Knee Pain

Knee pain is among the most common joint problems. If you suffer from severe or long-lasting knee pain, visit board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist George Drakes, MD, and his team at Metro Spine PC. The practice has offices in Clinton, Takoma Park, and Oxon Hill, Maryland, offering specialized physical therapy and advanced interventions like steroid injections and radiofrequency ablation. Call your nearest Metro Spine PC office today or schedule a consultation online to find a solution to troublesome knee pain.

What’s causing my knee pain?

Knee pain can be acute, coming on suddenly when you suffer an injury like a fracture or dislocation. Or it can develop gradually because of repetitive strain or a degenerative disease. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis also cause joint inflammation and pain.

Common knee pain conditions include:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis affects many joints but is common in hardworking ones like knees and hips. It develops over the years as daily use wears away the slippery cartilage protecting the ends of the bones. The exposed bone ends rub together, roughening the surface and creating inflammation. The result is long-term pain, stiffness, and weakness that gradually gets worse.

Sprains and strains

Sprains affect ligaments, the connective tissues connecting bones to other bones. Strains affect tendons, which attach bones to muscles. In both cases, overstretching can lengthen or tear the tissue. It could rupture, breaking completely or coming away from the bone. Strains and sprains start as acute injuries but can become long-term problems without proper treatment.

Overuse injuries

Making the same movements repeatedly for long periods can irritate soft tissues and create tiny tears. The tissues become inflamed, causing conditions like tendinitis (tendon inflammation) and bursitis (inflammation of the fluid-filled sacs in your joints). Knee overuse injuries include patellar tendinitis (jumper’s knee) and patellofemoral pain syndrome (runner’s knee).

What treatments help with knee pain?

Unless you have an acute injury requiring surgery, like a severe fracture or ruptured ligament, conservative treatments can often help.

Metro Spine PC offers specialized physical therapy for knee pain, including joint mobilization and bracing. Anti-inflammatory medication also eases knee pain. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis benefit from medicines called disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

If these treatments fail to offer improvement, Metro Spine PC provides advanced, minimally invasive procedures to reduce persistent knee pain.

Which advanced treatments are available for knee pain?

Knee injections are often the first step in treating unresponsive pain. Steroids like cortisone have potent anti-inflammatory effects that reduce knee pain long-term. Local anesthetic injections provide immediate relief but don’t last as long. You might get the best results from an injection that combines a steroid with a local anesthetic.

If injections don’t help, radiofrequency ablation might. This procedure uses electrical impulses to stun or destroy the knee’s nerves.

Call Metro Spine PC today or book an appointment online for effective knee pain relief.