Does Knee Pain Typically Heal on Its Own?

Whether your knee pain will heal on its own or not depends on the severity of the issue as well as on many other factors, such as your body’s level of fitness, your age, and the ability of your tissues to regenerate. While minor strains, sprains and traumas sustained by the knee might heal on their own or with the administration of anti-inflammatory medication and topical treatments, such as ointments, other, more severe forms of damage that affect the structure of the ligaments, the cartilage or the muscles around the knee might require a different treatment approach.

If the pain in your knee that results from a recent injury does not ameliorate or go away in a couple of weeks, it is a good idea to consult a Downtown’s Healthcare provider. Your doctor will probably need an X-ray of the affected area to see how extensive the damage is, then your doctor will recommend you the best treatment option. Surgery and pain medication should be used as a last resort; before that, patients are recommended to try less invasive treatments, such as physical therapy, exercise, injections with glucosamine, chondroitin and other substances. For patients whose knee pain is not the result of a recent injury, but is caused by other issues, such as excess body weight, the knee treatment is usually associated with dieting and special physical exercise, preferably performed in water to reduce the strain on the joints.