Knee replacement surgery can be a complex and daunting process. But an emerging suite of conservative knee pain treatments offer significant relief, possibly delaying or even forgoing surgical intervention altogether.
One such approach is Gingular Nerve Blocking. A doctor uses radio waves to generate heat that deactivates nerves that transmit pain signals to the knee.
Arthroscopy
Knee arthroscopy offers an alternative therapy to knee replacement for patients looking for less invasive solutions, including torn cartilage, loose ligaments or Baker cyst. Under local or general anesthesia and typically taking one or two hours, an orthopaedic surgeon inserts an arthroscope through a small incision in the knee joint before inserting tools that grasp, probe or cut tissue as necessary – with stitches or strips of sterile adhesive tape closing any incisions left open after.
GAE (glucocorticoid adenosine etanercept) is another innovative technique available for decreasing knee inflammation pain. Under twilight sedation, an interventional radiologist will insert a catheter into an artery that provides blood to your knee, inject a dye dyeing abnormal blood vessels with dye, then block those blood vessels using oil and dye agents injected temporarily to decrease inflammation and pain.
Stem Cell Therapy
Human bodies produce stem cells through bone marrow production. Based on certain signals and conditions, these stem cells are then distributed as needed throughout the body and used to heal damaged tissue or promote cartilage regeneration in places like knees.
Autologous stem cell therapy for knees relies on adult mesenchymal stem cells from your own body to facilitate healing and promote regeneration at the cellular level. These cells have an established track record of aiding recovery.
These natural cells can repair the knee by regenerating cartilage and reducing inflammation, and provide long-term pain relief compared to temporary solutions like NSAIDs and cortisone injections.
Stem cell therapy offers many advantages over surgery: minimally invasive, outpatient procedure with comparable results more quickly. Plus, its lower costs even without considering insurance coverage can make stem cell therapy a smart option! For more information about stem cell therapy for knees contact Dr. Provencher in Denver to discover stem cell therapy as a potential treatment.
PRP Injections
PRP (Platlet-Rich Plasma) injections are a concentrated mixture of blood plasma that contains high levels of platelets – these play an integral part in blood clotting and tissue regeneration processes, helping reduce pain caused by arthritis in knees while speeding recovery for damaged tendons, ligaments and muscles. PRP injections use your own body’s healing processes to decrease knee arthritic discomfort.
This procedure involves taking a small blood sample and spinning it in a centrifuge machine to separate out its plasma and platelets. A doctor then injects this concentrated platelet-rich plasma directly into your knee using ultrasound guidance.
PRP injections help repair cartilage damage and slow the progression of osteoarthritis (OA). This may enable patients to avoid surgery while continuing to enjoy their favorite activities.
PRP injections, unlike synthetic treatments, are made from your own body and won’t cause allergic reactions or infections. PRP is a great alternative therapy option for relieving knee pain that can be combined with physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and even steroid injections for maximum efficiency.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an holistic modality that can relieve pain and improve overall wellness. An acupuncturist typically conducts a comprehensive interview and physical exam before beginning treatment, which may include reviewing conventional medical history information as well as tongue analysis, pulse detection and evaluation of posture. Acupuncture’s core belief is that your inner state of emotions and mind affect how your outer body manifests itself physically.
Acupuncture has long been utilized to alleviate knee osteoarthritis pain, but its application also extends to treating numerous other ailments. For instance, it can provide relief for digestive conditions like gastritis and hyperacidity as well as spastic colon, constipation and diarrhea as well as respiratory ailments like sinusitis, bronchitis and asthma.
Acupuncture is also an economical treatment option for knee osteoarthritis. Covered by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance plan, acupuncture provides more affordable care than alternatives like glucosamine or sodium hyaluronate injection. Plus, with minimal side effects it makes acupuncture an attractive treatment choice that may even delay total knee replacement surgery.
Massage
Massage practitioners claim that massage relaxes muscles, joints and tendons. Furthermore, it may reduce pain while increasing flexibility and range of motion – though research in this regard remains limited.
Studies suggest massage can help ease chronic knee pain, but before trying it on your own it’s essential to speak to your physician first and get his/her approval before seeking out a licensed massage therapist who specializes in this field.
Abhyanga (oil massage in Ayurveda) and myofascial release can also provide significant relief for knee pain. Their purpose is to nourish the body while also loosening stiffness from fascia (connective tissue that envelopes each muscle) systems – lasting usually 60 minutes or more for these treatments.
Exercise may help people suffering from knee pain. A physical therapist can design an exercise program designed to strengthen key muscles. Hyaluronic acid knee injections have also been proposed as a possible remedy, although larger studies have implicated such pain relievers as potentially leading to heart attacks and stomach irritation.
Yoga
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that fosters spiritual development and mind-body integration. Additionally, it can reduce pain and improve overall well-being – particularly helping people suffering from knee pain by strengthening surrounding muscles, preventing inflammation and encouraging healing. Yoga also reduces stress – often one of the main sources of chronic illness and pain.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends yoga for individuals who have recently undergone knee replacement surgery; however, modifications should be introduced gradually under the guidance of a qualified instructor and torque-inducing poses should be avoided as these can damage cement in joint.
One of the best yoga exercises for knee pain is Legs-up-the-Wall pose, which stretches the lower body and knees while relieving swelling and regulating blood flow to the area. A bolster or blanket should be used to support legs in this pose to avoid placing excessive strain on knees.
Radiofrequency Ablation
Doctors use fluoroscopic guidance to place an electrode near a painful nerve and use radiofrequency currents to heat it and block its ability to send pain signals back to your brain.
Facet RFA is an innovative new solution to knee osteoarthritis, which can be extremely painful and debilitating when protective cartilage wears away, leaving bones to rub against one another with each step, leading to severe discomfort and stiffness. Up until recently, nonsurgical treatments such as pain medication, physical therapy and steroid injections did not offer relief for patients suffering from this condition.
UChicago Medicine team led by interventional radiologist Osman Ahmed began researching Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) for knee pain treatment in 2022, becoming one of the first hospitals to offer it. For a GAE procedure, physicians inject local anesthetic around an offending nerve; when patients feel tingling sensations or muscle twitches this confirms needle placement for treatment with radiofrequency current pulsed pulsed radiofrequency energy uses intermittent bursts rather than continuous heating for optimal treatment results reducing damage and scarring associated with other methods of ablation treatments.
Microfracture
Microfracture is a minimally invasive surgical treatment for knee articular cartilage defects known as microfractures. This minimally invasive process stimulates the formation of new replacement tissue called fibrocartilage. Microfracture provides relief to up to 75-80% of patients suffering from small, contained cartilage defects; however, research indicates that often within several years, the repair tissue deteriorates again, leading to increased pain and decreased knee function.
Microfracture surgery entails surgeons drilling holes into the subchondral bone beneath damaged cartilage in order to promote new tissue growth and healing. It may be combined with treatments like PRP or BMAC injections in order to further accelerate healing and promote regrowth.
Treatment may also be applied to shoulders and hips, with less definitive results due to insufficient long-term research. Furthermore, any new fibrocartilage that forms is typically softer and more prone to wear than healthy joint cartilage hyaline cartilage.
