Knee pain affects about 25% of adults, but doctors say surgery isn’t always the first option, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Doctors say knee replacement can help, but it is usually reserved for older patients.

“Knee replacement is reserved for folks with end-stage arthritis,” said Dr. Eric A. Monesmith, a hip and knee surgeon at OrthoIndy Hospital.

Monesmith said in earlier stages of the disease, patients can often manage symptoms without surgery. “As long as you have well-controlled symptoms and you’re functional, you can live with arthritis for a long time without having surgery.”

Medication is often the first step. “The mainstay of the treatment of arthritis is nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories. Those would be your ibuprofens, your naproxens,” he said.

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