Can My Knee Pain Be Treated Without Surgery?

Chronic pain from a knee injury can limit your mobility and keep you from enjoying the things you once loved doing. However, you may feel you’re too young for a knee replacement. Can knee pain be treated without resorting to surgical intervention?  

At The Spine and Sports Center in Sugarland and Houston, Texas, Dr. Benoy Benny provides a wide range of treatments for knee pain, from completely conservative to minimally invasive to surgical. He can examine your joint and determine if your knee pain can be treated without surgery. 

Non-invasive treatments for knee pain

Non-invasive treatments are applied externally, to help relieve pain and inflammation and restore mobility and flexibility. The most common conservative treatments include:

R.I.C.E.

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation are the four basics applied to simple knee injuries. Sometimes your knee just needs time and space to heal, and giving yourself a break for a week or so to camp out on the couch with a bag of frozen peas is the road to recovery.

Physical therapy or massage therapy

In cases of a severe strain or sprain, you might need a little extra help from a professional. Physical therapy rehabilitates your knee and makes it stronger. Massage therapy focuses on relieving trigger points that cause spasms of pain. 

Minimally-invasive treatments for knee pain

Minimally invasive therapies often involve injections of some sort, introducing liquids or gels with healing properties into or around the joint to reduce inflammation, provide lubrication, ease pain, and boost healing.

Corticosteroid injections

Corticosteroids can reduce inflammation quickly, alleviating pain from swelling that causes pressure on a nerve or surrounding tissues

Hyaluronic acid injections

Your body makes hyaluronic acid (HA) naturally, but sometimes production needs a little boost. HA injections give your joint the lubrication it needs to move more freely.

PRP and stem cell injections

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are created using your own blood centrifuged to concentrate platelets in the plasma while getting rid of white and red blood cells. 

The concentrated PRP is injected into your joint to attract growth factors to the area and speed healing. Stem cells perform a similar task, boosting the regenerative power of your system and relieving pain in the process.

Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) 

RFA of the nerves that supply the knee joint is another way to treat the pain from the knee after failing other conservative measures listed above including for people that have had total knee replacement and still suffering from knee pain. 

If your knee is badly damaged, you may need surgery to repair torn ligaments or tendons, or to reposition a shifted kneecap. However, for many instances of knee pain, one or more of these more conservative treatments will set you on the road to recovery without the need for surgical intervention.

If you’re suffering from chronic knee pain, schedule a consultation with Dr. Benny today by calling our location closest to you, or visit our contact page for more information.