“How to Ease Chronic Pain - Strategies and Treatment Options”

Dr Tan Kian Hian, Senior Consultant from the Department of Anaesthesiology at Singapore General Hospital, gives detailed answers to your questions.

Question by Administrator

What to do about knee pain?

Answered by Dr Tan Kian Hian Consultant & Director, Pain Management Centre Department of Anaesthesiology Singapore General Hospital

If you are overweight, the most important thing to do would be to lose weight to reduce pressure on the knee. Acupuncture may be useful in some patients. If it’s a case of mild arthritis, injections in the knee may help. In case of severe osteoarthritis, you may need to go for knee replacement surgery.

High-impact exercise like jogging could involve knee pain, so I would suggest lower-impact exercise, such as walking, cycling or swimming.

Question by Administrator

I have multiple allergies. Could I be allergic to medications you may inject in the knee?

Answered by Dr Tan Kian Hian Consultant & Director, Pain Management Centre Department of Anaesthesiology Singapore General Hospital

We typically inject anaesthetics and steroids. Allergies to these types of products are exceedingly rare. I personally don’t know of any case of allergy.

Question by Administrator

Could pain in my hip joint be due to a lack of calcium?

Answered by Dr Tan Kian Hian Consultant & Director, Pain Management Centre Department of Anaesthesiology Singapore General Hospital

It really depends. Some patients with osteoporosis may have fractures which may cause hip pain. However, even if you have osteoporosis, just taking calcium may not be enough. You may need to also take medication to help calcium be absorbed into the bone.

Ref: U11