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KNEE
PAIN
Ross Hauser, M.D.
When we ask patients the reasons for
their surgery, the typical response is "to shave
cartilage" or "I
don't know."
The best treatment, as long as it is a partial tear, is
to help the body repair the injured area. Remember,
removing any tissue that God has put in the body will have a consequence.
The tissues most commonly removed during
arthroscopic surgery in the knee are
parts of the meniscus and the
articular cartilage. Both of these structures
are needed by the body to help the femur bone glide smoothly over the tibia.
When either of these structures are removed, the bones do not glide property.
When other tissue is removed, eventually, whatever meniscus or articular
cartilage is left after the
arthroscopic surgery is worn away. Once this occurs, bone begins rubbing
against bone and proliferative arthritis begins. After a course of
cortisone shots, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory
medications, and several trials of
physical therapy, the patient is again under the knife, this time for a
knee replacement. Once an
arthroscope touches the knee, the chance of developing
arthritis in the knee tremendously increases.
In our opinion, before letting an arthroscope touch you, it
is imperative to have an
evaluation by a physician familiar with
Prolotherapy (a
non-surgical alternative.) Prolotherapy will begin
collagen formation both outside and inside the knee joint, depending on the
structure(s) that are injected. Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair
itself. Surgery in the knee is appropriate when a
ligament is completely
torn, such as would occur from a high velocity injury. Prolotherapy will only
helpful to regrow ligaments if both ends of the ligament remain attached to
bone. Remember, 98 percent of ligament injuries are partial tears for which
Prolotherapy would be helpful.
DIAGNOSIS OF KNEE CONDITIONS
In diagnosing the cause of knee pain, it is important to carefully
examine the knees. A patient whose knees cave inward has a condition known
as knocked-knees. This stresses and weakens the
medial collateral ligament
on
the inside of the knee. Prolotherapy will strengthen this ligament.
Alternately, knees with an outward curvature is a condition known as bow
legs. This position applies additional strain on the outside knee ligament,
the lateral collateral ligament.
It is important to understand the
referral
patterns
of these two
ligaments. The medial collateral ligament refers pain down the leg to the big
toe and the lateral collateral ligament refers pain to the lateral foot.
The ligaments inside the knee are called the anterior and
posterior
cruciate ligaments. These ligaments help stabilize the knee preventing
excessive forward and backward movement. When these ligaments are loose,
even in a young person, degenerative arthritis begins to form. Prolotherapy
causes a stabilization of the knee after these ligaments are treated.
The feeling of a loose knee is reason enough to suspect
ligament
injury.
The cruciate ligaments are the power horses that stabilize the knee. They
refer pain to the back of the knee. Posterior knee pain may be an indication
of ligament injury.
Meniscal
injuries are suspected if the patient reports a "catching
sensation" in the knee or if the knee must be "jiggled" to
produce full range
of motion. Articular cartilage injuries exhibit similar symptoms making it
difficult to clinically differentiate them. However, they can be differentiated
using X-rays.
Prolotherapy is indicated regardless of
whether the injury causing the
knee pain is due to a meniscal or articular cartilage injury. Prolotherapy
injected into a joint requires a more concentrated solution because the
joint fluid has a diluting effect.
RELATED
ARTICLES
Prolotherapy
and Pes Anserinus Tendons
Knee
Cap - Patella Disorders and Prolotherapy
Knee Injury and Cortisone
Knee Braces |
Our
Prolotherapy Books - 
POWER
OVER PAIN