Inflammation & Joint Damage

When you have knee pain, you want fast relief. When the pain keeps you from enjoying your favorite activities, seek quick, long-lasting treatment. Knee inflammation and joint damage are two conditions that can be debilitating. They’re best handled by expert knee pain specialists in Brooklyn or in the Bronx. For fast relief and access to innovative new treatments, call one of the best knee pain doctors in Brooklyn and the Bronx at the Astra Knee Pain Center. Learn about alternatives to total knee replacement that many doctors offer as your only option.

What Is Knee Inflammation?

Knee inflammation is your body’s way of alerting you to a problem. Inflammation is a result of injury, infection or diseases. When knee inflammation goes untreated, it can lead to serious mobility issues and chronic inflammatory knee pain. 

Common symptoms of inflammation include:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Hot to the touch
• Pain

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin and ibuprofen often give temporary relief. But any signs of knee inflammation or joint damage need to be evaluated by knee pain specialists at the Astra Knee Pain Center. Dr. George Bolotin and his team specialize in knee pain diagnosis and treatment and will have you back on your feet in no time.

What Causes Knee Inflammation?

Acute inflammation is caused by an injury or infection. Your inflamed knee may respond well to conservative treatments like rest, ice and elevation once you’ve seen a knee pain doctor. Chronic inflammation is the most common type.

Knee osteoarthritis, usually the result of aging and degeneration, is the most common form of chronic inflammation, which can also be caused by things like:

• Obesity and sedentary lifestyle
• Alcohol abuse
• Post-traumatic knee arthritis
• Knee bursitis

Auto-immune diseases such lupus, type 1 diabetes and psoriasis can also cause inflammation. The most common foods that cause inflammation include red meat, sugary foods and processed meat. Symptoms are reduced and eliminated by controlling auto-immune disorders and with appropriate treatment by your knee pain specialists before joint damage occurs and inhibits your mobility even more.

What Causes Joint Damage in My Knees?

Joint damage in the knees is a common condition, caused by many underlying conditions and activities, especially among athletes, active adults and seniors. And it’s no surprise, since the knee is one of the hardest working joints in the body. Joint damage ubiquitousness also is apparent in the number of knee replacements performed every year. Untreated arthritis is a huge contributor to joint damage, as is any type of knee pain when left untreated.

Other common causes of knee joint damage include:

• Tendonitis,which is recognized by swelling of the tendons around the knee
• Goutis an overabundance of uric acid in the knee joint
• Meniscus tear, damage to the cartilage between the thigh bone and the shin bone is common among athletes
• Bursitis is a painfulinflammatory condition caused by a build-up of liquid in the cushions protecting your knee joints
• Ligament injuriessuch as an ACL tear also are common among athletes, especially runners
• Osgood-Schlatter disease, most common in adolescents
• Dislocated kneecapthat’s a common result of an accident or fall
• Chondromalacia patella, inflammation underneath the patella, which refers to your kneecap and serves as a shield when extending your knee
• Iliotibial band syndrome,which affects the ligament that runs from the knee to the thigh, most common in runners and cyclists
• Patellofemoral syndrome pain between the femur and the kneecap

ACL and meniscus tears are most common in athletes. Most of the other knee joint ailments are caused by twisting, a major impact such as a car accident or a fall. When you go too long without treatment for inflammation and injuries, that leads to joint damage and other serious consequences. Many doctors recommend knee replacement when joint damage has occurred, but your knee pain doctors offer an effective alternative to total knee replacement surgery.

What’s the Best Treatment for Knee Pain in Brooklyn and the Bronx?

If you suffer knee pain in Brooklyn and conservative therapies have failed, you may qualify for an innovative, relatively new treatment called genicular artery embolization (GAE). It’s an exceptional non-surgical outpatient procedure that’s done in the doctor’s office in about 30 minutes. In a nutshell, GAE reduces blood flow to the small arteries that are causing your knee pain.

When performed by experts, risks and side effects of GAE are slight and minimal. Whether you’re interested in exploring GAE to treat knee inflammation and joint damage or seek a second opinion about knee replacement surgery, contact the Astra Knee Pain Center to schedule an appointment.

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