Pain in the knees – When to visit an orthopedic
It is fairly normal to feel pain from time to time. It can happen when you injure yourself and is a way of your body telling you that something is not right. As it starts to heal, the pain slowly fades. When it becomes chronic, the pain lasts for a much longer time and does not subside after minor treatments. This sort of pain affects your daily life and mental health. Pain in the knees for more than 48 hours is one such pain that needs to be addressed by an orthopedic surgeon.

What do orthopedic surgeons do?

• Orthopedic surgeons are physicians trained in the treatment, diagnosis, rehabilitation, and prevention of injuries, disorders, and diseases that affect the musculoskeletal system of the body.
• These surgeons use both nonsurgical and surgical means to treat the patient, depending on the type of issue at hand. Nonsurgical treatments are those that involve exercise and therapies that can be performed on the external area. If these treatments do not help the patient recover, surgeries are recommended as a treatment.
• The musculoskeletal system includes the joints, bones, muscles, tendons, and nerves. Further, there are regions that these surgeons specialize in.

Why do you need orthopedic surgeons?

• Orthopedic surgeons will give an accurate diagnosis of the issue.
• The knee is an essential part of the body and needs to be in the best condition for you to move around and carry on with your life. Any damage to the knee, if ignored, may become permanent.
• Orthopedic surgeons are those who specialize in the field of knee conditions and surgeries and other areas as well.
• The best orthopedic surgeons work as consultants with healthcare providers, work in education, or have their own practice.

When should you visit orthopedic surgeons?
If you have had pain in the knees for a while now but don’t know why, you need to alleviate the pain. This can be done by icing the knee and resting it. If you follow the steps listed below, the pain and swelling can be stopped. However, if it continues, you need to consult an orthopedic surgeon.

• Any knee pain that you have been experiencing for more than 48 hours needs medical attention. You might be experiencing pain in the joints and not in the muscles if it persists for a long time. It might be more serious than you think and requires medical attention.
• Swelling that lasts for more than 48 hours after an injury needs to be medically examined and treated. If the soft tissues are damaged, you will experience loss in motion, pain in the region, and swelling.
• Loss of balance due to pain in the knee implies that the damage may be pretty bad. If you are unable to balance yourself using the support of your knee, you will need a doctor to take a look at it.
• If your knee appears deformed or out of the ordinary, you need to get it checked. You can compare it to the knee that is normal to determine this.
• Meniscus and ACL tears are two major injuries that must not be ignored. You will feel a pop, followed by intense swelling in this case. If you think you might have either, you need to consult orthopedic surgeons.

What are the procedures generally performed by an orthopedic surgeon?

• Arthroscopy
• Fusion
• Joint replacement
• Internal fixation
• Soft tissue repair
• Osteotomy

What are the best treatments for pain in the knees?
There are 4 treatment approaches that can help with knee pain:

• Exercise: This is the first thing patients are advised, as it can help treat knee pain without any medications or surgery. It is the best way to start treating your knee. The exercises are designed to make the pain subside and to strengthen the knee.
• Procedures and injections: This is an approach that your orthopedic doctor might suggest if other treatments are not working. There are different kinds of injections suggested depending on the cause of the knee pain.
• Medications: There are certain medicines that can help relieve the pain. They are prescribed only if the pain is extreme. While there are a few you can get over-the-counter, it is best to consult an orthopedic doctor first.
• Knee Surgery: A surgery is recommended only if all other forms of treatment fail to work. There are different kinds of knee surgeries depending on the root cause of the problem.