Knee Pain Treatment Information

What are regenerative medicine treatments for knee pain and why are they necessary? The incidence of knee pain in the American population has increased substantially in the last few decades. It is estimated that 100 million Americans are living with varying degrees of pain in their knees. One of the most common causes of knee pain is osteoarthritis. The dramatic increase in knee pain can be partly explained by a higher incidence of osteoarthritis due to an aging population and increasing obesity among Americans.

When all nonsurgical treatments fail, severe knee pain due to osteoarthritis is often treated with total knee replacement surgery, a procedure that was developed in the last half century. In the United States, the rate of knee replacements among people above the age of 65 has been increasing steadily. There was a dramatic eight-fold increase in knee replacement surgeries from the late 1970s to the early 2000s. A Mayo Clinic study estimated that by 2010 nearly 5 million Americans had undergone total knee replacement [1]. What are the complications associated with this surgery? How do regenerative medicine injections for knee pain provide a safer, less invasive option?

Causes of Knee Pain

Pain in the knees can result from sudden trauma, overuse injury, or a chronic underlying condition such as arthritis. A ligament tear or meniscus tear can lead to acute pain in the knee. Osteoarthritis due to advancing age can cause a chronic, dull ache in the knees. Other symptoms that may be present include stiffness, swelling, and redness.

In Americans above the age of 60, osteoarthritis (OA) of the knees is present in 1 in 10 people [2]. OA is one of the most common causes of pain in one or both knees. This is caused by longstanding wear and tear and is typically age-related. Some of the other causes of knee pain include bursitis, tendinitis, dislocation of the kneecap, and iliotibial (IT) band syndrome.

Conservative Treatment for Knee Pain

The treatment for knee pain depends on the cause. For mild to moderate osteoarthritis, there are a number of conservative measures that can help, including staying active with a knee-safe exercise program, RICE therapy (rest, ice, compression, and elevation), losing weight, wearing cushioned shoes, and using a walking aid (cane or crutch).

Medications and Surgical Treatment for Chronic Knee Pain

When conservative measures fail, knee pain treatment options include pain medications, steroid shots, hyaluronic acid injections, physical therapy, acupuncture, and surgery. When all else fails, total knee joint replacement may be recommended. However, this is a major surgery and is associated with numerous potential complications including bleeding, wound healing problems, thromboembolic disease (DVT), nerve deficits, vascular injury, ligament injury, knee instability, malalignment, stiffness, and deep joint infection. Reoperation and revision surgery are sometimes necessary and involve a second trip to the operating room. Is there a no drugs, no surgery treatment option for chronic knee pain?

Regenerative Medicine: Knee Pain Treatment Without Surgery

At Living Well Balanced Integrative Medical Centers, we bring you an innovative new treatment for relief of knee pain. This regenerative medicine treatment for chronic knee pain is the cutting edge of medical technology. It consists of injecting a source of growth factors, anti-inflammatory molecules, and proteins into the knee joint. These substances are called amniotic tissue allografts and they aid in healing age-related damage and kickstart the body’s own repair mechanisms. The tissues, obtained from carefully screened donor mothers at the time of childbirth, are processed in a state-of-the-art FDA-registered laboratory and stored and transported under optimum conditions before clinical use.

The growth factors and other substances in regenerative injections have significant healing potential. These treatments may allow some people to avoid joint replacement surgery. For individuals who have already undergone knee arthroplasty, amniotic tissue injections may accelerate recovery. The transplantation of these bioactive substances into damaged tissue prevents scar tissue formation and inflammatory response, driving the regenerative process towards a more organized restorative repair.

What Are the Advantages of Regenerative Therapy for Knee Pain?

Unlike pain pills and steroid shots which do not prevent cartilage damage, regenerative medicine injections treat the root cause of knee pain rather than simply masking the symptoms. Several studies [3, 4, 5] have shown that regenerative treatments promote new bone and cartilage formation. The solutions that are injected into the knee are packed with reparative substances that provide pain relief and improve function by repairing damage and restoring structural integrity. What’s more, these injections are not associated with any significant side effects or reactions.

Which Regenerative Product is Best for Knee Pain?

Cord and placental tissues must be processed, stored, and transported appropriately to ensure safety and effectiveness. We source our amniotic tissue allografts from Predictive Biotech, a leading provider of regenerative therapy products. Each unique complex has been developed to orchestrate the ideal environment that supports healing of specific conditions.

We do not follow a one-size-fits-all approach. Our experienced therapists will evaluate you and obtain an in-depth medical history. This will help identify the most appropriate regenerative complex that can lead to efficient tissue repair and relieve knee pain. Talk to us today to see if you are a candidate for regenerative medicine injections for knee pain.

If you have questions about Regenerative Medicine for your knee pain please call our office at 919-926-8890.