Arthroscopic Knee Surgery to Repair ACL Injuries or Meniscus Tears Won’t Stop Osteoarthritis from Developing In the Knee
A study published in the journal of Radiology (August 2010 issue) followed 326 men and women 10 years after they had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair torn Anterior Cruciate Ligaments (ACL) and meniscus tears. Initially, researchers hypothesized that patients who had arthroscopic knee surgery would lower their risk for developing osteoarthritis in their knee and also lower their risk for other complications such as loss of cartilage, lesions in the bone marrow, and narrowing of the joint space. However, this was not the case, osteoarthritis developed in the men and women’s knees’ despite doing knee surgery to fix the injuries.
This research study confirms what I view on x-rays on daily basis which is surgery does NOT stop osteoarthritis it actually helps contribute and speeds up the process of cartilage loss and deterioration!
The bottom line is knee surgery will not prevent osteoarthritis in the knee, so don’t be fooled into thinking that it will…
To read about How Cold Laser Therapy Helps Stave off the Effects of Osteoarthritis in the Knee click here.
If you live in the Dallas, Fort Worth or surrounding areas call our office at 214- 596-1051 to find out if you’re a candidate for Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program.
Or if you would like more information about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief!
- Stein, Jeanine. Surgery to Repair ACL and Meniscus Injuries May Not Reduce Osteoarthritis Risk. Los Angeles Times. June 29,2010.
Do The Series of ‘Gel Like’ Injections Really Work?
I’m referring to Hyaluronic acid injections aka rooster comb, gel injections, viscosupplements, SYNVISC®, Hyalgen®, Euflexxa®, Supartz®, Orthovisc®, etc.
In my opinion the answer to this question is NO, NOT REALLY. Ultimately though you have to decide for yourself… Let me explain…
I have personally treated and talked to many patients who have had the series of three to five injections listed above (3-5 injections are usually administered over the course of a few weeks. Recently, SYNVISC® came out with one injection). Most patients noticed little to no knee pain relief after the injections. Some noticed that their knee pain and swelling got worse after the injections and they developed what’s known as a ‘hot knee’. Others developed an allergic reaction to the shot and were unable to complete the series. Of the few that responded favorably to the injection they noticed temporary pain relief (which in all fairness the injections do claim that the relief is only temporary and usually lasts for up to 6 months).
There are multiple studies indicating that Hyaluronic injections are as effective as placebo injections,[1] [2] [3]and that the effect of anti-inflammatory drugs is 48 times greater than the effect of Hyaluronic acid injections (or rooster comb injections).[4]
One study indicated that the immediate pain relief patients experienced was not due to the injection itself, but from draining the fluid in the knee, a step doctors take prior to administering the injection to prep the knee.
Most patients mistakenly think that the injections add ‘cushioning’ or cartilage to their knee. Unfortunately, this is not the case! IF the injections are successful the theory behind them is that they help lubricate the knee joint. The injections do NOT stimulate cartilage or increase the amount of cartilage in the knee.
Based on my personal experience and the multiple studies I have read (not the ones funded by the pharmaceutical companies, but ones written by a third party) about the injections. I believe that there isn’t any real evidence that proves their effectiveness in the treatment of osteoarthritis knee pain.
On the other hand, I do believe that an individual should leave knee surgery as their very last option, so it’s certainly worth giving it a ‘shot’.
If you suffer from knee pain due to cartilage loss, ‘bone on bone’, or osteoarthritis of the knee and you want to avoid a total knee replacement or you cannot undergo a total knee replacement due to other health problems then Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program may be the answer to your knee problem. Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program is considered a complete treatment plan that combines low-level laser treatments (cold laser treatments), non-weight bearing exercises, and other modalities that promote rehabilitation of the knee. Every patient’s program is different depending on whether they suffer from arthritis, ‘bone on bone’, meniscus tears, bursitis, tendonitis, Baker’s Cyst, post surgical arthroscopic knee pain, or a combination of the listed conditions. If you live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area call our office at 214- 596-1051 to find out if you’re a candidate for Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program.
Or if you would like more information about Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Program fill out the form on the right side of this screen to get your FREE report mailed to you entitled, Amazing Cold Laser Therapy the Missing Link to Knee Pain Relief!
At the DFW Spine & Joint Center we also have programs available that can help most musculoskeletal conditions such as low back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, sciatica, disc and nerve problems, hip, ankle foot, hand and wrist pain, etc…
Dr. Robert Hanson, an associate at the DFW Spine & Joint Center, offers a very successful non-surgical program that treats herniated, bulging, degenerated discs, stenosis, and pinched nerves with Cold Laser/Spinal Decompression Therapy.
Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Professional of the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area since 2001.”
Source:
1. Brandt KD, et al. Arthritis Rheum. 2000; 43: 1192-1203
2. Lo GH, et al. JAMA. 2003; 290: 3115-3121.
3. Karlsson J, et al. Rheumatol. 2002; 41:1240-1248.
4. Archives of Internal Medicine February 11, 2002; 162:292-298.
Why Choose Dr. Schnee’s Cold Laser Knee Pain Program?
Originally, I was one of the only doctors in the DFW area using Cold Lasers or Low-Level Lasers. Now, after several years and over 18,000 successful treatments later, there are a few more doctors that offer cold laser treatments. However, there are no other doctors who I know of that use cold lasers to solely treat knee pain sufferers.
I do not use a cookie cutter approach to patient care. In my office, patients with knee pain undergo a customized program depending on their knee condition to get the maximum benefits in the shortest amount of time. I can choose from five different lasers so that patients get the proper care for their condition, and most of the time I combine multiple lasers to achieve the best results. My office uses world renowned lasers such as MedX™, ML830™, Apollo™, Quantum™ etc. It is important to note that even though cold laser makes up a large part of our knee program there are other therapies that are used in conjunction with the laser, so that you get optimal, long lasting results.
Our goal is to help relieve pain, decrease swelling, increase range of motion and flexibility. Ultimately, we want to help patients avoid knee surgery, and for many knee pain sufferers we are able to help them achieve that goal. That is why our program is so successful, and every week we have patients who drive in or fly in from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Houston, San Antonio, Austin and from other cities outside of Dallas/ Fort Worth and stay in a hotel just so they can get the relief they need to help them avoid surgery. Many of my patients travel far distances to complete treatments with us even though there are doctors that are closer to them. They choose to receive care in my office because of our great reputation and stellar results with treating patients suffering from knee pain.
Any doctor can own Cold Laser Therapy equipment, but this does not mean they are proficient at it. NOT every doctor understands laser or has devoted their time to laser therapy. There are offices that claim to do laser therapy, but do not use true cold lasers. In addition, there are offices that don’t allot the time needed to administer the cold laser properly, and they wave a laser over a patient for a few minutes and refer to that as a treatment.
At the DFW Spine & Joint Center our Cold Laser Knee Program is effective because we use true cold lasers, allot proper time, and cover all bases so that you have the highest probability of a complete and lasting recovery.
If you have knee pain, and live in the Dallas/ Fort Worth Metroplex or surrounding areas, and would like more information about our Cold Laser Therapy Knee Program please fill out the form on the right hand side of this screen. A FREE Knee Pain Report will be mailed to you within 72 hours. Or if you have questions please call our office at 214-596-1051.
This blog is meant to be interactive, and informative. I’ll be adding new information regularly on this blog, so stay tuned. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to share them below.
Article by Dr. Alexandra K. Schnee, B.S.,D.C.,-Your Cold Laser Professional of the Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas Area-“Helping People with Knee Pain and Joint Pain in the Dallas/Fort Worth Area since 2001”
