By Chris Byers, PT, Advanced Rehab & Sports Medicine
Do you experience stiffness or pain in your knees when you get out of bed? Are you avoiding activities you love just to avoid knee pain? If so, you may be suffering from osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis.
Over 10 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis of the knee. Athletes, everyday workers (especially those who spend a lot of time on their feet), and those who simply have a family history of arthritis can be affected. Until recently, extended relief from severe knee joint pain caused by osteoarthritis could only be attained through knee replacement surgery. Now there is an alternative to knee joint replacement surgery that helps limit the pain — not your activities — without the need for pills or surgery. The best part of the program is that it requires absolutely no down time; you can resume normal activity right away!
The Knee Arthritis Program (KNAP) is a safe, effective, alternative to knee replacement surgery. This arthritis treatment program combines Hyaluronan replacement therapy, which is a series of five injections that are done once a week for five weeks, with a personalized physical therapy program and home exercise regimen. The injections work with the existing knee fluid to cushion and lubricate the joint. The physical therapy enhances muscle strength and mobility and ensures that the fluid circulates. This process reduces inflammation, pain, and stiffness and has been proven to be up to 90 percent effective for moderate to severe knee pain. Hyaluronan is FDA approved for use in the knee joint. It is not a steroid, so you can have the injections every six months. And since it is entered directly into your joint, there is no worry for drug-to-drug interactions within your body.
The process is simple and takes just a few minutes to perform. You can get back to your daily activities right away. To date, over 17,000 injections have been performed and no major side effects have been reported. Typical side effects may consist of small bruising at the injection site or a small amount of bleeding at the injection site.
Peggy Palumbo started the injections in the spring of 2010 and is going on her fifth series. “I do them every six months. I am an avid golfer and my friends could notice how much better my knees were after the injections. At my age I want to be spunky, if you act like you’re feeling good then you don’t feel older.”
For more information about osteoarthritis and the Knee Arthritis Program, contact: Advanced Rehab & Sports Medicine at 309-664-9104, www.advrehab.com; or ICPR Family Practice at 309-347-4277, www.icpronline.com. The collaboration between these two practices gives Bloomington-Normal residents local, convenient access to this program and to the physical therapy that partners along with the injections.