The risk factors that can increase your chance of getting knee injuries are:

• Excess weight: An obese person has a risk of developing osteoarthritis. Being overweight can increase the chance of the breakdown of the joint cartilage. It increases the stress on the knee joint.
• Previous injury: Having a previous injury increases the chance of developing a knee injury. It might be possible that if you have faced a knee injury previously, you can face it in future.
• Certain sports or occupations: Sports like skiing and basketball put extra pressure on the knees. Jobs like construction and farming also increases the risk of knee injuries. You need to run, walk, and jump and land awkwardly in certain sports that increase the risk of getting a knee injury.
• Lack of flexibility and strength in muscles: Muscle strength keeps the joints intact, and the flexibility keeps in attaining the full range of motion of the knees. Lack of muscle strength and flexibility increases the risk of knee injuries.

If you have any of the above risk factors, you can minimize the risk of getting a knee injury by following safety measures. In case of obesity, you can eat healthily, avoid processed and junk foods, and reduce weight. Regular exercises and an active routine can help you to shed extra weight. You can seek advice from your doctor to avoid damage to the knees.

The treatments vary depending on the causes of knee pain. The standard treatments are:

• Medication: The doctor may provide you with medications depending upon your knee condition to relieve the pain.
• Therapy: Strengthening exercises and physical therapy helps to tighten the muscles around the knees. Sportspeople or people who perform intense physical activity need physical therapy to treat the faulty movement patterns that might affect their knees. The doctors may suggest exercises to improve balance and flexibility. Braces can be used to support the knee joints.
• Injection: The doctor may inject the medicines directly into the joints. Some of the injections used as a treatment option are:
  
  1. Hyaluronic acid: It can be injected into your knees to improve mobility. The injection is also fruitful in easing the pain. Studies show mixed results about the effectiveness of the treatment, and the relief from the shots can last for up to six months.
  2. Platelet-rich Plasma: PRP reduces inflammation and aids in the healing process. It is a combination of different growth factors, and studies reveal that it may benefit people with osteoarthritis.
  3. Corticosteroids: It may help reduce the symptoms of an arthritis flare and helps in reducing the pain.
• Surgery: In case of surgery, the doctor may provide you with the following options:
  
  1. Total knee replacement: The doctor cuts the damaged bone from the hip, knee, and shinbone and replaces it with an artificial joint. These artificial joints are made up of metals and high-grade plastics. They make knee movement easier for the patient.
  2. Osteotomy: In this procedure, bones are removed from the shinbone and thighbone to align the knee. The process helps in relieving arthritis pain.
  3. Partial knee replacement: The most damaged part of the knee is replaced with metal or plastic. The surgery can be done using small incisions and is likely to heal quickly.
  4. Arthroscopic surgery: It is used to repair damage and torn cartilages. A camera is inserted into the knee to see the condition, and then incisions are made around the knee to do the surgery.

These are some of the treatment procedures followed by the surgeons to treat the damaged knee. You can consult Dr Aditya Sai, one of the best knee surgeons in Mumbai, to assess your medical condition and get a proper diagnosis and treatment.

You can consider the below tips to choose a surgeon for your knee surgery.

• Education qualification: Before finalizing your surgeon and going for the treatment, you can consider the following:
  • Surgeon's education qualifications
  • Reviews
  • Training

  These will help you to get a better idea about their area of expertise.

• Experience level: Studies show that surgeons who perform at least twelve surgeries every year have a good record of progress.

These tips can help you in deciding the best surgeon for you. If you live in Mumbai, you can look for a knee specialist doctor in Mumbai online. In addition, you can also consider scheduling an appointment with Dr Aditya Sai at Shoulder and Knee Clinic. He is highly regarded as one of the top knee pain specialists in Mumbai.