Pain Relief

The 4 stages of cartilage degradation

PAIN RELIEF

When it comes to relieving knee pain, there are many different treatment options.

For some people, early treatments like the ones below may help their knee to function better.

My knee pain

Medical / Intra-articular injections

Both prescription and over-the-counter medications can be used to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis and control pain.26

Commonly used medications include aspirin-free pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids and viscosupplementation injections.26
nSTRIDE offers targeted relief from knee pain for up to 5 years.11

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Low-impact Exercise

Regular low-impact exercise, including joint and muscle exercises, can improve strength and flexibility.

A common myth is that exercise will “wear out” joints. However, when done properly, low-impact exercise, such as walking or jogging, may actually reduce pain and fatigue and increase movement.27

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Bracing

Different types of braces may help reduce knee pain and improve function and mobility.26

A “support” brace supports the entire load on your knee. An “unloader” can be used when only one side of the knee is damaged and supports the weight on only one side of the knee.28

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Heat / Cold Therapies

The use of heat or cold over joints may provide short-term relief from pain and stiffness.

Cold packs can help reduce inflammation and swelling and may be useful for flare-ups. Heat can aid in relaxing muscles and increasing circulation.

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Assistive Devices

You can protect your knees by using a cane or other walking aid to keep from putting excess stress on them.

Shoe inserts called orthotics are designed to support, align and improve the function of your foot. In turn, they may lessen the pressure on your knees.

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Physical & Occupational Therapists

Physical therapists can work with you to create a personalised exercise program and show you how to use therapeutic heat and massages to potentially reduce pain.26

In addition, occupational therapists can introduce you to beneficial devices, such as those used to elevate chair or toilet-seat height.

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Weight Management

Weight loss helps to ease pain by reducing the amount of stress on the joints. After all, your knees bear your weight plus everything you can carry.26

According to The Arthritis Foundation, every pound of excess weight applies about four pounds of pressure to your knees.

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Why you should seek early treatment

Early treatment can slow the progression of Osteoarthritis and delay, or possibly avoid the need for joint replacement surgery.

Why is early treatment important?

Osteoarthritis is progressive so, when pain starts, it’s hard to stop.

As your knee moves from ‘onset’ to ‘mild’, ‘moderate’ and towards the ‘severe’ stage of OA, you may find that the more conservative treatments become less effective in reducing your pain and helping you move.  On the other hand, it may be too early for a replacement joint, or you may not want surgery.

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The 4 stages of cartilage degradation

Onset OA

Symptoms are generally mild and may include pain that comes and goes. Cartilage begins to wear down.20,29,30 – indicated for nSTRIDE7,1

Mild OA

The cartilage begins breaking down causing the occurrence of osteophytes (bone spurs) and more frequent pain.29,30 – indicated for nSTRIDE7,1

Moderate OA

You may have more pain and difficulty in movement. Joint fluid may lose its ability to lubricate and cushion affected joints.13,29,30 – indicated for nSTRIDE7,1

Severe OA

You may experience significant pain. Areas of cartilage may totally wear away, causing bones to rub against each other.13,16,29,30

What about when you’ve tried all early treatment options?

If you’ve had knee Osteoarthritis for a while, you might find you’ve tried all conservative treatments and nothing eases your pain.  The lack of treatment choices between conservative treatment and surgery is called the Treatment Gap and it affects a growing number of people.1,10

Another group of treatments called ‘early intervention’ come before surgery and aim to bridge the Treatment Gap.26 They allow you to choose a suitable treatment that might alleviate your pain, preserve your knee joint and delay, or possibly avoid the need for surgery.

Talk to your specialist about suitable treatments for you

Treatment with nSTRIDE is designed to provide a solution from inside you which treats OA which has been demonstrated in studies to help alleviate pain long-term4 (up to 5 years11) and regain mobility and function in the arthritic knee.3

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My knee pain

Your guide to knee pain, including what to do and when to get help.

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What is nSTRIDE?

Learn about the science behind nSTRIDE and how it can alleviate pain and regain mobility to get you back in touch with living the life you want to live.

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Talk to a Specialist

If you believe nSTRIDE is suitable for you, we can put you in touch with the right person.

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