Knee Pain Treatment in Freehold, NJ
If you suffer from knee pain, aching, or stiffness, you’re not alone; nearly 50 million Americans experience the same.
Your knee is essential to the function of your leg. It consists of four bones (femur, tibia, patella, and fibula) and three main joints: the patellofemoral, which is the contact of the kneecap to the end of the femur; the tibiofemoral joint between the end of the femur and the top of the tibia; and the joint connecting the tibia to the top of the fibula.
Knee Pain Causes
Causes of knee pain depend on your age and activities.
- Overuse – Running and endurance sports often increase likelihood of injury
- Trauma – Direct impact or excessive force causes damage to ligaments, cartilage and bone
- Degeneration – As we age, the structures of the knee often get weaker, thinner and tend to wear out over time
Knee Diseases
Most common diseases of the knee include:
- Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear (ACL) – The ACL is an internal ligament in your knee that attaches the tibia to the femur, and when this is torn the knee becomes unstable or loose.
- Meniscus Tear – The meniscus is a structure in your knee made of cartilage that wraps around and supports the knee joint. When the meniscus is torn, there’s often pain and sensation of locking, catching or giving way.
- Arthritis of the Knee – A degenerative disease that features thinning and degeneration of the cartilage and meniscus, as well as overgrowth and hardening of your bones. When it becomes advanced, the bone surfaces actually rub directly on one another and the cartilage is completely worn away.
- Tendinitis and Bursitis – Caused by inflammation of structures about the knee, examples include pes anserine bursitis, which causes pain on the inside of your knee, and patellar tendinitis or prepatellar bursitis, which causes pain and sometimes swelling of the front of your knee.
- Fractures – Fractures of the knee are not very common, but are often debilitating. The kneecap is commonly fractured from a direct impact, and the surface of the tibia is prone to injury from forces usually in the lateral direction.
Knee Pain & Injury Evaluation Process
When evaluating your knee, an orthopedic doctor at AOSMI, will detail your history and perform a physical examination. To diagnose an ACL tear, we may use the Lachman’s or anterior drawer test. To diagnose a meniscal tear, the McMurray’s test is usually most effective.
X-rays of the knee are important to evaluate your anatomy and look for evidence of fractures or arthritis. Sometimes standing X-rays or stress X-rays can yield better information than standard X-rays. MRI of the knee is often essential to diagnose injuries to the cartilage, meniscus or ligaments. CT-scans can be used to evaluate the fine anatomy of your bones.
Non-Surgical Knee Pain Treatments
Most knee problems respond well to the following conservative treatments:
- Medications – Anti-inflammatories, or supplements such as Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate, can be extremely effective
- Physical Therapy – Used for rehabilitation of knee problems and to aid recover from knee surgery to restore function, motion and
balance, and return athletes to activity. - Bracing – Often helps with pain management and stability of the knee.
- Massage and Acupuncture – Physical treatments effective for knee pain, especially if unresponsive to other treatments
- Injections that are placed about the knee, some of which are for arthritis, tendinitis and bursitis.
- Steroid injections can be used to treat pain and inflammation
- Viscosupplementation (hyaluronic acid) injections nourish and coat the cartilage in the knee help with arthritis
- Orthobiologics – substances that orthopedic surgeons use to help injuries heal more quickly. They aid in treating fractured bones, injured muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
Knee Surgeries Offered at AOSMI
Orthopedic knee surgery can treat diseases and conditions that do not respond to more conservative treatments. Some surgeries that can help return you to normal activity levels include:
- Arthroscopic surgery of the knee – A highly advanced surgical technique that allows us to access the inside of your knee using tiny incisions. Ligaments and cartilage are reconstructed or regenerated utilizing this technique.
- Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, meniscal repair or partial meniscectomy, which is a removal of a portion of the cartilage.
- Cartilage repair, regrowth, and regeneration – Through the Cartilage Center of NJ, our surgeons have many innovative techniques that can allow restoration of knee function. Cartilage can be regenerated within the knee arthroscopically using “microfracture surgery” and cartilage transplantation in addition to other methods.
- Open reduction and internal fixation – This type of knee surgery utilizes plates and screws across a fracture. Depending on the fracture type, an intramedullary fixation can be used. This surgery involves setting a rod through the intramedullary canal of your femur or the tibia to stabilize a fracture.
- Joint replacement surgery – Joint replacements including total knee replacement, partial minimally invasive knee replacement surgery including unicompartmental knee replacement or patellofemoral joint replacement.
Contact the Orthopedic Knee Specialists at AOSMI
If you’ve recently had a knee injury or have unexplained discomfort, you should consider the top knee surgeons in New Jersey. With a thorough evaluation and the appropriate treatment, we can help you return to a pain-free life. Call AOSMI at 732.720.2555 today
AOSMI Knee Pain FAQs
When should I see a doctor for knee pain?
You should see a doctor for knee pain if you experience any of the following symptoms:
- Severe pain or swelling
- Difficulty bearing weight on the affected leg
- Limited range of motion or stiffness
- Redness or warmth around the knee joint
- A popping or clicking sound at the time of injury
- A feeling of instability or buckling in the knee joint
How do I know if my knee pain is serious?
You should seek medical attention if you experience any of the following:
- Severe pain or swelling
- Difficulty bearing weight on the affected leg
- Limited range of motion or stiffness
- Redness or warmth around the knee joint
- A popping or clicking sound at the time of injury
- A feeling of instability or buckling in the knee joint
- Fever or other signs of infection
What can cause knee pain without having an injury?
Knee pain without having an injury can be caused by various conditions, including:
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Osgood-Schlatter disease (a condition that affects adolescents)
- Iliotibial band syndrome
- Patellofemoral pain syndrome
What is the most common reason for knee pain?
The most common reason for knee pain is osteoarthritis, which is a degenerative joint disease that can occur with aging. Other common causes of knee pain include injuries to the ligaments, tendons, or cartilage in the knee joint.
What is the best treatment for knee pain without surgery?
There are various non-surgical treatment options for knee pain, including:
- Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the knee joint and improve range of motion
- Pain relievers and anti-inflammatory medications to relieve pain and inflammation
- Corticosteroid injections to reduce inflammation and pain
- Use of assistive devices, such as knee braces or crutches, to relieve pressure on the knee joint
- Weight loss, if necessary, to reduce stress on the joint
- Modification of activities to reduce stress on the joint
