Facts You Should Know About Knee Pain
- Knee pain is a common problem with many causes, from acute injuries to complications of medical conditions.
- Knee pain can be localized to a specific area of the knee or be diffuse throughout the knee.
- Knee pain is often accompanied by physical restriction.
- A thorough physical examination will usually establish the diagnosis of knee pain.
- The treatment of knee pain depends on the underlying cause.
- The prognosis of knee pain, even severe knee pain, is usually good although it might require surgery or other interventions.
Schedule An Appointment With Your Doctor
Pain Treatment Specialists has some of the best knee doctors in the country. Our knee pain doctors Dr. George Hanna, Dr. Namrata Khimani, and Dr. Michael Nguyen are board-certified interventional pain specialists who have graduated from Ivy League universities. They diagnose the root cause of your knee pain using X-Rays, CT Scans, and MRIs and then they treat it using the latest minimally invasive knee pain treatments. For more information, please schedule an appointment with your doctor today.
What Doctor Should I See For Knee Pain
Do you have swelling and stiffness in your knees? Is the knee pain accompanied by a general sensation of weakness or instability? Can you hear some popping sounds in your knees when you walk? These are all signs and symptoms of knee pain and its an indication that you should probably see a knee pain doctor soon.
Knee pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal issues that affects all kinds of people in the world. You experience when some part of your knee joint, be it your muscles, tendons, ligaments, or bones, get fractured, injured, or develop other diseases. Knee pain may be acute if its caused by knee injuries. However, in some cases, knee pain can also be chronic, which means that it will only get worse with time.
If you experience extreme knee pain or fever, its possible youre suffering from chronic knee pain caused by issues like osteoarthritis, ptllfmrl n syndrome, tllr tndn, knee bursitis, iliotibial band syndrome, or chondromalacia patella. If youre suffering from any of these issues, its vital that you visit a good knee pain doctor.
Furthermore, its important to visit the right knee pain doctor. Some doctors will simply prescribe opioids that will provide temporary relief but wont actually cure the problem. Some doctors will jump straight to surgeries, which can be dangerous. Its necessary to find a good knee pain doctor who can diagnose the root cause of knee pain and treat it specifically.
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How Is The Knee Pain Diagnosed
For the proper diagnosis, your knee pain doctor may perform several tests. Generally, knee pain diagnosis entails the following procedures:
- Radiologic tests. These tests X-ray scans of the knee.
- Blood tests. These tests can detect gout, arthritis, or other medical conditions.
- Arthrocentesis. A small amount of joint fluid will be extracted from your knee.
For knee pain relief, relying on the knee pain experts at Redefine Healthcare with convenient locations in Union, Paterson, Clifton, Teaneck, West Caldwell, and Edison, NJ. Contact us today for an appointment to get off the sidelines and back into the game.
Board Certification And Strong Educational Background
Consider the doctors board certification. The best knee pain doctors are board-certified in the field of pain management. This denotes that theyve gone through advanced residencies and fellowships, which makes them far more experienced than regular knee pain doctors. You should also consider the knee pain doctors education background and go for doctors who have graduated from Ivy League universities or those of equivalent stature.
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Should You See The Doctor After A Knee Injury
If you were playing a sport, riding in a vehicle or simply doing day-to-day activities and experienced a fall or impact, then you may have a knee injury. Knees are commonly injured with hard falls, unexpected twisting, a fast change of direction , impact to the joint or a quick stop. If the knee joint is abruptly jolted, it could cause a tear in one of the supporting ligaments or surrounding muscles. After an injury, the joint may swell, show discoloration or become stiff. After a knee injury, applying ice to the impacted joint is important to reduce swelling. The joint should also be rested to stop further damage from occurring.
You will want to also schedule an appointment with a doctor for knee pain in Torrance. The doctor will help you determine the kind of injury and provide a personalized plan of action for improving the discomfort. While not all knee injuries are serious, it is important to be seen by a doctor who can ensure you dont have a secondary injury because the first one wasnt properly treated. With some injuries, movement is important for avoiding stiffness, while with other injuries movement could cause further damage. Your doctor can run any diagnostic tests to ensure the right steps are taken for rehabilitation and treatment. Even a simple sprain to the knee could result in further injury if it isn’t properly cared for, rested and rehabilitated. So, checking in with a doctor after an injury is always recommended.
Do Orthopedic Surgeons Work On Knees
Orthopedic doctors focus on joints, muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, and how they interact across the body. Orthopedic doctors choose from a wide array of specialties like Joints and often are the ones who treat injured knees and hips caused by arthritis or another joint limiting condition. Two of our care providers, Dr. Nauman Akhtar and Dr. Matthew Gavin, specialize in joint surgery.
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Should I Get My Knee Checked Out
Knee injuries and pain can limit your lifestyle and daily activity. It is important to address knee issues early to avoid more serious issues. Here are some ways to know it is time to see a knee doctor.
- Does knee pain keep you from using stairs?
- Do you avoid walking due to knee pain?
- Is your knee swollen in the front or back?
- Did you feel a pop when the knee started hurting?
- Can you stand on the painful knee?
- Does your knee feel hot?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to get your knee checked out.
Can You Prevent Knee Pain
There can be many reasons for knee pain. Therefore, there are different strategies to prevent the pain depending on the underlying cause. Running on soft surfaces or decreasing the amount of running can help if the pain is due to overuse. Avoiding any direct injuries to the knee including wearing a seatbelt can prevent traumatic injuries. Weight loss can be helpful for many different forms of knee pain.
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What Are Some Risk Factors
There are a number of factors that can increase your likelihood of experiencing knee pain or dealing with injuries to your knees, including:
Being Overweight: Carrying excess weight can put undue stress on your joints, put you at a higher risk of developing arthritis, which can lead to degeneration of your cartilage and joints.
Certain Sports: Sports like basketball, football, and soccer can put your knees at risk. The jumping, changing directions, and impacts due to falls or collisions can put pressure on your knees.
Past Injuries: If youve injured your knee before, it is more prone to re-injury.
Who To See For Leg Pain
In an emergency setting, the attending emergency department physician or a triage nurse will assess you and determine what type of care you need and who should deliver that care, such as an for a broken bone.
Primary care physicians can treat most leg causes that are not emergencies, but you may need a referral to a different type of specialist if the problem is beyond the scope of your doctors practice.
Here are some specialists who can treat leg pain and injuries:
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What Causes Pain On The Inner Side Of The Knee
Pain on the inner side of the knee is common in older adults. It usually results from osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, medial collateral ligament injury, medial meniscus injury, pes anserine bursitis, medial plica irritation, or knee contusion.
Most causes of inner knee pain can relate to a previous injury. Your doctors can prescribe you some knee exercises to relieve your inner knee pain.
Stem Cell And Prp Therapy
Many orthopedic doctors also use regenerative medicine to relieve pain and boost injury healing. Stem cell therapy and PRP therapy use components taken from your blood. In stem cell therapy, adult stem cells are harvested and injected into the knee to promote the healing of damaged tissue. In PRP therapy, blood is taken from your body, platelets are isolated and concentrated using a centrifuge machine, and injected into the knee. The platelets contain growth factors that can boost the repair and healing process. Patients with soft tissue injuries and osteoarthritis may benefit from stem cell therapy and PRP therapy.
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Does An Orthopedic Doctor Treat Joint Pain
If youre living with achy knees or hips, morning stiffness that makes it hard to get out of bed, or pain when climbing stairs, you may be wondering what to do next. Should you see a doctor for a swollen joint? Mild joint pain? Joint pain thats been ongoing for several weeks?
The answer is yes to all of the above, and the doctor you need to see is an orthopedic doctor. Learn more about the role an orthopedist plays in joint pain, and when its time to make an appointment with an orthopedic specialist.
Questions Your Doctor May Ask
Your doctor will want to know as much as possible about whatâs going on with your knee. Be ready to answer questions such as:
Your answers will give your doctor clues about the cause of your pain. For instance, a popping or snapping sound may mean that you tore a ligament. If your pain is worse when you rest and your knee is stiff when you wake up, you could have a type of arthritis.
Your doctor will also ask about:
- Problems with any other joints
- Any knee injuries or surgeries youâve had
- Other health issues that might be causing the pain
A hip problem, for example, can cause you to walk awkwardly, which throws off alignment of your knees, causing pain. Also, pain from your hip can make your knee hurt.
Let your doctor know what youâve already tried to treat your knee pain, such as medicines, braces, and physical therapy.
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Signs Its Time To See A Doctor For Knee Pain
It may be time to visit an orthopedic doctor if you experience any of the following, especially after an incident like an injury following athletics:
- Redness, warmth, and tenderness in the knee
- Significant swelling
- Inability to bear weight on the affected leg
- Fever
- Physical deformity in the area
Chronic knee pain that is not severe enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room or urgent care may be a sign of a degenerative condition. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common conditions affecting the knee and is a result of age-related changes to the protective cartilage of joints. Osteoarthritis is progressive, meaning it will continue to get worse. If you have to take pain relievers more than a few times a month for knee pain, it is a sign that you should see a doctor.
Also seek medical attention for knee pain that is accompanied by stiffness, swelling, and a limited range of motion. These are signs that an injury or condition exists. Many people ignore such signs, especially as they get older because they think its a part of normal aging. People who are overweight also think its a normal symptom. However, nothing could be farther from the truth. Chronic knee pain, while very common, is not normal. Dont accept it as your fate. There are many treatment solutions available that can reduce or eliminate knee pain.
Do You Need To See An Orthopedic Physician Or A Rheumatologist
Patients should use the guidelines below to help determine if they should choose an orthopedic physician or rheumatologist for their arthritis and joint pain.
Patients might need an orthopedic physician if they have:
- Joint or musculoskeletal pain that began after an injury
- Gradually progressive hip or knee pain that is worse with weight bearing
- Joint pain that is severe and interfering with function
- Moderate or advanced arthritis of the knee or hip
- Previous unsuccessful treatment for joint pain
- Been told by their doctor they might need a joint replacement
Patients might need a rheumatologist if they have:
- Pain involving many joints
- New joint pain not associated with any injury
- Joint or musculoskeletal pain associated with morning stiffness, fever, fatigue, rash or chest pain
- Joint pain that followed a tick bite
- Joint pain associated with back pain
- Joint pain and psoriasis
- Muscular pain with or without any other symptoms
- New headaches or muscle aches and are over the age of 50
- Back pain with or without pain in the legs
- Unexplained, ongoing symptoms such as fever, sweats or weight loss
A patients’ medical needs are important and unique, that is why UMass Memorial Medical Center offers specialty trained physicians that have devoted their education and career to treating specific medical conditions to serve you.
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What Does A Rheumatologist Do
Rheumatology studies the causes, impact, and treatments of inflammatory autoimmune disorders on the human body. In an autoimmune disorder, a patients own immune system malfunctions and turns its attack on his own healthy body tissue, rather than on invading or external disease agents.
Rheumatologists can be internists or pediatricians who have additional training and qualifications. They have the experience to diagnose and treat many of the over 100 systemic forms of adult, juvenile, and temporal arthritis. They treat mechanical joint, bone, muscle, and soft and connective tissue diseases.
Often referred to as arthritis doctors, rheumatologists treat many other diseases too.
Integrity Spine And Orthopedics Treats Joint Pain And Arthritis
At Integrity Spine and Orthopedics, our board-certified orthopedic surgeons treat a wide range of back, neck, spine, joint and soft tissue injuries. If youre living with chronic pain and loss of mobility from arthritis or another joint condition, our experienced orthopedic doctors can help.
We have a clinic conveniently located in Jacksonville, FL. Please call us or reach out online to schedule your first appointment.
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What Type Of Doctor Treats Leg Pain Behind The Knee
There is more than one type of doctor that treats pain in the leg or knee area including an orthopedist, an internist, a rheumatologist or a pain management specialist, notes HealthPages. Knee pain that must be treated with surgery requires an orthopedic surgeon for knee replacement or knee arthroscopy.
An orthopedist treats many conditions that affect the skeletal system and most often specializes in a certain part of the body, such as the foot or knee, states HealthPages. An internist focuses on diagnosing and treating health problems that do not require surgical intervention. A rheumatologist focuses on treating diseases of the joints such as arthritis, fibromyalgia and some sports injuries. A pain management specialist helps treat pain that lasts more than three months. This may include massage, medications and physical therapy.
When Should I See A Medical Professional
Knee pain can make everyday activities like walking or getting dressed difficult. Its important to have your knee assessed if youre experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- Heat to the touch
- Inability to straighten your leg
- Weakness
- Popping sounds in your knee
Make an appointment to see Dr. Harwood right way if you are experiencing these symptoms so he can get to the root cause and alleviate your knee pain.
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How Can I Book An Appointment Online With A Doctor For Knee Pain
Zocdoc is a free online service that helps patients find doctors for Knee Pain and book appointments instantly. You can search for doctors for Knee Pain or any other visit reason. Then, enter your desired appointment location and choose your insurance plan. Based on that information, youll see a list of providers who meet your search criteria, along with their available appointment slots.
Focus On Minimally Invasive Knee Pain Treatments
Finally, its important that your knee pain doctor focuses primarily on minimally invasive treatments rather than complex surgeries or narcotics. Some of the best knee pain treatments include steroid injections, viscosupplementation, genicular nerve block, and genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation. These are all minimally invasive treatments with a negligible risk of side effects and they can provide long term relief from the actual root cause of knee pain.
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Knee Replacement & Knee Replacement Revision
Our orthopedic doctors will go over all the differences in each knee replacement surgery and pick the best option for each patient. We also offer knee replacement revision surgeries to correct problems with a previous knee replacement. A patient is a candidate for a knee replacement if there is severe destruction of the knee joint that is associated with pain and reduced function.
Total knee replacement is a surgery where the knee joint is replaced with a prosthetic joint made of artificial material. We often perform aminimally invasive total knee replacement, which is done with a 4 to 6-inch incision instead of the 8 to 11-inch incision used with a traditional total knee replacement surgery. This option also spares or minimally cuts the quadriceps muscles and tendon, leading to a quicker and less painful recovery.
Along with a minimally invasive approach, we may utilize computer guidance for joint implant placement. This is not a robotic surgery, rather the surgeon uses information from the computer to help with precise placement.