Living with knee pain can be difficult as discomfort levels rise and your mobility suffers. Depending on the cause of your pain, rest, physical therapy, or medication may be the best form of treatment.
However, when pain becomes chronic due to knee conditions like osteoarthritis, you may need a little more help to stay on your feet.
At New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center, with locations in Hackettstown, New Jersey, Matamoras, Pennsylvania, and Warwick, New York, Dr. Ajay Kumar and his team deliver a broad range of pain management solutions including viscosupplementation for chronic knee pain.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, attacking joints and wearing away soft tissue, including the cartilage and the synovial lining that prevent bones from rubbing together. As the cartilage and lining wear down, bones begin to grind against one another, causing discomfort, stiffness, and inflammation.
Over time, osteoarthritis can severely limit your mobility. You’ll find stiffness and pain worsening after you’ve been sitting or lying down for a while, and also after you’ve been active. Eventually the chronic pain can affect your life so much that you start avoiding everyday tasks and socializing.
In the early stages of osteoarthritis, you’re typically able to manage your discomfort by changing your lifestyle, avoiding too much activity or inactivity, losing weight if needed, and taking over-the-counter medicines to reduce inflammation and decrease pain.
However, as your cartilage and synovial lining continue to deteriorate, you may need additional care. Dr. Kumar may recommend bracing, splinting, physical therapy, and steroid injections to help reduce pain and inflammation and keep you active.
When these methods fail, he can perform viscosupplementation to support the failing soft tissues in your knee.
Viscosupplementation replaces the hyaluronic acid (HA) that makes up part of your cartilage and synovial lining. As you age, the amount of HA in your joints lessens, leaving the cartilage and synovial lining vulnerable to wear and cracking.
Dr. Kumar performs viscosupplementation in the office, injecting a hyaluronic acid solution directly into the knee joint at the source of your pain to provide lubrication that aids in relieving pain.
Depending on the level of pain you’re experiencing and how your knee responds to the injection, you may receive a series of weekly injections. Relief usually lasts for several months.
If your knee pain is caused by osteoarthritis and you’re searching for new ways to manage your pain, reach out to Dr. Kumar at the location nearest you or book an appointment today using our convenient online system.
