What might cause chronic knee pain?
Chronic knee pain could be due to arthritis, which is a leading cause of joint pain. The most common form is osteoarthritis resulting from wear to the cartilage protecting the bones in your knees.
Rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease triggered by an immune system malfunction, is another possibility. There are around 100 other types of arthritis, too, many of which could affect your knees.
Bursitis is also responsible for many knee pain issues, where the bursae (cushioning sacs of fluid in your joints) become irritated and get inflamed.
What might cause acute knee pain?
Acute damage to the knee is a common issue, as it's a large joint taking a great deal of strain. Sports injuries, in particular, are frequently responsible, resulting in problems such as:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprains
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains
- Meniscus tears
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears
- Patellar tendinitis
- Iliotibial band syndrome
Dislocating or fracturing the knee can also cause extensive tissue damage and pain.
With expert treatment, these injuries should heal well. However, if the tissues don't mend properly or there's any misalignment in the joint, they can become a chronic pain problem.
How is knee pain treated?
If you have an acute injury, then initially, you might need some form of immobilization to enable your knee to heal.
Physical therapy helps rebuild strength in the joint and surrounding tissues and prevents atrophy of the connective tissues. Medication or hot and cold compresses might also be helpful.
These treatments, plus wearing a brace or using orthotics to support your knee and ensure it's correctly aligned, are helpful for chronic pain conditions as well.
If your pain continues despite these measures, Pacific Sports and Spine offers advanced treatment options such as:
Genicular nerve ablation (radiofrequency neurotomy)
This procedure uses radio wave energy to heat the genicular nerves in your knee that transmit pain signals to your brain. Disrupting the nerve pathways could provide long-term relief from knee pain.
HYALGAN® injection
HYALGAN contains hyaluronic acid, a substance that occurs naturally in your tissues and joints. It has lubricating properties that can ease arthritis pain.
Iovera®
Iovera is a therapy that uses cold to stop the nerves in your knee from sending pain signals to your brain.
Regenerative medicine
Pacific Sports and Spine uses regenerative medicine techniques like platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and stem-cell therapy to boost natural tissue healing.
To ensure these treatments are safe and target the precise root of your knee pain, your provider uses imaging technology to guide needle placement.
The highly skilled team at Pacific Sports and Spine specializes in treating sports injuries and causes of chronic knee pain. To benefit from their expertise, call the office or book online today.
