According to the World Health Organization (WHO), knee pain affects approximately 365 million people worldwide. The knee joint is the most commonly affected, followed by the hip and hand joints.
Knee pain can occur suddenly due to an injury or develop gradually due to arthritis. Regardless of the cause, it is important to manage knee pain to prevent it from interfering with daily activities.
Dr. Javier Placer and Dr. Ruben Rivera at the Florida Spine and Pain institute are Board Certified Interventional Pain Management physiatrists who are qualified to administer injections for pain relief. If you are dealing with a sore knee/s and would like to learn more about how you can minimize knee pain and inflammation, continue reading.
What Causes Knee Inflammation?
Knee pain and inflammation can result from injuries or degenerative conditions, including arthritis in older adults. There are varying forms of arthritis, each of which damages part of the protective tissues in your knee joint, often leading to inflammation and pain. Osteoarthritis is a widespread form of the disease, causing the breakdown of cartilage in your knee.
But arthritis is only one tiny piece of the puzzle: your knee. Other conditions lead to knee inflammation and pain, including:
- ACL tears
- Bursitis
- Dislocated kneecap
- Gout
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Loose bodies
- Patella fractures
- Tendinitis
- Torn meniscus
Injections for Pain Relief
At the Florida Spine & Pain Institute, we offer several injections for knee pain and inflammation that can fix the problem and offer you relief. If you’re living with arthritis or inflammation from a minor injury, these injections may help:
Viscosupplementation injections
Viscosupplementation injections are typically administered to relieve the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis, but they can also be effective for other joints. These joint injections manage pain when other conservative methods have failed. They can be performed in the office with an ultrasound to help alleviate chronic knee pain.
Viscosupplementation joint injections can be used to avoid surgery in knees with reduced natural joint lubrication and pain. It injects special gel-like natural protein materials into the knee joint. The gel material cushions inside the knee to reduce friction and loosen up stiff and inflamed areas.
Hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid concentration is lower in knee joints affected by osteoarthritis, leading to reduced lubrication and increased friction during movement. Hyaluronic acid joint injections manage pain when other conservative methods have failed. They can be performed in the office with an ultrasound to help alleviate chronic knee pain. The pain relief from hyaluronic acid injections may last for several months at a time. We can provide follow-up injections every six months for osteoarthritis in your knees.
Corticosteroid Joint Injections
Corticosteroid joint injections are the most common type of joint injections. They use potent steroids to reduce inflammation and discomfort in painful joints. These joint injections are best for small and specified areas of inflammation and pain. Corticosteroids help treat a variety of inflammatory pain conditions and injuries.
Patients receiving corticosteroid injections can receive several months to years of relief from their worst areas of pain, depending on their condition. Corticosteroid injections can be given in your doctor’s office and almost immediately improve pain management.
PRP
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy stimulates new tissue growth in damaged knee joints. Our team uses PRP to address various problems, including injuries, arthritis, and overuse. The therapy involves injecting a concentrated dose of platelets and plasma into the affected area, which promotes natural healing.
Since PRP comes from the patient’s blood, it is considered a natural injection. The procedure begins with our team drawing the patient’s blood. The blood is centrifuged to separate plasma and platelets. Platelet-rich plasma is then injected to promote healing in the affected area.
PRP’s success is attributed to its platelets, specialized blood cells that help clot the blood and rebuild tissues after an injury. When PRP is injected into a damaged knee joint, the platelets begin their work, using growth proteins to stimulate the growth of new tissues.
Although it may take a few months to notice results, PRP treatment can significantly relieve knee discomfort. The results you should see depend on several factors, including the cause of knee pain and how well you respond to the treatment. We are with you every step of the way, checking your progress and scheduling repeat visits if necessary.
PRP takes several weeks to months to relieve knee pain and discomfort significantly. During this time, platelets work to repair damage within the joint. After a PRP injection, you may notice a better range of motion and mobility in the affected knee within several weeks. However, it can take several months to see the full effects of the injection. PRP doesn’t simply mask the problem; instead, it works to fix damaged cartilage in the joint, providing long-term pain relief.
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If you’re tired of living with knee pain and need treatment, contact the Florida Spine and Pain Institute today and take the first step towards a life free from knee pain.
