Why PRP Therapy Has Become a Popular Treatment
Platelet-rich plasma therapy concentrates parts of your own blood and then uses the resulting serum to help you heal more quickly. Read on to learn more about this state-of-the-art treatment.
While it may not seem like it, our knees take a lot of abuse during our daily routine where simply walking on flat ground puts the force of one-and-a-half times a person's body weight on these joints. And going up and down stairs causes the pressure to go up to two to three times the body's weight. And doing a squat to pick up something on the ground? Four to five times the weight of the body! It's no wonder sore knees are a common complaint.
As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Dr. Jeremy Woodson, along with our highly skilled team, are passionate about our state-of-the-art treatments and preventive care at our office in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
We treat everyone from children to adults and elite athletes to everyday people with the common goal of living a healthy and pain-free life. That includes people with knee pain.
Pain can appear in a variety of ways, including when you bend the knee, straighten it, or put weight on it. As the body's largest hinge joint, it is complex with several components including three bones (thigh bone, shinbone, and kneecap), ligaments and tendons that help keep the bones together, and cartilage under the kneecap and between the bones to stabilize and cushion the knee.
Knee pain can occur due to many reasons, including the following:
Injuries can affect almost any part of the knee, from the bones to the ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and more.
Particularly common in individuals who play sports like basketball that involve suddenly changing direction, an ACL tear affects one of the four ligaments connecting the thigh bone and shinbone.
A fracture occurs when the kneecap or one of the other knee bones gets broken.
The shock-absorbing rubbery cartilage between the thigh bone and shinbone can get torn if the knee twists suddenly.
The cushioning sacs of fluid outside of the knee joint are called bursae and can become inflamed. When this happens, the tendons and ligaments can’t move smoothly over the joint.
Inflammation in the tendons that connect muscles and bones can cause tendinitis.
Arthritis could be another possible cause of knee pain. While there are over 100 different kinds of this uncomfortable condition, some of the most common include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and gout.
Knee pain can also result from other issues like iliotibial band syndrome, which occurs when the tissue from outside the hip to the knee is too tight and rubs against the thigh bone.
A detached piece of cartilage or bone in the joint area can also cause a problem. A dislocated kneecap, infection, and even discomfort in the hip or foot that changes the gait can lead to knee pain as well.
Getting a proper diagnosis and treatment plan is important to recovery. If you're experiencing severe knee pain or minor pain that has lasted more than a few days, call our office today at 405-233-3602 for an appointment.
