Archive for the ‘Osteoarthritis Treatments’ Category
Cold knee wraps are great to use if you require regular cold therapy. Frozen peas, ice packs with ace bandages, or frozen paper cups of water are great for short-term use. But if you are going to be icing your knee regularly a cold knee wrap will make your therapy time a bit easier. For one thing you can get up and walk around if you have to. Also, you don’t have to worry about your frozen peas repeatedly freezing and thawing. Or worse, picking thawed mushy peas from between your cushions or out of the carpet.
Have you experienced a leaking ice pack yet?
Patients who are prescribed braces for osteoarthritis of the knee need to understand how to put the braces on.
The straps on many Unloader Knee Braces must be applied in a specific order. Also legs are required to be in a certain position when braces are being strapped on. There are usually extra pads, liners, and condyle pads included with the brace. Miscellaneous items like hinge lubricant, extension stops, and under-sleeves usually wind up with the patient as well. Patients need to understand what all of this stuff is for.
Patients need to be educated on every aspect of the brace. That is what health insurance pays for. Health insurance covers a lot more than just the measuring and fitting of the brace. That coverage also covers patient education.
A good practitioner will require a follow up one to two weeks after the knee brace is dispensed. This follow up is to ensure the brace fits well, it is doing its job, and that the patient understands how to wear it.
How will an arthritis knee support effect my skin? What if I’m allergic to neoprene?
Patients are concerned that arthritis knee supports made of neoprene will give them a rash. Skin conditions while wearing neoprene braces are easily avoided. Patients need to treat their knee sleeves like their socks. Arthritis knee supports need to be washed and dried regularly. How long would you wear a pair of socks without washing them?
People who suffer from rashes while wearing neoprene braces generally aren’t washing them enough. Neoprene encourages warmth and compression, this combination will also encourage sweat. How long can you wear the same pair of socks without washing them before your feet will develop skin problems.
Most people are not allergic to neoprene. They have problems with all the dirt and bacteria trapped in their brace.
Neoprene braces need to be washed regularly, in the sink is fine. Cold water and a mild detergent will get the job done. Let the brace air dry in the strainer, don’t put it in the clothes dryer.
Patients that truly have a neoprene allergy should try an elastic brace, or a neoprene brace with a liner that prevents the neoprene from touching the skin.
Will insurance pay for an arthritis knee brace? Yes.
Medicare, Medicaid, and most HMO’s and PPO’s will reimburse providers for the application of an arthritis knee brace. The “Durable Medical Equipment” rider of the policy will explain what is covered and deductibles.
Generally health insurance will pay for a knee brace if the patient has documented osteoarthritis of the knee, and a valid prescription. Some states require the person measuring and fitting the knee brace to have certain levels of certification. Usually a person is eligible for a knee brace if they have not received the same or similar type of orthopedic appliance within the past three years.
Insurance is willing to reimburse for arthritis knee braces because this treatment option for osteoarthritis of the knee saves them money. Knee braces are much less expensive than surgery. Also, knee braces do not react with medications or cause the stomach issues commonly associated with drugs. Sick patients cost insurance companies money.
An insurance company would much rather pay for a knee brace than to continually pay for medication or reimburse a surgeon.
There are many different options available for arthritic knee treatment.
- Acupuncture
- Cold Therapy
- Neoprene Knee Sleeves
- Magnetic Therapy
- Unloader Knee Braces
- Canes
- Steroids
- Disease Modification
- Drugs
- Exercise
- Joint Health Supplements
- Lateral Heel Wedges
- Lifestyle Modification
- Physical Therapy
- Strength Training
- Stretching
- Surgery
- Viscosupplementation
- Weight Loss
There is a lot to consider when buying a knee brace for arthritis. Where to begin?
Your first step is at the doctor’s office. You need to know what is going on inside your knee joint. The knee slides, glides, and rotates. There are ligaments, cartilage, bones, and tendons to consider. Knee braces accomplish different goals. You need to understand why your knee hurts or gives out before you brace it.
If you are confident the knee pain stems from osteoarthritis, there are a few different braces to consider. A simple neoprene knee brace will work fine for mild arthritis pain. The neoprene will provide warmth and compression as well as offer some support.
If you have knee cap problems as well as arthritis then you may want to consider a neoprene knee sleeve with a patella buttress. The buttress will help control the knee cap.
If you have moderate to significant pain than a hard-shell unloader type of arthritic knee brace may work best. These knee braces require a prescription and must be measured for and fit by certified orthotists. These knee braces will change the bio-mechanics of your body.
So to recap, first figure out what is wrong and what work needs to be done. Then choose the right tool for the job.
How will magnetic therapy help reduce the knee pain associated with osteoarthritis?
Nerves generate electrical signals – this is well known. Sodium and potassium constitute positive ions while chloride and calcium make up negative ions. The nerves help keep a healthy balance of negative and positive ions so that there is a slightly negative charge. When this balance of ions shift and the nerve becomes more positive than negative pain signals are sent to the brain. A strong negative magnetic charge can reduce these pain signals. The magnet must be strong and it must be placed with the negative side down.
Studies show that the human body functions through chemical reactions and electro-magnetic interactions. Electro-chimical ions comprise the majority of the chemicals within our bodies. These ions have negative or positive charges, and react to electro-magnetic fields.
Biological processes can be effected by the contact, equilibrium, and movement of ions. The channels the ions move within can affect bodily functions, like sleep and circulation. Pharmaceuticals, electric stimulation, and magnetic therapy can all affect ions and ion channels.
Hold the cane in whichever hand feels most natural for you. If your osteoarthritis effects one knee worse than the other, hold the cane on the side of the worst knee pain. Move the cane with every step. Your doctor or physical therapist should teach you how to do this. The cane stays in place as the unaffected leg swings forward. Move the cane when you move the leg that hurts most.
Magnet therapy is an old idea. Ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures have all written about using magnets to treat health conditions from arthritis, to gout, to headaches. NASA recognized how important magnetic fields are for life on our planet back in the 1960′s. From then until now artificial magnetic fields are used in space for the health of the astronauts. Magnets assist in preserving bone mineral density, improving circulation, and improving the quality sleeping. The artificial magnetic fields reduced the effects of being away from the planet’s magnetic field.
Magnetic therapy has been an accepted treatment option for centuries. The National Health Services of Britain recently began permitting physicians to start writing scripts for magnets.