Save Your Meniscus and Prevent Future Arthritis

The meniscus acts as a crucial cushion within your knee joint, absorbing shock and evenly distributing weight during daily activities. An intact meniscus reduces stress on the cartilage surfaces of the knee bones, helping to maintain comfortable movement and prevent chronic pain.

If the meniscus becomes damaged or is partially or entirely removed, the protective cushioning effect diminishes, leading to increased pressure and stress on the knee joint cartilage. Over time, this elevated stress can accelerate cartilage degeneration, resulting in inflammation, joint pain, stiffness, limited mobility, and even osteoarthritis.

Our specialists are committed to conservative therapies and minimally invasive treatments aimed at preserving and restoring meniscal function whenever possible. By prioritizing meniscal integrity, we help patients reduce their risk of arthritis progression, alleviate chronic knee pain, and maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.

At Pain Specialists of Frisco, we offer a range of non-surgical treatments to manage a damaged meniscus, aiming to relieve pain, improve function, and promote healing. Our initial treatment typically begins with rest and activity modification to reduce stress on the knee. This helps minimize swelling, pain, and inflammation while giving the joint time to recover.

Ice therapy is an effective way to control swelling during the acute phase of the injury. We recommend applying ice in short intervals to help reduce inflammation and improve comfort. Additionally, compression and elevation techniques are taught to support the knee and alleviate swelling. These methods work together to provide quick relief and enhance the recovery process.

Personalized physical therapy plays a significant role in meniscus recovery. Our physical therapists design targeted exercises to strengthen the muscles around the knee, including the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves. Strengthening these muscles helps reduce stress on the damaged meniscus, improving stability and restoring a full range of motion. Stretching exercises are also integrated into the therapy to maintain flexibility and reduce stiffness, further improving mobility.

For patients with persistent inflammation or pain, we may recommend corticosteroid injections. Although these injections don’t directly repair the meniscus, they can reduce inflammation and pain, allowing you to engage more comfortably in physical therapy and everyday activities.

In addition to these therapies, we offer advanced regenerative treatments such as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. PRP therapy uses your body’s natural healing processes to regenerate tissue and alleviate knee pain. While research is still ongoing, many patients report significant improvements in knee function after these injections.

Through a customized treatment plan that may include rest, ice, compression, elevation, physical therapy, and injections, our goal is to relieve symptoms and enhance knee function, potentially avoiding the need for surgery altogether.

Knee pain resulting from meniscus injuries can significantly impact your daily life, mobility, and overall well-being. Our comprehensive approach includes evaluating the most effective options for managing your pain and inflammation, including injections and medications tailored specifically to your unique needs.

Corticosteroid injections are a common treatment to address acute inflammation and pain associated with meniscus issues. Administered directly into the knee joint, corticosteroids can provide rapid relief by reducing swelling and inflammation, thereby increasing your comfort and improving joint movement. However, we emphasize that corticosteroids are not typically a long-term solution, as repeated injections may lead to cartilage deterioration and do not reliably prevent the development of arthritis.

Another option is hyaluronic acid injections, also known as viscosupplementation. Hyaluronic acid is a substance naturally found within joint fluid, which helps lubricate and cushion the knee joint. These injections may offer temporary symptom relief for patients experiencing discomfort from meniscus tears or early stages of arthritis. While hyaluronic acid injections can enhance joint comfort and mobility, their effectiveness in slowing or preventing arthritis progression varies, and research findings have been mixed.

Additionally, our practice stays current with innovative therapies such as Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. PRP treatment involves extracting platelets from your own blood and injecting them into the affected knee joint, releasing growth factors that may aid in tissue healing and inflammation reduction. Emerging evidence suggests that PRP injections can provide symptom relief and potentially support tissue repair in certain individuals. However, further research is necessary to confirm whether PRP therapies can effectively slow or prevent arthritis progression.

Oral medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are another option we may recommend to help manage meniscus-related knee pain and inflammation. While these medications can provide effective symptom relief, they do not directly treat the underlying tissue damage or prevent arthritis. Our specialists will closely monitor your treatment and medication usage, ensuring your long-term safety and minimizing potential side effects.

Braces and supportive devices specifically designed to alleviate meniscal discomfort can play a significant role in your personalized pain management plan.

Our specialized knee braces function by stabilizing the knee joint, reducing stress on the meniscus, and minimizing movements that could aggravate your injury. Depending on your condition, our team may recommend various options from lightweight compression sleeves to more structured braces featuring hinges and adjustable straps.

Compression sleeves provide gentle support, reduce swelling, and improve circulation, making them ideal for patients experiencing mild discomfort or early-stage meniscal issues. For more pronounced instability or advanced injuries, we frequently recommend hinged knee braces. These braces offer superior stability, restricting harmful rotational or lateral movements, and help protect the meniscal cartilage from further damage, significantly reducing your pain and enhancing your recovery.

Beyond braces, we also integrate additional supportive measures into your care, such as targeted knee straps, individualized physical therapy programs, strengthening exercises, and guidance on selecting proper footwear to further enhance joint stability and reduce meniscal stress.

At Pain Specialists of Frisco, our skilled pain management physicians and therapists will thoroughly evaluate your knee condition, injury severity, and lifestyle needs to determine the most appropriate brace or supportive solution for your unique situation. Together, we will help you achieve lasting pain relief, improved knee function, and an enhanced quality of life. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations in Frisco and Fort Worth TX. We serve patients from Frisco TX, Fort Worth TX, Prosper TX, Little Elm TX, The Colony TX, Haltom City TX, Benbrook TX, North Richland Hills TX, and surrounding areas.