If you are like most people, then you’re probably ignoring your pain. You believe that it will eventually fade and go away on its own, that one day you’ll wake up and — like magic — your knee pain will be better. But after six months of living with the discomfort, you’re starting to wonder if the symptoms will ever go away.
Does that sound like you?
Another scenario that we see all the time at the HOPE Institute is when the patient goes to their physician, and the outcome is simply a prescription to rest, take painkillers, and avoid any activity that may hurt. But then six weeks later, the pain is still there, you’ve given up your favorite activity, and you’re still in pain. Returning to the physician, you simply end up with another prescription and maybe an offer for an injection or a referral for a surgical consult.
Has this ever happened to you?
Now you are in a situation where you are confused. Several different people have given their advice, recommending a variety of ideas. Resting it seems like good advice, but now you’ve given up your favorite activity, and you’re still in pain. Taking pain pills seems to be the most common advice, but now you’re having stomach problems from the anti-inflammatories, and your pain remains. You thought you would try some exercises given to you by a friend or downloaded off the internet, but they are either not helping or making the symptoms worse.
It all gets so confusing! And because of this confusion, you tend to procrastinate and put off making a decision about what step to take next to fix your knee pain. Worse, you have decided to just accept it as a normal part of life.
Is this how you feel, too?