The Response of Modern Medicine
Although some Baker’s cysts need no treatment and heal over time, this is usually not the case. Traditional modern medical treatment of a persisting Baker’s cyst involves measures ranging from draining the cyst, usually repeatedly, and/or surgery to decompress the cyst and repair any damage to the meniscus, a layer of cartilage lining the inside surface of the knee. The problem with both of these approaches is that not only do they not address the root cause of the condition properly, but surgery involving any joint, and especially the knee, is very invasive and prone to side effects, and may eventually lead to arthritis.
While draining the fluid in the cyst with a needle may decrease the cyst size and alleviate the pain and discomfort, the cyst usually recurs because the cause of the fluid accumulation has not been eliminated. If the cyst continues to cause pain and discomfort, even after draining, arthroscopic surgery is often the next step, both to decrease the size of the cyst as well as to shave or remove a torn portion of the meniscus that may be the cause of the cyst in the first place. The problem here is that this procedure does nothing to repair the deteriorated cartilage in the meniscus and, thus, does not alleviate the chronic pain associated with a baker’s cyst. Fortunately there is a better option for treating a chronic baker’s cyst.
The Natural Medicine Approach to a Baker’s Cyst
A better approach is to stimulate cartilage repair with Prolotherapy and herbal supplements. Here’s why. Baker’s cysts usually form in response to some kind of injury to the knee, which causes swelling and fluid accumulation in a sac, called a cyst. Draining the cyst removes the fluid, but doesn’t repair or heal the damage to the cartilage of ligaments. Likewise, surgery to the knee to shave or remove damaged portions of the meniscus may actually weaken and deteriorate the meniscus further, and could lead to arthritis.
Prolotherapy, on the other hand, will stimulate the injured tissue, whether it’s the ligaments or the meniscus, to repair itself. Once repaired, the knee joint becomes more stable, which means no more joint swelling. This in turn means no more accumulated fluid and an end to the baker's cyst!
The safest and most effective natural medicine treatment for repairing tendon, ligament and cartilage damage is Prolotherapy. In simple terms, Prolotherapy stimulates the body to repair painful areas. It does so by inducing a mild inflammatory reaction in the weakened ligaments and cartilage. Since the body heals by inflammation, Prolotherapy stimulates healing.
Prolotherapy offers the most curative results in treating chronic pain. It effectively eliminates pain because it attacks the source: the fibro-osseous junction, an area rich in sensory nerves. What’s more, the tissue strengthening and pain relief stimulated by Prolotherapy is permanent!
Nearly all pain conditions can be successfully treated with Prolotherapy, including:
Osteoarthritis
Tendonitis
Migraines
Sports Injuries
Loose Joints (Hypermobility)
Fibromyalgia
RSD Pain
Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
Sciatica
Herniated Discs
Degenerated Discs
Degenerated Joints
Chondromalacia Patellae
Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Ligament Sprains
Plantar Fasciitis
...and Back, Hip, Neck, Shoulder, Knee, Elbow, Foot, Ankle, Hand, Wrist, Finger and Toe Pain
To learn more about the Prolotherapy procedure, click here. To read about a patient who has benefited from Prolotherapy and been relieved from chronic knee pain, click here. And to learn why the treatment approach referred to as MEAT (Movement, Exercise, Analgesics & Treatments) is superior to RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation) when treating injuries, click here.
If you are interested in more information about Prolotherapy or to schedule an appointment with one of our natural medicine specialists, please contact Caring Medical at 708-848-7789 or online using our contact form.
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