your knee and body. For painful conditions, sometimes electrical stimulation of these needles is used.
Capsaicin is the ingredient found in different types of hot peppers, such as chillies and cayenne peppers, that makes them spicy and hot. It is available as a dietary supplement and in topical creams that you apply to your skin.
Have you ever noticed that two people can have the same injury, but react to or have different experiences of it? The mind can be a powerful influence on how an injury is interpreted, processed and experienced by a person. In addition to receiving good physical rehabilitation, it’s also important to consider mental health during recovery.
Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are applied to unbroken skin where it hurts in the form of a gel, cream, or spray. Topical NSAIDs penetrate the skin, enter tissues or joints, and reduce pain by blocking the production of prostaglandins. Drug levels in the blood with topical NSAIDs are very much lower than with the same drug taken by mouth. This minimises the risk of harmful effects.
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