A conservative, non-surgical, therapy is possible for the majority of complaints and pain conditions. This also applies to the majority of sports injuries. The treatment concept is essentially based on physical therapy. Physical therapy is the generic term for the appropriate and planned application of mechano- and movement therapy as well as thermal, electrical and physicochemical effective qualities. This refers to physiotherapy, ergotherapy, manual therapy and electrotherapy. Heat or ice applications, lymphatic drainage and functional bandages are also used.
Through the short-term application of so-called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (e.g. Voltaren ®) or the selective injection or infiltration of painful joints, pain due to inflammation can usually be eliminated reliably and quickly. Modern medicine can reliably help with degenerative, i.e. age-related, joint diseases and complaints. Joint injection of hyaluronic acid preparations or autologous (= endogenous) thrombocyte-rich plasma (PRP) can relieve pain and slow down joint wear. Joint replacement by an artificial joint can thus be delayed. Both procedures have been scientifically well investigated and evaluated.
If there is a painful calcification of the shoulder, a tennis or golf elbow, chronic inflammation of tendon insertions or a so-called heel spur, shock wave therapy can be used. This painless procedure leads to a metabolic activation of the tissue with subsequent repair through the release of biologically active substances.
Acupuncture, as part of traditional Chinese medicine, has arrived in the West for years and has now been scientifically investigated very well. In particular, pain in knee joint arthrosis and lumbar back pain can be relieved very well.
The aim of conservative therapy must always be to prevent an operation and to give the patient freedom of movement without pain.