19 Oct Four Non Surgical Ways to Avoid a Knee Replacement
By Farhan Malik, MD
Atlanta Innovative Medicine
Knee arthritis affects tens of millions of Americans, typically causing chronic pain and inhibiting one’s ability to participate fully in recreational activities. Arthritis may be a result of previous trauma such as a sports injury or auto accident, or simply a natural course of degenerative arthritis wearing out one’s protective cartilage. Autoimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis or Lupus may lead to significant arthritis as well.
However, more recent studies have shown that close to 40% of patients are extremely unhappy with their knee replacement results a year after the surgery. Why? The main study showing this from Hospital for Special Surgery related it mostly to continued pain in the operated knee. The unfortunate thing is that a knee replacement is irreversible, so if a patient ends up with post-surgical chronic pain it often NEVER goes away!
isSince a knee replacement operation is irreversible and may result in an unhappy patient one third of the time, it would be best to avoid the need for it altogether. What are the best ways to achieve knee arthritis relief and avoid the need for replacement?
- Physical Therapy and Weight Loss
- Hyaluronic Acid
- PRP Therapy
- Stem Cell Therapy
Physical therapy combined with a weight loss program is an excellent first step for achieving pain relief. By strengthening muscles around the knee, it can relieve pressure on an arthritic knee and help patients with pain relief and increasing function. The same holds true for weight loss. By making lifestyle changes that lead to losing weight, significant pressure can be relieved during standing, walking and running.
When it comes to regenerative medicine, there are a few fantastic options available for patients. One of these is platelet rich plasma therapy, known as PRP. PRP is a quick, safe regenerative therapy that simply involves a blood draw from the patient. The blood is then concentrated so that platelets, growth factors and plasma are injected into the knee.
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A Closer Look at Regenerative Medicine: Comparing Your Options Learn about treatment options like Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Prolozone Therapy, and Stem Cell Therapy.
How well does PRP therapy in Atlanta work for knee pain relief? Studies have consistently shown excellent knee pain relief with PRP, while being an extremely safe procedure. A study out of the Hospital for Special Surgery showed a single PRP knee injection provided up to 12 months of continuous relief, with serial MRI’s over that time showing it prevented cartilage degradation.
While most traditional knee pain relief treatments have been proverbial “band aids, stem cell therapy represents a new paradigm. The tissue actually provokes a response in one’s body to create more normal tissue, which leads to increased function and reduced pain. Typically, the pain relief achieved is long term and frequently helps patients avoid the need for a knee replacement.
Atlanta Innovative Medicine works with each knee pain patient on customized programs designed to achieve the most amount of relief, without surgery or drugs. By offering all five of these nonsurgical options, AIM understands that each patient deserves a unique program to achieve the best outcome.
Call Atlanta Innovative Medicine to set up your free consultation to see how we can help you avoid a knee replacement today at 770.416.9995.
References:
1. Orthopedics Today, May 2016, Accessed 2/4/21, Link:
https://www.healio.com/news/orthopedics/20160516/high-incidence-of-pain-common-1-year-following-tka
2. A Randomized Controlled Single-Blind Study Demonstrating Superiority of AmnioticSuspension Allograft Injection Over Hyaluronic Acid and Saline Control for Modification of Knee Osteoarthritis Symptoms, Journal of Knee Surgery, 2019;32:1143–1154.
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All content of this page is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider. Individual results may vary. Your medical professional can explain all the risks and potential benefits of any therapy based on your specific circumstances. At this time regenerative therapies are not FDA approved. Neither Atlanta Innovative Medicine nor its physician affiliates promise regenerative therapies as a cure for any condition, disease, or injury.
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