Treatment for Arthritis Knee Pain: What are my Options?

Living with arthritis in the knee? Seeking treatment for arthritis knee pain? Before you explore your options, it's important to understand arthritis pain. So, let's dive in together.

Understanding Knee Arthritis

Arthritis is a disease that causes swelling and tenderness in one or more of your joints. If you have knee arthritis, joints in one or both of your knees may be affected, leading to pain, stiffness, and limits on mobility. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of disease in your knees. And, while it's progressive and incurable, the right treatments can help relieve your pain.

Is There Treatment for Arthritis Knee Pain?

Again, you can't cure osteoarthritis. But you can preserve your mobility, relieve pain and prevent or delay progression by seeking early intervention.

Some people find relief with heating pads and/or over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Physical therapy and regular exercise can help you stay active and mobile. But, if those treatments fail to offer sufficient relief, and you want to delay or avoid surgery, or simply aren’t a surgical candidate, genicular artery embolization (GAE) in Georgia can provide an effective alternative to surgical treatment for arthritis knee pain.

What is Genicular Aretery Embolization?

GAE is a non-surgical procedure to slow osteoarthritis progression in the knee. Minimally invasive, and lasting about two hours, this treatment allows you to avoid hospitalization and general anesthesia.

During the procedure, our interventional radiologists administer anesthetic through a small puncture opening in the groin. Then, they use that opening to insert a thin catheter to the femoral artery, directing it to the knee’s genicular artery via X-ray image guidance. 

Once in place, we release small embolic materials into your vessels, limiting blood flow to the knee lining and thereby reducing pain, inflammation and other knee arthritis symptoms. Once complete, we extract the catheter, monitor you for a few hours, and send you home. The next day, you can resume normal activities. And, within weeks of the procedure, you should experience noticeable arthritis pain relief.

Choosing GAE for Treatment of Arthritis Knee Pain in Georgia

Ready to see if you’re a candidate for GAE in Georgia? This treatment is for you if:

• You've been diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis
• Have pain and stiffness that's moderate to severe
• Aren't getting relief from medication or conservative treatments
• Are between 40 and 80 years of age, in general good health

Do you meet these criteria and are want relief from osteoarthritis knee pain? Click here to request an appointment with our experts at the Georgia Knee Institute.