Cold Laser Therapy: Treatment for Osteoarthritis Knee Pain
Therapy For Knee
Therapy For Knee
Therapy For Knee
Cold laser therapy may seem like a treatment that one would read about in a science fiction novel. Just in the past decade, however, it has become a recognized and often times preferred treatment for osteoarthritis knee pain sufferers who want to avoid invasive procedures.
Cold lasers are handheld, non-surgical devices that are used in a clinical setting. They work by emitting specific wavelengths of light thereby stimulating activity in the tissue on a cellular level. Once the metabolic rate of the cell is increased it initiates a number of beneficial biochemical events. The most obvious benefit is a reduction in both pain and inflammation. For example, a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study reported in Photomedicine and Laser Surgery found that laser therapy significantly relieved osteoarthritis knee pain and swelling in patients. The study also found that range of motion increased in the knee joint, and there was less sensitivity and tenderness around the knee joint.
Recently, an abstract entitled Low-Level Laser Therapy and Its Effects On The Quality of Life for Patients Suffering From Osteoarthritis Knee Pain in the Medial Compartment: A Detailed Analysis By Questionnaire found that 79.8% of patients diagnosed with moderate to severe arthritis in the medial aspect of the knee joint (inside part- where the knees touch) who were treated with cold laser therapy reported feeling moderately to a great deal better and their quality of life improved after completing just five weeks of care.
Besides helping reduce pain and inflammation in and around the knee joint, research indicates that cold laser therapy may help an arthritic knee by doing the following:
Fibroblasts production increases: Fibroblasts are needed to make cartilage.
Interleukin-1 is suppressed: Interleukin-1 is a protein that when released plays a direct role in destroying cartilage, it promotes the release of more enzymes that cause cartilage destruction, and it inhibits type II collagen from being produced (so that cartilage cannot be rebuilt or replaced). There are high levels of this protein in an osteoarthritic knee so cold laser therapy inhibits the release of this protein allowing cartilage to be maintained.
Growth factors are released: Treatments release growth factors which play a vital role in healthy knees because they stimulate cartilage cell production or chondrocytes. Moreover, the release of growth factors inhibits the release of interleukin-1.
Tensile strength of the tissue improves: Cold laser treatment is believed to improve the inter and intra molecular hydrogen bonding of the tissue thereby improving the strength of the cartilage so that it doesn’t wear down or get injured as easily.
In conclusion, for individuals diagnosed with osteoarthritis knee pain, and need relief from their knee pain, but would prefer a non-invasive procedure should consider finding a doctor who specializes in cold laser therapy for knee pain.
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Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S,D.C. is an authority in the field of cold laser therapy for knee pain relief. She has been practicing at the DFW Spine & Joint Center in Irving, TX since 2001. To find out how cold laser therapy can help low back, neck or shoulder pain visit: http://www.ColdLaserTherapy.com
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Top 3 Reasons For Knee Surgery
Surgery For Knee
Surgery For Knee
Surgery For Knee
Making the right decision concerning knee surgery is very crucial. You may be hesitant or scared to opt for this solution but one needs to understand that your doctor will only consider it if there is no other way out or medication is of no aid. However you need to make an informed decision and it is advisable to take suggestions from other medical experts and study the pros and cons before opting for it.
Here are top three reasons to for saying a yes to the knee surgery -
One needs to know the rationale behind knee surgery which is often not essential after a knee injury. Knee surgery is performed to prevent the bones from rubbing against each other as this causes pain. Replacing a painful knee joint with an artificial joint provides a new surface, which moves easily and devoid of pain. The main objective is to assist people to lead their life normally and actively. With proper care and rest, individuals who have had surgery can expect several years of good function of the replaced knee. However in most cases knee injuries can be treated with proper medications and a knee operation is not essential.
Looking at the past records, one will be pleased to know that the success rate of the knee surgery has been more than 90 percent. Many people have opted for it and got satisfactory results. Knee surgery changes your life and makes it pain free, thus allowing you to do your daily chores with much ease and comfort. Post operation, you will no longer have to stop yourself from going out and doing things that you had deprived yourself from due to the knee pain.
Longevity of the replaced knee joint is one of the reasons that give you confidence going for knee surgery. The surgery is a process where disease prone, worn and damaged surfaces of a knee joint are removed and changed with an artificial knee joint. The materials used in the replaced knee joint are durable and produce minimum friction thus facilitating smooth leg movement. With the advancement in technology and medical science, there are new kinds of knee replacement parts that are very flexible, thus permitting the knee to bend or curve up to 155 degrees. On the whole, the artificial knee components are crafted to fit perfectly and precisely and hence augment the function of the replaced knee coming as closely as possible to an original joint.
Rochelle Gravance brings new insights to the age old problems of knee pain. A NAFC Master Level Certified personal trainer, she digs into her experience spanning more than a decade’s work with developing her clients’ health and fitness to solve their knee joint crises and concerns. In this time of over-medicalization of health problems, Rochelle leads people away from the costly and potentially risky path of knee surgery to a holistic approach to fitness and wellness. Get back in control of your health, visit Rochelle’s website now at http://losethekneepain.com/.
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Arthritis Treatment: Knee Osteoarthritis And The Epidemic Of Knee Replacements – Part 1
Arthritis Of Knees
Arthritis Of Knees
Arthritis Of Knees
The most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), affects more than 20 million Americans. One of the primary targets for this disease is the knee.
OA affects articular cartilage, the gristle that caps the ends of long bones. Articular cartilage is a “pudding” that is made up of a matrix of proteoglycans (arrangements of proteins and glycogen molecules.) In addition, there is a framework of tough collagen fibers. Within this proteoglycan/collagen structure are cells called chondrocytes.
The maintenance of normal cartilage integrity is highly dependent on the metabolic function of these chondrocytes.
Osteoarthritis is a wear and tear disease of articular cartilage. It arises as a result of the lack of ability of cartilage to keep up with excessive breakdown.
The first step that occurs in the process of OA is an alteration in the matrix. This causes loss of cartilage resiliency. In addition, proteins that promote inflammation (called inflammatory cytokines) are produced by the joint lining. These cytokines activate destructive enzymes, called proteases which degrade the matrix and cause the chondrocytes to malfunction.
So far, the treatment of osteoarthritis is mostly symptomatic. Various medicines, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), analgesics (pain-killers), exercises, physical therapy, and injections are used to provide palliative relief. Ultimately, though, patients will go on to have knee replacement surgery.
While this operation has generally been reserved for elderly patients, joint replacement surgery is increasing at an alarming rate among Baby Boomers who want to maintain a certain level of activity.
According to a recent report (Associated Press, Lindsay Tanner), “nearly one in twenty Americans older than 50 has an artificial knee- that’s four million people!”
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has issued a recent report showing that knee replacements tripled in people ages 45 to 64 between 1997 and 2009. While it’s admirable and speaks to the increased activity level in a group of patients that formerly would be sitting in rocking chairs, in another sense, it raises other issues.
This is particularly disturbing because revision surgery (replacement of the replacement) will be needed in the future and this is a much more difficult and costly endeavor. Revision surgery takes longer, requires more expertise, is more complicated, and has a greater likelihood of complications.
Obviously, there is a public health problem if people with knee OA are going on to get an operation that will add tremendous costs to an already overburdened healthcare system. More in a future article.
Nathan Wei, MD, FACP, FACR is a rheumatologist and Director of the Arthritis Treatment Center http://www.arthritistreatmentcenter.com. He is a former Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and consultant to the National Institutes of Health. For more info: http://www.arthritis-treatment-and-relief.com
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