Knee Injections
Are You Experiencing Knee Pain as a Result of a Sudden Slip, Twist, or Previous Injury?
The orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine experts at Westchester Sport and Spine are here to help you with your knee pain. With 40 years of combined experience diagnosing knee pain and treating knee injuries, the fellowship trained orthopedic doctors and specialists at Westchester Sport and Spine provide you with the highest level of care for surgical and non-surgical knee procedures.
About Knee Injections
Knee injections are a great option for patients who are experiencing swelling, discomfort, and difficulty moving their knees due to injury or age-related conditions, like osteoarthritis.
Often integrated into a course of treatment, knee injections are a method used to avoid surgery and improve the quality of life and comfort of a patient as they recover. These injections may be ongoing over the course of years or just a few months, depending on the type of injection being used and injury being treated.
Knee injections are not all created equally; some are safe to use long-term, while others may be very helpful in the short-term while losing benefit over time. Your highly-qualified orthopedic surgeon at Westchester Sport and Spine will review your individual situation to ensure that the best plan of treatment is pursued.
Types of Knee Injections
- Hyaluronic Acid Supplements – These injections are designed to help patients gain back function of their knee joints, which have degenerated through conditions like osteoarthritis or repeated injury. Hyaluronic acid exists in healthy joints, but this natural acid breaks down over time. In healthy joints, hyaluronic acid absorbs the impact the knee takes while walking or running. It also lubricates the joint, which allows everything to move smoothly and painlessly. These injections are meant to lessen pain and inflammation caused by a diminished amount of acid in the joint.
- Corticosteroid Injections – In some cases, corticosteroid injections are used to give patients relief from pain and inflammation, with benefits lasting from a few days to a few months. These injections are not meant to be a long-term fix and there is often a “cap” to how many injections a patient will receive before other options must be explored.
- Arthrocentesis – This type of knee injection is also called joint fluid aspiration, and it involves the removal of joint fluid from the knee. This fluid is often tested in a lab, but arthrocentesis can also be accompanied by a corticosteroid to diminish pain and inflammation. However, arthrocentesis can provide relief from discomfort without the use of a steroid injection, as removing excess fluid can ease pain or swelling.
Knee Conditions Treated by Knee Injections
There are numerous conditions that may require knee injections to be a part of your treatment plan for knee pain. These including the following:
- Osteoarthritis
- Meniscus Tear
- Diminished Knee Cartilage
- Traumatic Knee Injury
- Rheumatoid arthritis,
- Reactive arthritis
- Gout
- Psoriatic arthritis
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease-related arthritis
- Bursitis
- Tendonitis
Call Us Immediately
If your knee pain has been caused by an injury, and you have received a knee injection, and you are experiencing any of the symptoms below, please call us immediately:
- Your knee appears deformed
- Inability to use your knee or extend your leg
- Intense pain
- Sudden swelling
- Rash or redness