Treatment Options
Patients who have had a traumatic or repetitive microtraumatic injury have several treatment options. These obviously depend on the severity of the injury and the longevity of the symptoms.
Treatments are often classified as conservative or surgical. Conservative treatment options might include simple anti-inflammatories and physical therapy. With ongoing symptoms, steroidal medication either orally or by injection into the joint might be the next option. Sometimes, with prolonged knee symptoms, an injection of Synvisc-One is an option.
If all conservative options fail to control the problem, then a surgical option may be indicated. These are varied and should be discussed with your doctor or the doctors of the Joint Preservation Center.
Cartilage problems are the most common source of knee pain. As we begin the new millennium, there are several new treatment options. Were you a high school athlete? Did you play competitive sports through your early adult years? Have you had a knee injury such as a torn meniscus? Or, do you simply have long standing knee pain? Have you been told that you have “arthritis”? Have simple activities such as walking around the mall, a game of catch with your kid or getting in and out of car become painful chores? Have you been told you have no options? Finally, do you feel frustrated that your knee pain is changing the way you live?
Each year, more than 5 million Americans injure their knee and more than 2 million require a physician to evaluate cartilage damage. Whatever the cause, the result is the same: pain and swelling that makes it difficult or impossible for you to lead the active life style you enjoy.
Some of these injuries are treatable by simple conservative means but in many cases they require surgery to appropriately evaluate and treat either meniscal or articular cartilage damage. These injuries if left untreated can lead to chronic joint changes and may eventually lead to knee replacement. But, strategies are being developed to treat knee injuries earlier and aggressively. Fortunately, there are new treatment options, many of them available only in the last few years. This gives the patient the best chance of avoiding disabling knee problems in the future.