Knee

Knee Q & A

Suffering from chronic knee pain that interferes with sitting or standing can take away from your quality of life. At his San Mateo, California, orthopedic surgery practice, Paul Eliot Hughes, MD, has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating chronic knee pain due to arthritis or sports-related injuries. He and his compassionate medical team offer a variety of the latest treatment options, including PRP therapy and minimally invasive surgeries, to relieve pain and get you back to the activities you love. Find out more about treating chronic knee pain by calling the San Mateo office or booking an appointment online today.

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What conditions cause chronic knee pain?

Your knee experiences a great deal of pressure throughout the day, especially if you jog or participate in fast-paced sports. Dr. Hughes offers innovative surgical and nonsurgical treatments for conditions like:

Arthritis
ACL injuries
Meniscus tears
Overuse injuries
Cartilage damage
Traumatic ligament damage

Dr. Hughes performs a thorough evaluation to determine the cause of your knee pain and creates a custom treatment plan to address your specific issues.

What treatments are available to manage chronic knee pain?

Once he determines the cause of your pain and the severity of your condition, Dr. Hughes can recommend nonsurgical treatments, such as physical therapy and heat or ice therapy, to keep your knee flexible and reduce pain.

Dr. Hughes also offers advanced, minimally invasive surgery to address degenerative conditions and injuries. Surgeries include:

ACL reconstruction
Arthroscopic surgery
Total knee replacement

Not all knee injuries require surgery, so Dr. Hughes can recommend nonsurgical treatments, such as platelet-rich-plasma injections and stem cell therapy, to alleviate pain and improve mobility in your knees.

How effective is platelet-rich-plasma injections for knee pain?

Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) therapy uses your body’s own cells to heal injured muscles, bones, and ligaments. Dr. Hughes withdraws a sample of your blood and prepares it in a centrifuge to separate the blood cells from the other fluids. This produces a high concentration of blood cells that he injects into the treatment area.

These cells regenerate to heal damage and relieve inflammation without the need for surgery or other treatments. PRP therapies can help delay the need for surgery and slow down the progression of degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

When do I need a total knee replacement?

Dr. Hughes would suggest a total knee replacement procedure if your knee joints have severe damage from degenerative disease or traumatic injury. These conditions usually make it difficult or impossible for you to perform your job or normal daily activities, such as going up and down stairs, walking long distances, or getting a good night’s sleep.

When nonsurgical therapies, such as medications or physical therapy, can’t improve your pain level or increase your mobility, Dr. Hughes could recommend replacing your knee joint with an artificial one.

To find out what treatments can effectively relieve your chronic knee pain and mobility issues, schedule a consultation by calling the office directly or using the online booking feature today.