Thinking about Knee Surgery? Think Again.

Every year, over 750,000 Americans undergo a surgery that is proving to be ineffective: knee surgery.

More and more research is suggesting that arthroscopic knee surgery is not the life-changing procedure that doctors have advertised. In fact, it can actually do more damage to your knee.

Knee arthroscopy is a surgical procedure usually performed to repair a torn meniscus. In knee arthroscopy, a surgeon inserts a small hollow tube and camera into your knee joint.

The surgeon uses the camera to guide small tools through the hollow tube to repair damaged cartilage.

Research Shows that Knee Arthroscopy May Be Causing More Harm than Good

There have been several research studies done on knee arthroscopy, and almost all of them have had the same result: it has no definite positive outcome. A study published in the National Library of Medicine found that patients who undergo knee arthroscopy had a greater likelihood of needing a total knee replacement than patients who used methods like physical therapy or using pain relievers.

This was because the procedure caused osteoarthritis in the arthroscopy patients to advance more rapidly than it would have without the surgery.

That same study also concluded that there was no significant difference in pain levels between those who had received knee arthroscopy and those who used other methods for pain management.

A separate study published by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery concluded that debridement of the meniscus during arthroscopic knee surgery had no benefit to the patient when compared to those who did not have the procedure.

Risks of Knee Arthroscopy

The success of knee surgery is questionable at best, and the risks far outweigh the benefits in most cases.

Risks include:

Greater chance of needing a total knee replacement
Greater risk of developing advanced osteoarthritis
Typical surgical risks, like bleeding, pain, and infection
A long recovery period, lasting weeks, months, or potentially years

Nonsurgical Intervention Is Better and Safer

Because of the risks associated with knee surgery, it is recommended that adults who have meniscal tears and osteoarthritis avoid knee arthroscopy if at all possible and use nonsurgical treatment instead.

A great nonsurgical treatment option is a knee sleeve.

Using a knee sleeve not only works as pain management but also has lasting benefits that are similar to knee arthroscopy but without the risks.

Some benefits of using knee sleeves are:

Knee sleeves increase blood flow to the damaged area, thus reducing pain and inflammation.
They provide increased stability and support to alleviate pain and stress put on your knee joint.
They are a much more economical option, costing less than $50 in most cases. You can also find them in almost any health and wellness store, or you can purchase one online.

Summary

The bottom line is knee arthroscopy should be used only as a last resort or in extreme cases. The procedure’s risks far outweigh the benefits. The use of nonsurgical treatments like knee sleeves or physical therapy work just as well for both short-term pain relief and long-term surgery risk.

Thinking about Knee Surgery? Think Again.

Research Shows that Knee Arthroscopy May Be Causing More Harm than Good

Risks of Knee Arthroscopy

Nonsurgical Intervention Is Better and Safer

Summary

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