Non-Surgical Knee Treatments

Our orthopaedic specialists collaborate closely with you to identify the most suitable treatment options tailored to your condition, individual requirements, and lifestyle preferences. Whenever possible, we prioritize conservative, non-invasive approaches to address and alleviate knee pain. For arthritis-related knee discomfort, our treatment strategies may include injections, lifestyle adjustments, medication management, physical therapy, or plasma injections. Our primary objective is to effectively manage patients utilizing non-surgical interventions for as long as feasible.

Anti-inflammatory Medications

Anti-inflammatory medications are commonly prescribed to reduce swelling, alleviate pain, and relieve joint stiffness associated with various conditions such as arthritis or injury. These medications work by inhibiting the body’s inflammatory response, thereby helping to improve mobility and enhance overall comfort levels.

Steroid Injections

Steroid injections, also known as corticosteroid injections, are anti-inflammatory medications used to alleviate joint pain. These injections can be administered directly into a joint or muscle. Typically, they take a few days to take effect, although some may provide relief within hours. However, the effects usually diminish after a few months. If you are receiving an injection for pain relief, it may also include a local anesthetic, providing immediate pain relief lasting a few hours. You should be able to return home shortly after the injection.

Viscosupplementation

If you have tried all other nonsurgical treatment methods and your pain continues to limit your activities, viscosupplementation may be an option. In this procedure, a gel-like fluid called hyaluronic acid is injected into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the synovial fluid surrounding joints. It acts as a lubricant to enable bones to move smoothly over each other and as a shock absorber for joint loads. Individuals with osteoarthritis often have a lower-than-normal concentration of hyaluronic acid in their joints. The theory is that adding hyaluronic acid to the arthritic joint will facilitate movement and reduce pain.

Platelet-Rich Plasma

In recent years, doctors have learned that the body possesses remarkable self-healing capabilities. Platelet-Rich plasma (PRP) therapy stands as a form of regenerative medicine capable of harnessing these abilities and amplifying the natural growth factors your body employs to heal tissue.

PRP therapy involves injections of a concentration of a patient’s own platelets to expedite the healing of injured tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints. In this manner, PRP injections utilize each individual patient’s healing system to address musculoskeletal problems.

PRP injections are prepared by extracting anywhere from one to a few tubes of the patient’s blood and subjecting it to a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets. These activated platelets are then directly injected into the injured or diseased body tissue. This process releases growth factors that stimulate and increase the number of reparative cells produced by the body. Ultrasound imaging is sometimes utilized to guide the injection.

Platelet-Rich plasma has been found to significantly enhance the healing process and has been shown to improve function and alleviate pain. Some key advantages of PRP injections include their potential to reduce the need for anti-inflammatories or stronger medications like opioids. Additionally, the side effects of PRP injections are minimal because, being derived from the patient’s own blood, they are unlikely to be rejected or cause adverse reactions in the body.

Physical and Occupational Therapy

Our orthopaedic team, comprising skilled physical and occupational therapists, provides comprehensive support for patients both before and after surgery. These therapists assist surgery patients in getting up and walking on the day of the procedure and establish a structured therapy regimen for ongoing rehabilitation. Patients receive therapy sessions the day following surgery, both in the morning and afternoon. To schedule a therapy appointment, please call 218-546-7462. Learn more about our rehabilitation programs.