Osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis, can occur because of injury, infection, or for some, it can be hereditary. Knee osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the joint breaks down causing chronic knee pain, stiffness, and abnormal joint functioning.
The knee is the largest joint in the body. The knee moves like a hinge, allowing you to sit, squat, walk or jump. When knee problems arise, they can interfere with almost all of your daily activities and certainly compromise your participation in more advanced activities or sports.
Due to the wear and tear that happens in the joints, living with osteoarthritis can make daily life painful. Often patients complain that they feel loss of control, when their knee (or other joints) act up, cause pain, or limit their ability to do something. It is quite safe to say, that this condition does affect day to day life.
Traditionally, treatments for knee osteoarthritis, have been centered around surgical and pharmaceutical interventions. While pharmaceuticals have the potential to allow for temporary pain relief, the cartilage will continue to deteriorate. Knee replacement surgery is often required when the knee joint has reached a point where the pain can no longer be controlled. Surgery should be used as a last resort, as it is highly invasive and irreversible should you achieve less than optimal results.
A safer, non-surgical treatment is available in our clinics, in Louisiana, with Dr. Kevin Darr. He specializes in orthopedics and orthobiologic medicine.
There is recent research that does suggest, that stem cells may repair cartilage. Furthermore, there is research documenting the benefits mesenchymal stem cell, MSCs, in knee osteoarthritis treatment. Results have demonstrated that MSCs administered into the knee remain on the surface of the damaged meniscus and embed into the cartilage, which may result in the restoration of meniscal tissue and cartilage.
As you can see, the growing field of orthobiologic medicine and orthopedics shows promising results in treating conditions such as osteoarthritis. We understand the difficulty of living with the pain and the limitations of osteoarthritis. We are here to help guide you towards a treatment plan that can help you get back to your day to day life with less pain.
Do you suffer from knee osteoarthritis? Contact Dr. Kevin Darr.
We would love for you to come in for a consultation if you are in the state of Louisiana, we have clinics in Covington and Metairie. Contact us today!
