3 Nonsurgical Options for Joint and Tendon Pain
By Dr. Matthew Kanaan, Wake Nonsurgical Ortho (A Division of Wake Internal Medicine)
Many patients deal with ongoing joint pain and tendonitis, and might even delay seeing a physician due to the fear of surgery. However, there are plenty of nonsurgical alternatives that exist today to help you reduce pain and remain active. There are even some more recent state-of-the-art treatments.
- Ultrasound Guided Steroid Injections: For arthritis, tendonitis, and bursitis (inflammation of the joint) steroid injections can provide fast pain relief along with good physical therapy. Steroid injections can help patients avoid the use of narcotics, and they do not upset the stomach like the long term use of over the counter NSAIDS like ibuprofen and aleve. At Wake Nonsurgical Ortho, we uniquely utilize ultrasound guidance to ensure all injections are placed as accurately as possible.
- Lubricant Injections: Besides ultrasound guided steroid injections, newer treatment options include lubricant injections. Lubricant injections (brand names include Hyalgan, Supartz, Euflexxa, Synvisc and Orthovisc) are originally derived from a natural substance called hyaluronic acid. These injections work like WD40 to lubricate the painful joint which reduces friction and therefore pain. These are usually covered by insurance and are nearly painless to administer.
- PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma): Within the last few years we have started using our patient’s own blood (PRP) to reduce joint pain and inflammation in the body. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a cutting edge option for giving a biological boost to the body’s own healing process. PRP is processed from a person’s own blood and is a concentration of platelets, which contain many factors that are essential for healing an injured or diseased body region. This treatment is still considered experimental and is therefore not covered by insurance. As a whole, PRP injections have been close to 90% effective in our practice at reducing joint pain, with virtually no side effects.
Come see us today in person or virtually!
Today there are plenty of options to help you treat pain through nonsurgical treatment alternatives. While not all patients will find relief through nonsurgical alternatives, many find it’s worth the try to help avoid or at least prolong surgery. Dr. Matthew Kanaan is a sports medicine physician at Wake Nonsurgical Ortho – Located on the 2nd Floor of the Wake Internal Medicine Building at 3100 Blue Ridge Rd. Learn more on our website at www.wakenonsurgicalortho.com , or call us at 919-719-2270
