Knee Pain

What causes knee pain?

You can develop knee pain from an injury, overuse, or an underlying medical condition. Common causes of knee pain include:

• Arthritis
• Strains and sprains
• Fractures
• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury
• Meniscus tear
• Kneecap dislocation

The severity of your knee pain may depend on the cause, ranging from a dull ache to severe pain. An acute injury may cause severe pain and limit the use of your knee. 

Though your acute knee injury may heal with medical care, it may increase your risk of developing chronic knee pain from arthritis later in life. 

If you have ongoing knee pain, schedule an appointment at  Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine, even if the pain is mild. They can find the cause of your pain, provide treatments to ease your discomfort, and potentially prevent your pain from worsening.

What happens during a knee pain evaluation?

When you visit Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine for a knee pain evaluation, you can expect a comprehensive exam. The goal of your exam is to find the root cause of your knee pain, so you get the most effective treatment.

Your comprehensive evaluation includes a physical exam, diagnostic imaging, and psychosocial screening. Your Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine provider also performs electromyography (EMG) to assess nerve and muscle function. 

How is knee pain treated?

Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine customizes your knee pain treatment plan based on your diagnosis. Initially, your provider may recommend conservative medical treatments such as anti-inflammatory drugs and physical therapy.

However, when conservative medical care fails to provide significant relief from your pain, the experts at Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine may suggest interventional pain management treatments such as:

Fluoroscopic-guided steroid injection

During a fluoroscopic-guided steroid injection, your provider injects an inflammation-reducing steroid into your knee to ease pain and improve mobility. 

Viscosupplementation for arthritis

Viscosupplementation is a knee injection for arthritis. This injection contains a gel-like substance that supplements or replaces the synovial fluid that cushions the joint to ease pain and improve mobility. 

Genicular nerve block

A genicular nerve block is an injection into the genicular nerve, a sensory nerve that transmits pain signals from your knee to your brain. 

Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation

If your genicular nerve block provides significant pain relief, your provider may suggest genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation. During this minimally invasive procedure, your provider uses radiofrequency energy to destroy the pain-signaling nerve for long-term pain relief. 

Call Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine or schedule an appointment online today to get relief from your knee pain.