Best Injections for Chronic Knee Pain

You’re frustrated. You’re dealing with chronic knee pain and it’s affecting your daily life – not just your beer league softball career, but your ability to play with your kids, and even your ability to walk up stairs.

You’ve taken plenty of medication, and frankly, they don’t eliminate quite enough pain for your liking. You’ve read about the benefits of surgery, but you’re just not there yet. You’re in that mushy middle space … and you’re feeling lost.

We’re here to help you feel found. Because there are plenty of solid treatment options for those who feel stuck in the middle.

Injection is one of those options.

And there are plenty of choices. Let’s explore them.

When are knee injections used?

First, why do an injection at all?

You feel stuck in that middle zone between medication and surgery – and a pain-free life feels like both a distant memory and an unattainable goal.

Injections can toss your pain to the side temporarily – long enough to matter, but not so long that you can forget all about it.

If you’ve tried physical therapy to strengthen surrounding muscles and increase range of motion, but still your pain subsists, you may want to turn to injections. When medication just isn’t cutting it, but you don’t want to further increase your dosage, injections can be a good option. When surgery just doesn’t quite feel appropriate either mentally, physically, or even emotionally, you can instead look to injections.

Here are some of your options.

Corticosteroid injections

While not addressing a structural issue like a surgery would, corticosteroid injections can be quite effective at temporarily inflammation reduction. Significant pain relief is expected within days.

You’re a good candidate if… you suffer from inflammatory arthritis flare-ups or moderate osteoarthritis symptoms.

Pros: Fast relief

Cons: Temporary, diminishing returns after multiple uses

Typical duration: Weeks or months

Hyaluronic Acid (Gel) Injections

When the natural gel-like fluid in the knee starts to break down due to arthritic joints, pain isn’t far behind. This injection coats the joints with more of that fluid – or at least a synthetic version of it. That improves movement and reduces friction.

You’re a good candidate if… you have mild to moderate osteoarthritis symptoms.

Pros: Longer relief

Cons: Doesn’t work for everyone

Typical duration: Several months

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections

Using your own platelets, PRP aims to trigger cell reproduction to accelerate healing. The procedure involves drawing your blood, sussing out the healing cells known as platelets, and injecting them back into the affected area.

You’re a good candidate if… you’re young and/or your knee pain is in its early stages.

Pros: It’s natural and safe

Cons: There is limited evidence of its effectiveness

Typical duration: 6-12 months

Go further: Genicular Nerve Blocks

We run genicular nerve blocks to diagnose the cause of your pain. By temporarily blocking pain signals from a particular nerve set and monitoring pain, we can identify where the pain is stemming from. A “successful” nerve block – it kills at least 50% of the pain – makes the patient a candidate for a genicular nerve ablation.

You’re a good candidate if… a medical professional suspects nerve-mediated pain.

How Hudson Pain and Spine can help

Folks in the Englewood, New Jersey area with chronic knee pain should contact Hudson Pain and Spine. Dr. Saurabh Dang, a double board-certified pain management specialist and an expert in chronic knee injections. He can help determine the best injection or treatment plan for you.

If your pain lasts more than two weeks, includes radiating pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness, and limits your ability to work, sleep, or do normal activities, contact Hudson Pain and Spine to schedule a consultation.

Hudson Pain and Spine 25 Rockwood Place, Suite 335, Englewood, NJ 07631 Phone: (201) 605-9000