Tibial Spiking in Knee – Treatment Options

Tibial spiking is the “spike” appearing in the radiograph of a patient who might be experiencing knee pain. Here, you’ll get to know about tibial spiking in the knee and the possible treatment options. 

Tibial spiking is an early symptom of osteoarthritis and it might also indicate the formation of bone spurs. “Tibia” is the shin bone that’s attached to the knee cap. When the cartilage of the knee wears and tears, the bones rub together and become weak or form spikes. 

Let’s discuss how tibial spiking could be the sign of arthritis in one knee or both and the treatment options. 

Tibial Spiking In Knee

Osteoarthritis is the degenerative condition in which the joints wear and tear, resulting in increased friction between the bones. This can be caused due to various reasons such as continuous movements, old age, and weak bones. 

Osteoarthritis symptoms in the knee include the deterioration of the shin bone as well. This shin bone (tibia) rubs with the knee cap and thigh bone, causing pain and inflammation. 

The knee pain due to tibial spiking can occur in one knee, resulting in unilateral knee arthritis. Or the knee pain can occur in both knees, causing bilateral knee arthritis. 

Let’s look into the causes of bilateral knee pain and swelling to understand tibial spiking clearly. 

Causes of bilateral knee pain and swelling 

The knee is made of three bones including the knee cap, sign bone, and thigh bone. The knee cartilage protects these bones from rubbing together. When cartilage becomes weak, this results in bone friction and causes pain and swelling. Continuous degeneration results in the most common form of arthritis—knee arthritis.  

The causes of bilateral knee pain and swelling include: 

• Standing too much. Even if you stand still, you add pressure to the knee bones and they might start hurting 
• Knee arthritis 
• Old age. As you age, the cartilage becomes weak and bones rub together, resulting in knee pain and swelling
• Tibial spikes. The shin bone might form spurs, causing pain and swelling 
• Repetitive legs movement can tear the cartilage in the long run 

Tibial Spiking in knee – Treatment 

The treatment line depends upon the severity of your symptoms. After diagnosis, your doctor might recommend you a few home remedies, therapies, and/or medicines as well. 

Home Remedies and Therapy

• Take lots of rest. Lie down as much as you can to reduce pressure on your knees 
• Massage your knees. Take the help of a professional to get the maximum benefit from it 
• Ease your pain by applying hot and cold packs alternatively. Cold packs help to reduce inflammation as well  
• Try stretching exercises but after consulting your doctor 
• Take help from a physiotherapist who’ll advise you on a set of light exercises to cope up. 

Medication and Traditional Treatment Options 

If the pain and inflammation persist, your doctor might recommend NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or corticosteroid injections. 

Both of these medications cause side effects such as hypertension and damage to the liver. That’s why you shouldn’t take them regularly unless advised by your doctor. 

Surgery is the last option and is rare in case your knee bones start to deform. 

Alternative Treatment – Laser Pain Therapy 

If you’re looking for knee arthritis treatment without surgery and want a treatment that doesn’t involve medications then you should opt for alternative treatment.  

The best alternative treatment that’s practised around the world with a maximum success rate is laser pain therapy. The procedure is done by experienced rheumatologists who are trained to use laser devices that trigger natural healing mechanisms in the body. The whole procedure is split into small sessions that are a few days apart. 

If you’re in Pakistan and looking for the best treatment for tibial spiking in the knee, then head over to BioFlex Pakistan. We are a pain management clinic where experienced doctors use laser pain therapy to treat various neuromuscular conditions. 

We have hundreds of satisfied clients who opted for laser therapy for arthritis as it’s: 

• Painless
• Safe and effective 
• No medicines are needed throughout or after the treatment 
• No side effects reported 

Click here to know more about our knee pain treatment or book your appointment to start the treatment right away. 

The Bottom Line 

Tibial spiking can cause knee pain and ultimately knee arthritis. 

That is why it’s important to take it seriously and look for options to treat tibial spiking in the knee. Above are listed all the possible treatments that can stop this bone from deteriorating and avoid or control knee arthritis.