Knee pain affects tens of millions of Americans at any one point in time. This may entail chronic, disabling pain significantly affecting one’s ability to simply perform daily activities of living. Or it may hamper one’s ability to participate in recreational activities, play with kids or grandkids, or simply walk much and go up and down stairs.
Sports Injury
Knee Osteoarthritis
Ligament Injury
Autoimmune Disorders (RA, Lupus, Gout)
Meniscus Tear
Patellofemoral Syndrome
Avascular Necrosis
Traditional treatment options have not changed very much over the past two decades. Treatment may include steroid injections, NSAIDS, bracing, hyaluronic acid therapy or opiates.
Let’s touch on the pros and cons of each one.
Opiates – Narcotics are prescribed all too often for chronic knee arthritis pain. The issues with them are numerous. They may lead to tolerance that requires increasing dosage. Potentially constipation or maybe even addiction. All in all, narcotics are simply an awful way of treating chronic knee pain.
Steroid injections – also know as cortisone injections, these were introduced in the 1950’s and have been used ever since. For some reason, insurance companies made them the “gold standard”. This occurred in spite of evidence showing pain relief is extremely temporary and they may lead to further cartilage degradation (The Deterioration of Articular Cartilage in Osteoarthritis by Corticosteroid Injections,Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009).
Opiates – Narcotics are prescribed all too often for chronic knee arthritis pain. The issues with them are numerous. They may lead to tolerance that requires increasing dosage. Potentially constipation or maybe even addiction. All in all, narcotics are simply an awful way of treating chronic knee pain.
Steroid injections – also know as cortisone injections, these were introduced in the 1950’s and have been used ever since. For some reason, insurance companies made them the “gold standard”. This occurred in spite of evidence showing pain relief is extremely temporary and they may lead to further cartilage degradation (The Deterioration of Articular Cartilage in Osteoarthritis by Corticosteroid Injections,Journal of Prolotherapy. 2009).
Initially the rule was that patients weren’t supposed to receive over three steroid injections in their lifetime. Now that somehow became a rule where patients receive several per year! Steroid injections 
do not heal anything. They represent a huge anti-inflammatory that relieves pain with no disease modifying effect at all.
Bracing represents an excellent option for knee pain when it comes to arthritis or soft tissue injury. Bracing is instant, safe and easy. It’s also cumbersome and also doesn’t modify one’s condition at all. So it can be difficult with regards to patient compliance.
NSAIDS, short for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, are a first line treatment for knee pain. While they may be well tolerated and safe when taken according to manufacturer’s instructions, they may lead to GI symptoms or kidney issues over time. Over 100,000 hospitalizations occur annually due to NSAID related complications.
Lastly, hyaluronic acid procedures have become very common over the past decade. The knee joint naturally contains hyaluronic acid as a “lubricant”. The products are made from “rooster combs”, with the HA being biologically identical to that of human. Results for the knee with HA products have been good enough so that most insurance companies cover their use.
The newest, revolutionary treatment option for chronic knee joint pain is with amniotic fluid allograft injections. Called Stem Cell Recruitment Therapy, the procedures are very effective at 
amping up one’s own body’s processes to regenerate and repair soft tissue damage.
The procedures have a 92% long term effective outcome, with pain relief being dramatic and patients often getting back to performing more recreational activities, playing with kids and grandkids and being able to avoid the need for potentially risky surgery!
The amniotic fluid injections contain a significant amount of growth factors, cytokines and hyaluronic acid which act to lubricate, cushion and protect joint surfaces. This also calls in the body’s own regenerative cells to promote a healing cascade. Amniotic fluid is amazing, it doesn’t lead to a rejection reaction and the fluid is obtained through an ethical, FDA regulated process that causes no harm to baby or mother.
Most insurance companies including Medicare cover the amniotic allograft procedures for knee pain. The procedures are changing the paradigm for joint pain treatments. Who wouldn’t want an amniotic fluid injection that is not only covered by insurance, but also helps to repair and regenerate soft tissue damage while dramatically relieving pain and helping patients become more active!