A Deep Dive into Knee Pain
What is Knee Pain?
Knee pain is common in all age groups and the causes of knee pain are many. Injury to the supporting structures such as the ligaments, tendons and meniscus are a common cause of acute and chronic knee pain. These can occur during sporting activities, work or simple acts such as climbing stairs, bad biomechanics or repetitive activities.
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint is a common degenerative condition. It is marked by knee pain, swelling, stiffness and joint weakness. Other types of arthritis include Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), caused by the immune system attacking the joint, and Gouty Arthritis, caused by deposition of uric acid crystals or calcium within the joint. Often, many factors contribute to knee pain including diet, daily activities, exercise, age and stress levels.
Many people are told that the only treatments for knee pain are steroid injections and surgery. Thankfully there are other alternatives that uses your body’s own cells to help repair damaged tissues and relieve pain from knee injuries and arthritis.
How do we treat Knee Pain?
Our Integrative Advantage utilizes a comprehensive team approach to decrease knee pain and improve overall function. This treatment will be tailored to the patients’ specific pathology. Treatment options will generally include the following;
Hyaluronic Acid injections – Hyaluronan is a natural substance found in the body’s joint fluid. Specialized injections of this viscous solution can be injected directly into the knee joint using image guidance. This fluid acts like a lubricant and shock absorber and can be an excellent treatment option for those with arthritic pain.
Regenerative Medicine Injections are used to stimulate repair and increase stability of the supporting structures. Multiple studies have been conducted on the use of regenerative medicine for knee arthritis.
Treatment options include Prolotherapy injections to stabilize the ligaments and tendons and are generally used for mild cases of arthritis or where instability is the only issue. PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma is used for mild to moderate arthritis or where there is damage to the internal structures including the supporting ligaments or meniscus. Bone marrow stem cells are the best treatment option for those with moderate to severe arthritis or those with significant pathology.
Physical Therapy is used to strengthen and re-educate the muscles and ligaments and to improve range of motion. This is done both before and after any regenerative medicine procedures.
Anti-inflammatory Diet with adequate nutrients to support the healing process along with natural anti-inflammatory supplements including turmeric and glucosamine chondroitin.
Energy Modalities such as low level laser and PEMF to further support tissue healing, decrease swelling and improve function.