Your knees are the largest joints in your body, which makes good sense given all that they’re responsible for. From the moment you get out of bed in the morning until you lie back down at night, your knees are hard at work providing support, mobility, and range of motion. So, when knee pain strikes, it can limit your life in some very meaningful ways.
At Genesis Regenerative Sports and Aesthetic Medicine, our team of musculoskeletal experts understands the many conditions that can affect your knees, limiting your ability to move without pain. Thankfully, we offer a wide range of solutions that help put a spring back in your step.
Here’s a look at the most common causes of knee pain and the effective treatments that help you regain pain-free movement.
Powering your knee
To better understand the many conditions that can affect your knee, it’s helpful to take a quick look at the many moving parts within this joint, which include your:
- Tibia (shinbone)
- Femur (thighbone)
- Patella (kneecap)
- Cartilage
- Ligaments
- Tendons
- Menisci
- Muscles
As you can see, there are many components that can succumb to injury or degenerative processes, which can affect the entire function of the joint.
Behind the pain
One of the leading causes of knee pain is osteoarthritis, which is a very common problem that often comes on with age. Over the years, the cartilage in your knee begins to break down, which allows your bones to rub together, creating pain and inflammation.
As well, wear-and-tear issues such as tendinitis can crop up in your knees, especially if you’re active. With this condition, tiny tears develop in your tendons, which leads to pain and inflammation.
Outside of degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis and tendinitis, knees are often on the frontline of injuries, which include:
- Strains and sprains
- Ligament tears
- Dislocation
- Fractures
- Torn meniscus
This list is by no means comprehensive, but it gives you an idea of the scope of problems that can affect this complex joint.
Regaining pain-free movement
As sports medicine specialists, our goal is to quickly diagnose and treat your knee pain so that you can get back to moving freely. If you’re experiencing knee pain, our first order of business is to get to the bottom of the pain through an extensive review of your symptoms, as well as a physical examination and advanced imaging tests.
When we have a better idea of what might be causing the problem, we design an appropriate treatment plan, which may include:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
The platelets in your blood contain growth factors that can accelerate healing. With our PRP injections, we draw a sample of your blood, separate out the platelets, and redirect them into your knees, where they create the ultimate healing environment.
Fat injection
With our Lipogems® system, we turn to the stem cells in your adipose (fat) tissue, which contains 100-500 times more reparative components. Once processed, we re-inject these regenerative cells into your knees.
Bone marrow aspirate injection
Another source for mesenchymal stem cells is your bone marrow. In most cases, we aspirate these cells from your hip using a needle and then re-inject them into your knees..
TenJetⓇ
If the tendons in your knees are giving you trouble, we offer TenJet, a minimally invasive treatment in which we clear out damaged tissue, allowing healthier new tissue to take its place.
Viscosupplementation
If your knee pain is caused by knee osteoarthritis, we offer ORTHOVISC® viscosupplementation injections. ORTHOVISC injections contain ultra-pure, high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid, which works to restore the lubrication inside your knees to allow for easier, pain-free movement for up to six months.
Physical therapy
In addition to our effective injection therapies, we also rely on physical therapy to help you regain strength, mobility, and range of motion in your knees.
If you’re hobbled by knee pain, contact our office in Westfield, New Jersey, to set up an appointment.
