Although there is no cure for arthritis in your knees, you don’t have to become disabled by the condition, nor do you have to live in constant pain. The best pain clinic in NYC has solutions. The doctors at Manhattan Pain Management are experienced in treating your specific pain with a number of procedures designed to keep you active and pain-free. Let the best pain doctors in Midtown treat the pain and stiffness associated with arthritis in the knees.
Arthritis causes joint inflammation. It can occur in any joint in your body. While the swelling causes discomfort no matter where it strikes, knee arthritis can be particularly aggravating because it limits your mobility. Everyday activities such as climbing stairs and walking become unbearable if you don’t get your condition treated.
Arthritis in the knees is one of the leading causes of disability and lost work time, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. When you begin to feel knee pain, you have access to the best pain doctors in Manhattan at the pain and injury clinic. This top pain clinic offers the knee arthritis treatment you need to return to your active lifestyle.
Causes of Knee Arthritis
There are literally hundreds of forms of arthritis. That’s why you must seek treatment for arthritis in the knees from the best pain clinic. The most common types of arthritis are rheumatoid arthritis, post-traumatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis, described as:
- Rheumatoid arthritis. This form of the condition strikes multiple joints in your body, including your knees. It’s a hereditary, autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system doesn’t function properly and attacks healthy tissues like the ligaments and cartilage in your joints. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to be symmetrical, attacking both knees at once.
- Post-traumatic arthritis. This kind of arthritis happens after you’ve had a knee injury. It’s a common condition in athletes. After you break a bone and the joint becomes damaged, you can develop arthritis or painful inflammation years later. A ligament tear in your knee or meniscus tear may cause your knee to become unstable, eventually leading to arthritis.
- Osteoarthritis. This is the most common form of arthritis. It’s primarily age-related. A degenerative disease, it’s caused by years of wear and tear on your joints. People over the age of 50 are most susceptible, although it can occur earlier in life. It’s a slow-developing condition that develops when the cartilage becomes worn and frayed, allowing the bones to rub painfully against one another. It causes bone spurs and only worsens over time.
Symptoms that Require Knee Arthritis Treatment
Symptoms of pain in your knee can come on quite suddenly, but usually, arthritis is a slow-developing condition that worsens over time. In addition to a thorough medical history and examination, a top pain management doctor in Midtown checks out your knee for specific symptoms that include:
- Swelling in the joint
- Instability when you walk
- Range of motion issues
- Grating sounds when you bend your knee
- Tenderness
- Redness or warmth around the knee
- Additional pain when you put weight on it
- Pain in any other joints, indicating rheumatoid arthritis
You may experience other symptoms that cause you to call the top pain clinic in New York, such as:
- Worse pain after sitting for long periods of time or when you awaken in the morning
- Stiffness that makes it hard to bend your knee
- Severe pain after physical activities
- Weakness or buckling
- Evident pain when it rains
In addition to the exam, your doctor may order tests to help determine the specific cause of your knee pain and the extent of the damage. Imaging tests reveal conditions like bone spurs from osteoarthritis. Lab tests also help confirm the type of arthritis you have.
Treatment for Arthritis in the Knees
The arthritis still has no cure, but when you visit the pain management doctors in New York, you’ll find options to relieve your pain and keep you from becoming disabled. Your doctor may first suggest lifestyle changes that include:
- Reducing your involvement in activities that aggravate your knees, like climbing stairs or running
- Limiting the pounding exercises that you do and switch to programs that are easier on your knees, such as water aerobics, cycling, and using resistance equipment such as elliptical and rowing machines
- Losing weight to reduce the amount of pressure on your knees
- Using assistive devices such as a cane or walker, or wearing a brace or elastic knee sleeve around your arthritic knee
- Applying ice or heat on your knee when it swells or becomes painful
- Taking anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen
Additionally, your New York pain doctor has remedies that may provide more consistent and longer-lasting relief, including:
- Knee injections of steroidal medications
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Ketamine treatments
For relief from knee pain, contact Pain Management NYC before your pain stops you in your tracks.
Leon Reyfman, MD, is a top-rated, best-in-class interventional pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New York City and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets.
Dr. Leon Reyfman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New York” and one of “America’s Top Doctors™” for advanced sports injury treatments. Among other accolades, he was voted by peers as a “Castle Connolly Top Doctors™” and “New York Super Doctors™”. Dr. Leon Reyfman was a part of the medical team at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.