Most people take their knees for granted until they start hurting. Once you begin experiencing knee pain, however, it quickly becomes clear just how essential it is to keep these joints healthy and strong. Every time you take a step, bend your leg, squat down, or move, you engage your knees. If you are experiencing knee pain, everyday activities can become challenging.
Paying a visit to a Portland knee doctor is the best way to get an accurate diagnosis. Usually, the process starts with a visit to your primary care doctor. There, you can talk to them about your knee pain, describing any feelings or sensations you are experiencing in detail. In some cases, your doctor may be able to treat the pain themselves.
In other cases, however, they will need to refer you to a doctor who specializes in knees. Several different types of doctors treat knee pain. For problems that require surgery, you may be referred to an orthopedic surgeon. If your issues are related to arthritis, you could be referred to a rheumatologist. Finally, if they are caused by an injury, you may be sent to a doctor that specializes in sports medicine.
Whichever type of specialist you see, they can do a deeper analysis of your knee pain, identifying the source of the problem. From there, they can help you come up with a treatment plan that will minimize or eliminate your pain.
Depending on the findings of the Portland knee doctor, there are several treatment methods that they may use. In some situations, the problem may be able to be corrected with physical therapy or medication. Other times, you may need injections or surgery. The treatment method depends on the underlying cause of the pain.
Once the treatment has been completed, the pain you are experiencing should be significantly reduced. Depending on the problem, it may even be eliminated altogether.