Does your knee pain act up when you try to garden, walk the dog, or play a game of tennis? Most likely, you wonder whether staying active will make things worse or if you should simply elevate and ice the offending knee and call it a day.
There’s a short but complex answer to the question, “What are the most supportive strategies to healing your painful knee?” It depends.
Though that’s initially frustrating to hear, lasting solutions depend on what condition is causing your pain, the history of that pain, and a host of other factors.
Fortunately, Dr. John S. Michels of Interventional Spine & Pain is an expert in knee pain. Dr. Michels is not only a world-class physician, but is also a former First Round NFL Draft Choice and Super Bowl Champion whose NFL career was cut short by a knee injury. Therefore, he brings a different level of empathy and understanding to each patient and develops an individualized solution to treat your specific cause of knee pain.
Dr. Michels also brings his expertise to the media in an effort to educate the public about pain and pain management — a broad but important topic as we’ve watched a full-blown opioid epidemic affect — and end — millions of lives in the last three decades.
It’s one thing if you suffer a sudden severe injury, like a fracture while playing a sport, for example. When knee pain is the result of this kind of trauma, it can stop you in your tracks, so you have no choice but to immobilize your knee to stop it.
Chronic knee pain is more of a “wild card” in terms of causes and treatments because there are about as many particulars to each case as there are sufferers who face it. The causes of prolonged knee pain, whether intermittent or constant, are diverse:
Not all knee pain is created equal, so recovery strategies will differ as well. Dr. Michels can advise you about whether limited movement, full-on activity, or something in-between is the right course for you to take.
Our brains are adaptive tools. If something causes pain to a part of your body, it seems like the right thing to do is to stop moving it. In some circumstances, however, this approach can exacerbate the problem, which is why consulting a team of experts is your best first step.
Dr. Michels works with you to delve deeply into your injury and the discomfort you’re living with now. We’re also devoted to an initial clinical approach that’s as noninvasive as possible.
Dr. Michels believes first and foremost in creating a treatment plan for you that’s conservative, supports what we call “active recovery,” and whose solutions incorporate many philosophies:
Once you become our patient, you play an important role in your healing, too. When deemed appropriate by Dr. Michels, by putting more movement into your life, even if you’re nervous about knee pain flare-ups, you strengthen your immune system, protect your knee against inactivity’s negative effects, and learn coping mechanisms to deal with your pain.
We know that pain casts a shadow on your life that isn’t just physical. It affects your emotional state as well. This is why our approach to each of our patients includes:
Dr. Michels is zealous about educating the public and their patients about how effective pain relief is about much more than one medication or method. It’s about pulling from a vast menu of treatment options and partnering with patients to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals.
Take the first step to make your life more movement-rich by scheduling a consultation at our conveniently located Dallas Preston Center office. You can call us or book an appointment online. Prepare to be wowed by Dr. Michels’ vast knowledge, emphasis on safety, and natural compassion.
