If you suffer from bad knee pain, it is likely that you can have a ligament problem. This can be an old injury or even one that just occurred recently. In order to get the right treatment, it is important to consult a doctor and get an accurate diagnosis of the cause and severity of your injury.

Torn vs. Damaged Ligament

There is a difference between a torn or damaged ligament. A torn ligament will not repair itself but a damaged ligament, which is often the case for sharp shooting knee pain, can be repaired. The treatment for both a torn versus a damaged ligament is almost the same, although there will not be as much emphasis on knee surgery for a damaged ligament as opposed to a torn ligament.

Treatment of a Damaged Ligament

A damaged ligament can be treated by wearing a knee brace and keeping the knee elevated for a period of time. Knee supports do not actively heal you, but they do help you promote healing due to the meaningful stability that they help provide - See, when you are walking and moving about, wearing knee braces will help to manage the pain and also help the damaged ligament to heal. The prognosis can be very good for anyone who has sharp shooting knee pain brought on by a damaged knee ligament. Care should be taken to follow the advice of the doctor.

While the benefits of using a knee support can be great, there are other treatment options, like pain killers. "Pain Killers", such as medication you can get at the pharmacy can help alleviate your pain problems, but they do not fix internal issues that you may be having. The damaged knee ligament will need to be treated for either weeks or months, depending on the severity of the injury and the intensity of the pain.

PT (Physical Therapy) can also be an effective treatment method when you have a damaged knee ligament. Proper PT exercises along with the use of a well designed knee support can help you heal your damaged knee ligament much faster.

Treatment of a Torn Ligament

A torn ligament is more serious than a damaged ligament. This can also result in very sharp shooting pain in the knee. The torn ligament can be nursed with the help of the same type of treatment that is used for a damaged knee ligament, only here the odds are higher that you may need knee surgery. If you want to stave off knee surgery, wear the knee brace whenever possible and use therapy exercises on your knee.

If you are overweight, you may be able to relieve some of the pressure on the knee by losing some weight. Unfortunately, many people who suffer from pain problems in their knees, do so because they carry around too much weight. Not only will you be healthier if you lose weight but you will also be giving your knee a welcome break.

If you have to have knee surgery, you will undergo rehabilitation where you will wear a knee brace and practice many of the same exercises that you will perform when you are treating an injured knee.

It is no doubt that bad knee pain can be a real problem, and can spread into other facets of your life. The best thing you can do for yourself is wear a good pair of knee braces, take steps to lose weight and do the recommended knee exercises regularly.