Knee Pain Treatment

Knee pain can affect your ability to walk up the stairs, live an active lifestyle, or simply enjoy a walk around the neighborhood. Discover how our knee specialists can help treat your conditions, relieve your pain and improve your quality of life.

Signs and Symptoms of Knee Conditions

Knee pain can start for several different reasons. It could be from an injury, like a ligament tear or torn cartilage. Knee pain can be due to everyday wear and tear contributing to arthritis. Or maybe you overdid it during your weekend hike.

But if your discomfort is preventing you from continuing your normal daily activities, it might be time to speak with a doctor about your knee pain.

Schedule an appointment if your pain is caused by a forceful impact injury or if you are experiencing the following:

• Inability to perform daily activities without pain or dysfunction
• Injury with significant pain or swelling that does not improve within 48 hours
• Persistent tenderness or warmth around the knee joint
• Increasing swelling or redness around the knee joint or calf area
• Inability to walk without pain

Seek immediate treatment at an urgent care or emergency room if you:

• Can’t put weight on your knee or you feel your knee is going to give out
• Are unable to flex or fully extend your knee
• Heard a popping noise when your injury occurred
• See a deformity around the joint
• Have intense pain or sudden swelling in the knee, behind the knee, or within the kneecap

Types of Knee Conditions

Due to its complex structure and the constant stress this joint endures, knee pain can be caused by a wide range of injuries and conditions. It can make a huge difference to seek knee pain treatment early, because a trained specialist can identify the source of the discomfort and make the best recommendations for effective care.

At Virtua, our experienced team of knee specialists can evaluate, diagnose, and treat a variety of knee conditions, including:

• Arthritis
• Sprains and strains
• Dislocations
• Fractures
• Ligament injuries including:
  • ACL (anterior cruciate ligament, located in the center of the knee) injuries
  • PCL (posterior cruciate ligament that controls backward movement)
  • MCL (medial collateral ligament that gives stability to the inner knee)
  • LCL (lateral collateral ligament that stabilizes the outer knee)
• Meniscus injuries, including tears
• Tendinitis

Our specialists craft evidence-based treatment plans that are specific to your unique needs—that way, you can be sure you're on the right track for your recovery.

Our Approach to Knee Pain Treatment

From the time you call or schedule an appointment online, our dedicated team at Virtua Reconstructive Orthopedics will determine the starting point of your treatment with a rigorous triage process. This will determine whether your condition is suitable for conservative treatment methods (which may include physical therapy, oral medications, injectable medications and biologics, and other methods), whether minimally invasive or arthroscopic joint preservation surgery is an option, or if a joint replacement is necessary.

In all cases, our specialists make sure to consider the least invasive options first to ensure the safe and effective recovery of your knee.

Diagnosis and Evaluation

During your initial consultation, we'll inspect your knee for pain, swelling, tenderness, and visible bruising. We'll measure your range of motion and gauge the integrity of your knee. From there, we might recommend additional testing to confirm a diagnosis, including:

• X-ray: We typically use X-rays to assess knee arthritis or to confirm fractures and breaks. They are often used as a first step to evaluate several other knee conditions as well.
• CT scan: This test allows us to capture clear images of bones, muscles, and fat in your knee. CT scans are helpful in detecting severe knee injuries, like bone fractures, dislocations, and other serious conditions.
• MRI: Here, we use large magnets and radio frequencies to capture images of your tendons, ligaments, vessels, and nerves in your knee. MRIs can help us detect injuries and abnormalities in these soft tissues.
• Ultrasound: We might order an ultrasound to see how your blood is flowing through your knee. They are also used for evaluating and diagnosing soft tissue injuries.

Types of Knee Pain Treatments

At Virtua, our team of knee specialists includes joint replacement surgeons, sports medicine specialists and surgeons, pain management physicians, physical therapists, and many others—all coordinating to give you the best treatment possible. Our specialists will develop a personalized knee pain treatment plan based on your goals, lifestyle, and individual needs.

Conservative Knee Pain Treatments

Depending on your condition and its severity, your treatment may begin with conservative management including:

• Active Recovery: As part of your treatment, our team may recommend a combination of active recovery methods and suggestions for modifying your regular activities.
• Oral Medications: Anti-inflammatory medications could ease swelling and help with arthritis-related knee symptoms and several other knee conditions. We can also help manage and modify prescriptions as needed.
• Physical therapy: Our team of therapists will develop exercises and strength-building activities designed to improve motion and relieve pain.
• Injection therapy: Injections can help reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and in some cases, improve joint function including Corticosteroids, Visco supplementation (improves joint lubrication/cushioning; Platelet-rich plasma (PRP - promotes tissue healing and potentially slows degeneration); and other biologic or regenerative options.

Surgical Knee Pain Treatment Options

Depending on the nature of your condition, and after considering appropriate conservative treatment methods, your knee specialist might recommend further treatment. If you’ve been dealing with ongoing knee pain that hasn’t improved with non-surgical treatments, or if your injury may benefit most from a surgical approach based on current medical evidence, knee surgery may be the best option for you.