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Knee Injections Doylestown, PA

Knee Injections Doylestown, PA

When osteoarthritis pain and inflammation become too much to bear, it may be time to consider knee injection in Doylestown, PA from Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania. There are other knee pain treatment alternatives to risky surgery and medication that can yield results that are just as good or even better. Knee injections can relieve pain and inflammation for months at a time. They can target the specific area in the joint, providing almost immediate relief. When fluid aspiration is necessary, the injection process can also relieve the pressure that sometimes results from osteoarthritis.

With that said, it is important to be as informed as you can be about the knee injection process, as it isn’t the best treatment option for everyone. After conducting a physical exam, a knee doctor can inform you if you are the right candidate to receive knee injections. Different treatments affect people in different ways. We can advise you if they are appropriate for your particular issue. 

We will give you an honest answer about the treatments that are suitable for you. Our team takes great care to ensure that our patients are informed about their options and that they are only given access to options that have a real chance at bettering their pain. Other doctors may give misleading statements or try to push a treatment for a patient that it is not appropriate for. Too often, patients are promised results that never materialize. Unfortunately, many victims fall victim to these claims and accept a treatment that they should not receive. Some patients end up with worse pain or other damage to their knee. 

You can trust that our team will never “sell” our services to you. We will not recommend any treatments that will not produce results or will harm you. Our staff will not try to pressure you to receive injections that will not be effective for you. Our goal is to educate you about your injury or condition, and advise you of possible treatments that will alleviate your symptoms and get rid of your pain. We will simply do our best to inform you of your options objectively and provide you with the support you need once you’ve made an informed decision about those options.

Steroid Knee Injections: What You Need To Know

Steroids are one of five types of knee injections used to treat knee pain. Depending on what’s causing your knee pain, your doctor may prescribe injections to relieve it. Before you make an appointment for knee injections in Doylestown, PA, there are a few things you should know. Keep reading for a quick guide to how steroid injections can reduce pain, discomfort and inflammation inside your knee. 

What Types of Steroids Are Used in Knee Injections?

When you hear the word “steroids,” you may think of anabolic steroids used in hormone replacement therapies or abused to enhance athletic performance. But the steroids used in knee injections are not the same kind. Knee injections contain corticosteroids, a class of steroid hormones produced by your body’s adrenal cortex. These substances affect our immune system’s functioning, which can be an important key to treating certain kinds of knee pain.

What Are Corticosteroids?

Your body naturally produces corticosteroids, but some are synthetically created and used as anti-inflammatory medications. Cortisone is the most common type used in knee injections, but others include prednisone and methylprednisolone. Inside your body, they suppress some immune system responses and can minimize inflammation.

How Do Corticosteroids Work?

Sometimes, immune system activity and inflammation can go hand in hand. Inflammation is a response intended to ensnare rogue bacteria or other agents that your body sees as threats. This process also includes healing affected tissues. Part of this involves collagen production, which can both promote healing and aggravate inflammation. Corticosteroids suppress this collagen production so swelling can go down. 

Why Are Steroids Injected Into My Knee?

When pain accompanies swelling inside your knee, collagen-producing cells on your tendons may be contributing to the inflammation. That’s why steroids are injected directly into the knee. This places the medication where it can start benefiting you right away. Once the steroid agent halts collagen production, the swelling can begin to subside. This typically starts happening within 24 to 48 hours of injection.

These injections are done safely and with precautions to minimize discomfort as much as possible. The steroid medication inside the syringe is paired with a local anesthetic to reduce pain during the injection. Your practitioner may use a radiological device such as an X-ray or ultrasound machine to guide the needle into your knee. 

Understanding how knee injections work is one aspect of choosing a total knee pain treatment plan. Depending on what’s causing your pain, your doctor may recommend physical therapy, weight management and other therapies along with knee injections in Doylestown, PA.

 Five Types of Knee Injections

Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania may be your destination of choice for knee injections in Doylestown, PA. There are nearly a dozen different types of knee injections that may be given, depending on the cause of your knee pain and cost you may have to bear. Only the two most common injections — cortisone and hyaluronic acid, or gel shots — are typically covered by insurance; for the rest, you’d have to pay out of pocket. Here are five types of injections that could help your knees.

Cortisone

Cortisone is a steroid used far and wide to treat knee pain. It’s frequently the first line offense when it comes to knee injections in Doylestown, PA. Cortisone injections often result in quick pain relief as it decreases inflammation and swelling. However, the effects are short-lasting, typically three months or less, and some studies are showing steroids can actually damage cartilage.

Viscosupplementation AKA Hyaluronic Acid

Hyaluronic acid, or gel, injections mimic the fluid that’s naturally found in your knee. They help lubricate your knee and protect your cartilage. Effects of gel injections at Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania take longer to take hold, but could last upward of six months.

Platelet Rich Plasma Injection

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are one of the new kids on the block when it comes to knee injections in Doylestown, PA. In a PRP procedure, your blood will be drawn, then spun in a centrifuge to separate out the plasma. Your plasma is then centrifuged again to concentrate it before it’s injected into your knees. The idea is to use your own body’s healing properties to treat your knee pain. PRP isn’t standard knee care yet, and may not be covered by your insurance.

Stem Cells

Like PRP injections, stem cell injections are not standard practice yet. The idea here is to draw stem cells from your fat, blood or bone marrow and inject them into your knees. The hope is that they’ll grow into cartilage, reduce inflammation and relieve knee pain. 

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is used to kick off natural tissue repair in your knees. You may receive 15-20 knee injections in Doylestown, PA, in a single prolotherapy session. An irritating agent such as a dextrose solution will be injected to create inflammation, with the hope that the inflammation will promote healing. As with PRP and stem cell injections, prolotherapy is controversial and not standard practice.

Signs It’s Time to See a Knee Doctor

Knee pain is actually quite common, and can develop for various reasons. The two most common culprits of knee pain are injury or arthritis. People who are physically active tend to be more prone to suffering an injury because of their constant turning movements and pressure placed on their knees, such as when running or jumping. Arthritis refers to a number of conditions where the joints become stiff and inflamed, and though it commonly affects older people over 65, it can also develop in younger people. 

Knee pain that doesn’t go away warrants visiting a knee doctor for an exam and treatment plan. You should not attempt to diagnose the cause of your knee pain yourself. Many things can be wrong with the knee, because it is a highly complex joint consisting of several parts. Our body communicates to us all the time, and pain is an indication that something isn’t right. It is your body’s way of telling you that it is unable to function normally. If you are experiencing any of the following, particularly after an injury accident or fall, consider calling our clinic now:

  • Significant swelling of the knee area
  • Severe pain in the knee
  • Inability to apply weight on the affected leg
  • Physical deformity of knee 
  • Fever
  • Redness, tenderness, or warmth of the knee

Also, seek medical care for knee pain if it is accompanied by limited range of motion, stiffness, and swelling. These are signs that a medical condition or injury exists. Immediate action should be taken if you have these signs. Unfortunately, many people ignore these signs, and wait too long to get proper care. By holding off on treatment, the knee issue may turn into a chronic problem. The issue may become more complex, and doctors may have a harder time treating it. Treatment for a major knee issue is also expensive. To avoid running into more complications, seek treatment as early as possible if you are suffering from troubling knee pain. 

While knee pain that is chronic may not necessitate a visit to the emergency room, it could be a sign of a knee degenerative condition. Degenerative conditions worsen over time, causing severe pain and limited mobility. For instance, osteoarthritis is a progressive diagnosis, where the situation will only get worse. Osteoarthritis is a common condition that affects the knee, and is the result of age-related changes of the body, particularly to the protective cartilage of joints.

Signs of serious knee pain include symptoms such as joint instability (giving out), pain, swelling, wounds, cracking/popping sounds, and an inability to straighten leg. Many people respond to these symptoms by taking pain medication or anti-inflammatory. While these can help in the short-term, they aren’t a prolonged solution, as it only blankets the pain and doesn’t treat the underlying issue. If your knee pain is causing any of the following, we suggest reaching out to us today:

  • The knee pain interferes with your ability to go about your daily life and engage in activities you enjoy
  • You are missing out on time with loved ones because you want to avoid pain or are afraid it’ll make your pain worse
  • You are struggling to stay active because the pain is too intense
  • You have seen a doctor in the past but are still looking for solutions
  • Your knee pain has taken a toll on your mental health and emotional wellbeing

Could You Benefit from Knee Injections?

If you are a good candidate for knee injections, you can expect that pain, inflammation, and pressure in your knees will experience significant relief as a result of your treatment. Before seriously considering medications or surgery as options, talk to a knee doctor and see if knee injections are a suitable treatment. Depending on your condition and medical background, they may be highly effective. It is important that you have a discussion with a doctor about your medical history because not everyone is eligible to receive knee injections. Note that knee injections aren’t always a “one and done” treatment option. You may need multiple injections to experience significant relief from your symptoms. 

If you benefit from these injections, you may need to seek follow-up treatments at some point, as the benefits of these injections likely won’t last forever. Patients who receive multiple injections over time may or may not discover that the effectiveness of the injections decreases with later treatments. In these cases, we’d advise you to consider additional and/or alternative options to manage this particular pain.

If your osteoarthritis is particularly severe, you may not be a good candidate for these injections. Why? In truly severe cases, the damage caused by osteoarthritis may not be responsive to the relief that patients ordinarily experience from these injections.

As a result, you’ll want to be candid with our team about your situation. We won’t want to pursue this option on your behalf if it is unlikely that you’ll experience relief as a result. Patients with severe osteoarthritis may benefit from alternative therapies and approaches, which we can discuss with you in detail.

Assistance Is Available

If you think that receiving knee injections may help you to live your best life, please connect with our experienced team today. Not everyone who suffers from knee pain can benefit significantly from receiving knee injections. However, osteoarthritis sufferers are usually excellent candidates for this form of pain management. To learn more about whether knee injections may be an excellent option for your unique challenges, please contact us today; we look forward to speaking with you.

Knee Injections can be helpful to regain functional mobility. This can be lost due to an injury, illness, or recent surgery. The initial examination determines the entire course of treatment. Therefore, it is important that you prepare beforehand so that you have everything you need to help your Doylestown, PA Knee Injections Doylestown doctor perform an accurate evaluation.

3 Tips To Prepare for Your First Knee Injections Appointment:

#1 Prepare Your Medical History

It is a good idea to write down all the facts related to the reason that you are receiving the knee injection. For example, if it is because of an injury, describe when and how it happened in detail. The more that your doctor knows about the injury, the better equipped he or she will be to determine a treatment plan for you that addresses the issues you are having.

However, it is not only the details of your present condition that you need to tell your doctor. You should provide your full medical history, including matters that may not seem relevant to the reason you are receiving the injection. For example, you should give your doctor a list of all the medications you are taking, even if they are for unrelated conditions. Medications can have side effects that your doctor should know about in advance.

#2 Gather Diagnostic Records

Depending on your condition, you may have had diagnostic tests or imaging performed by your doctor. Examples include X-rays. These records provide a clinical view of your condition. Combined with your subjective reports, they can give the doctor a more complete picture of what is causing your mobility limitations and what treatment options are most likely to be effective.

#3 Write Down Questions for the Doctor

When you are receiving a new treatment, it is natural for you to have questions about it. Your knee doctor wants you to be an active participant in your own care, and asking questions to the doctor can help him or her. So that you do not forget to ask any important questions, you should write them down before your appointment.

Knee Injections Help

If you are interested in exploring knee injections as a way to manage your osteoarthritis pain, please connect with our experienced team today to learn more. Knee injections aren’t the best treatment option for everyone. However, if your medical challenges make you an excellent candidate for this type of pain management, your future self may thank you profoundly for taking the time and effort to research this option.

Knowing your options when it comes to exploring knee injections can help relieve some of the anxiety that calling a doctor has. If you are ready and set to have one done with a doctor you trust, you may be wondering what the normal procedure even looks like. This can vary from person to person, but you can know that the doctors at Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania have the expertise and reputation to make sure you are as comfortable as possible during the procedure. 

Let our knowledgeable team know that you’re interested in learning about knee injections today so that we may assess your situation objectively and advise you of your patient-specific options accordingly; we look forward to speaking with you.

What A Procedure Involves

Typically a knee injection procedure involves you coming to your doctor’s office rather than heading to the hospital. They also only take a few minutes which means you won’t have to worry about being stuck in an office for too long in most cases. 

When it comes time for your appointment you will be seated for the procedure. This allows for the best access to the knee and gives you the best option for comfort. From there, your doctor will position your knee correctly, and may even use an ultrasound to help find the best location for the needle to go in. 

Once this is done you will have the skin on your knee cleaned and a local anesthetic is often applied. After that, the needle is inserted into your joint which can cause some discomfort. If there is any serious pain let your doctor know immediately that it is happening. 

If you have any fluid on your knee that needs to be removed this is when it happens. The doctor will attach a syringe to the needle and draw out the fluid. Typically the removal of fluid is done to relieve pressure around the joint for added comfort. 

The last step is to inject the medication into your joint. This can range from a few different types of injections that you talked about before your procedure. Once the medication is inserted the needle is removed and a small dressing is placed over the injection site. 

The Recovery Process 

In most cases, you should be able to go straight home. However, ask your doctor before you get to the office for the procedure if you will be able to drive home yourself. There are times the knee can be so sore that driving is difficult but that doesn’t happen to everyone. Have someone drive you home in case you have limited mobility after getting the injection. Your doctor may advise you to do the following things:

  • Avoid any strenuous activity for the next 24 hours 
  • Avoid swimming 
  • Avoid hot tubs
  • Avoid prolonged exposure to anything that would allow an infection to be introduced through the needle track 
  • Monitor for side effects like an allergic reaction or an infection 
  • Take over the counter pain relief medication to reduce discomfort 

Avoid putting pressure on your knee or accidentally hitting on objects. The area will be sensitive on the day of the injection and the following days after. 

It is typical to feel some tenderness for a few days after the injection. However, monitor the injection site for several days to see if you experience any side effects. Minor pain, slight bruising, and redness after receiving a knee injection is normal. If this doesn’t go away contact your doctor immediately as this could be a sign of infection or other issue. 

Surgery Isn’t Your Only Option for Chronic Knee Pain

You may be surprised to know that your needs are the largest joints in the human body. They are absolutely essential to our daily lives. They are a central part of all of your daily movements from walking and lifting to running and jumping. You even need your knees to lift, sit and stand! Your knees perform lots of work and are made up of a complex network of cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. This makes them particularly vulnerable to injury and wear and tear. It also makes them They’re also more likely to be affected by arthritis pain. If you’ve been dealing with knee pain and are wondering what your options are, it is worthwhile to consider knee injections in Doylestown, PA. Here are a few things to know. 

What Are Knee Injections

Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania uses knee injections as a part of their treatment regime for pain in the knees. Simply put, knee injections use a syringe to apply a number of medications to the knees. The treatment you receive will depend on the root cause of your knee pain. Osteoarthritis is among the most common causes of chronic pain in the knees. This degenerative condition is caused by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints. Fortunately, this is a common condition that knee injections in Doylestown, PA can treat. 

Treatment

While it is more common in older Americans, osteoarthritis affects people of all ages and can be treated via injections by Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania. These professionals use a natural, FDA-approved substance to treat pain caused by osteoarthritis without the need for pills or surgical procedures. Even better, Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania uses a special instrument called a fluoroscope. The fluoroscope helps ensure that your injections are accurately placed. This significantly increases the potential relief injections can offer, because the fluid is able to come into direct contact with the affected areas. This state-of-the-art treatment procedure is even covered by Medicare! 

The Benefits Are Clear 

Surgery can be a costly venture in terms of time and money. Luckily though, knee injections are a wonderful way to treat chronic knee pain without the need for knee replacements or other prohibitive operations. You won’t need to go under the knife, and you won’t miss work. Making a call to Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania is the first step in treating your knee pain and getting back to the life that you love. 

Finding the right knee injection clinic can be a daunting task or one you want to avoid because of pain. Don’t let your pain hold you back anymore. Contact us at Premier Osteoarthritis Centers of Pennsylvania to see what a doctor for knee injections in Doylestown, Pennsylvania can do to help you get back on your feet pain-free.