New Treatments for Knee Pain

We heavily rely on our legs as human beings to perform daily activities, such as walking from place to place and running. But these tasks are not easy for 25% of adults in the United States due to developing knee pain from injury or conditions that arise as people age.

Humanity has experienced chronic knee problems, and either pushed through the pain or dealt with it as a fact of life. This dichotomy remains true today. However, medical researchers in the 21st century have created new and innovative treatments that can give you a nearly pain-free life.

If you are tired of living with debilitating knee and joint symptoms and are ready to explore new treatments for knee pain, we have got you covered.

What causes knee pain?

The causes of knee pain are vast and individual to each person. But we see many patients suffer from knee pain due to injuries, such as torn ligaments and worn-down cartilage, and medical conditions like infection or knee osteoarthritis. There are different approaches to treatment depending on the cause that a pain management doctor can walk you through after a diagnosis.

What are common treatments for knee pain?

There are many common remedies for knee pain that may bring some relief. You can complete some treatments at home, while others require a knee pain specialist’s assistance. They may suggest more intense or the newest treatments for knee pain if you still experience severe achiness and discomfort with these options. The following remedies are examples of common treatments you can try and that doctors have traditionally used for decades.

Anti Inflammatory Drugs

Before seeking a pain doctor’s case, many who suffer from knee pain will try to relieve symptoms with over-the-counter medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Although these may alleviate and reduce pain, they do not address the root issue and will not heal your condition.

You can suffer from horrible side effects that cause additional medical complications if you use anti-inflammatory drugs for long periods of time. We recommend only taking pain relievers if your knee/joint pain is not intense and you believe it will only last for the short term. However, worsening knee pain that increases and does not get better will require a pain management specialist’s professional opinion for treatments.

Physical Therapy

A non-invasive and restorative treatment to help you rely on your legs again is participating in physical therapy and other low-impact exercise routines. You may see knee pain relief and find movement easier to achieve by strengthening your leg muscles around your knees. Physical therapists specialize in certain knee and joint conditions and can develop a personalized treatment plan to flood relief into your bones.

We suggest evaluating your time at physical therapy after some time to understand whether this treatment is best to have a pain-free life ahead. The reasoning is that some knee pain can originate from a degenerative issue, which physical therapy can only partially relieve. A licensed knee pain specialist can recommend further treatment you can pursue to receive the healing you’re after.

Losing Weight

Having excess weight on your body can put extra strain and discomfort on your knees, so losing weight can reduce your pain. Even 10-20 pounds less on your knees can bring extreme relief you did not know was possible.

Losing excess weight is an excellent solution for your overall health and may help your knee pain but is often mistaken as a cure by itself. You should always pair an exercise and diet weight loss plan with other treatment options your doctor gives based on their medical assessment.

Surgery

A pain management specialist will always delay orthopedic surgery as long as possible when it comes to mild or moderate knee pain. While this common treatment may be what you need to receive a pain-free life, it is an invasive, costly solution they will not choose as their primary solution.

Joint replacement and total knee replacement surgeries are options that your doctor may present for your osteoarthritis pain if nothing else removes your chronic pain. Therefore, a wise medical professional will exhaust all previous common treatments first, hoping your knee and joint pain will heal without orthopedic surgery.

What are the newest treatments for knee pain?

Though the common treatments for knee pain may elevate your quality of life, doctors continuously develop new treatments to achieve better results. It is possible that your knee pain could disappear with new medical technologies and discoveries, or you could find amazing relief that does not impede your daily life. The treatment options listed below pain specialists considered unique to the field and have witnessed great results in relieving knee and joint pain with their patients.

Stem Cell Therapy

A recent phenomenon for knee osteoarthritis, stem cell therapy can help lower your knee pain by a significant amount. Our practice injects only FDA-approved stem cells from amniotic fluid into your knees, reducing inflammation and discomfort.

We provide an ethical, scientifically-advanced solution to your everyday OA challenges. This new treatment may be an option you’ve never considered, but it could be the injection that partially or completely takes away your chronic knee pain. You should meet with a pain specialist to evaluate whether stem cell therapy is right for you, especially if other treatments and procedures haven’t worked.

Cortisone and Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Medical professionals have made significant strides in recent years by developing injection treatment options to relieve your knee and arthritis pain. Cortisone shots and hyaluronic acid injections remove discomfort and achiness by lubricating the inner knee. If we believe you are eligible for these treatments, we will include them in your overall intervention plan geared toward helping you live a pain-free life.

RFA

Finally, your medical doctor may recommend radiofrequency ablation as a modern treatment that will help you sustain a pain-free life. They will use electrical currents to sever your knee’s nerve tissues so your brain cannot receive the “pain” message. Nerves will always grow back and an RFA solution is not permanent, but it is a newer treatment you can try if other options have not given you relief.

Finding a Knee Pain Management Specialist

You do not have to resign yourself to limited mobility or survive on pain relievers every day. There are numerous knee pain treatments you can pursue with a pain doctor’s professional advice, with new developments arriving at many clinics.

Our pain management specialists will assess your knee, joint, and arthritis discomfort to develop a treatment plan that can manage and alleviate your pain. We desire to see you living a long and pain-free life. Call us at 480.986.7246 to begin that journey today.