Skip The Surgery: Top 4 Knee Pain Therapies

1. Joint Fluid Therapy 

In a procedure called joint fluid therapy or viscosupplementation, a substance called sodium hyaluronate is injected into the joint. Hyaluronate mimics a naturally occurring substance in your joints by providing lubrication to help bones move smoothly. The body’s own hyaluronate acts like a lubricant and shock absorber in synovial fluid of a healthy joint. [A solution made of highly purified sodium hyaluronate, Supartz, is used at AIM.]

Injections are made directly into the knee joint to reduce pain and discomfort, helping protect and lubricate the joint. A physician administers an injection of Supartz solution into the knee once a week over a series of weeks.

Learn more about Joint Fluid Therapy

2. Stem Cell Treatments 
Located throughout our bodies, stem cells are extremely useful because they can duplicate, change and become other types of cells. They are basically “all purpose cells,” ready to accommodate the needs of our bodies. As we age and suffer from chronic injuries, the body is not able to send the necessary amount of stem cells to an area in need of repair—such as a joint, or connective tissue—as it once could have.

These cells, also called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), can be harvested from highly concentrated areas within your body, including: adipose (fat) tissue, peripheral blood stem cells or cells. The cells are then concentrated and injected into the damaged joint or tissues, allowing the body to heal naturally.

Learn more about Stem Cell Treatments

3. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) 
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) operates under the theory that injecting growth factors from the blood into an injured area will cause new tissues to form, reducing inflammation and promoting tissue formation. The treatment, made famous by high profile athletes in the past decade, is often used for osteoarthritis of the knee, meniscus tears, plantar fasciitis and more.

Your blood consists of solid cells, including red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets, which are suspended in a liquid called plasma. The platelets contain hundreds of growth factors, which are proteins that play a vital role in the body’s natural healing process. A small amount of blood is drawn from a patient and spun in a centrifuge, which separates the different components. The red blood cells and much of the plasma is drained away, leaving a high concentration of platelets and growth factors. This PRP, derived from the patient, is then injected into the damaged area of the body to stimulate healing.

Learn about Super Concentrated PRP (SC-PRP)

4. Growth Factors and Amplifiers: Prolotherapy and Prolozone

Regenerative medicine holds powerful promise for reducing pain and stimulating healing. That potential can be amplified when paired with treatments designed to reduce pain and regenerate tissue for improved function.
Prolotherapy — This nonsurgical medical treatment is designed to reduce joint pain by stimulating the body’s natural healing process. The treatment consists of an injection of a natural solution into damaged tissue to cause mild inflammation, which in turn triggers the body’s natural healing response. Learn more 

Prolozone — This injection includes collagen-producing substances and ozone gas, which can reconstruct damaged or weakened tissue in and around joints. These substances are injected into the damaged connective tissue to rebuild the knee joint area and alleviate chronic pain. Learn more