Dr. George B. Isaac MD - A study was performed to describe the treatment of knee pain
in older adults in primary care and to compare reported practice with published
evidence. A semi-structured interview was performed of older adults with knee
pain about their use of 26 interventions for knee pain.
201 adults were interviewed. A median of six interventions
had been advised for each participant:
* heat and ice (84%) the most frequently advised
* followed by paracetamol (71%)
* compound opioid analgesics (59%)
* non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (59%).
* surgery
Three core treatments for knee pain consists of self-care:
* written information (16%)
* exercise (46%)
* weight loss (39%)
Dr. George B. Isaac MD provided you some important
information Most core treatments had not been initiate before
second-line interventions had been used, paracetamol being the exception.
Referral to surgery was commonly initiated before more conservative options had
been tried.
The conclusions were that interventions recommended as a core
treatment for knee pain in older adults were underused-in particular, exercise,
weight loss and the provision of written information. There appeared to be
early confidence in pharmacological treatments with underuse of
non-pharmacological interventions in early treatment choices. Self-care played
an important role in the management of this condition.
The study provides clear evidence on the need to improve the
delivery of core treatments for osteoarthritis and highlights the need to
support and encourage self-care.
.Primary care treatment of knee pain-a survey in older adults. RheumatologyWith knee pain, all muscles crossing the knee, hip and the
entire lower back have to be treated. The treatment of choice is individual
neuromuscular re-training to exercise muscles individually and performing an
internal massage through neuromuscular junction (trigger point) stimulation.
