When you’re an active person and knee pain strikes, it’s frustrating to be sidelined. At Denver Sports Medicine and Spine, the physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists Yani C. Zinis, DO, and Raili Donnelly, PA-C, understand how significantly limiting and difficult acute and chronic knee injuries can become. They offer advanced nonsurgical treatments for both for acute and long-term knee conditions, geared toward getting you back to doing what you love. Find out about your treatment options by calling the Denver, Colorado, office or clicking the online booking feature now.

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When do knee problems require treatment?

Knee problems that require medical care include:

  • Persistent pain
  • Stiffness
  • Difficulty moving your knee
  • Swelling
  • Instability, locking/popping/catching

Many patients call Denver Sports Medicine and Spine when they can’t keep up with their regular activities, whether playing sports every day, playing with the grandkids, or something else.

What causes knee problems?

Common knee problems can arise including:

Patellofemoral issues

Patellofemoral issues occur in and around the kneecap (patella).  Such issues can arise due to injury or knee anatomy differences.  Anterior knee pain is frequently related to lateral tracking of the patella, often a result of weakness in the medial quad.

Meniscus tears

Meniscus tears affect one of the two menisci in each knee. The menisci are cartilage “bumpers” that help to cushion the joint from impact . Meniscus tears may be acute or chronic/degenerative and are common sports injuries, particularly for those who play contact sports.

Ligament instability

Ligament instability occurs when the ligaments that connect the bones in the knee joint are acutely injured or become weak or loose. This leads to knee joint lack of stability, and frequently result in difficulty maintaining an active life. Ligament instability can occur due to injury and genetic conditions.

Ligament tears

The major ligaments in your knees enable forward, backward, and rotating motions and provide joint stability. Tears in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) can lead to pain, instability, and weakness. Ligament tears are common sports injuries, which may occur both from direct impact, or a non-impact forceful “twisting” or torsion of the knee joint.

Arthritis

Several types of arthritis can develop in the knee joints, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Athletes are more prone to post-traumatic arthritis, an osteoarthritis variant that forms at the site of a prior injury.

How are knee issues treated?

Denver Sports Medicine and Spine offers the highest level of nonsurgical treatments focusing on relieving your symptoms and getting you back to the things you love. Many patients get excellent results from knee joint injections, such as cortisone, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), viscosupplementation*, or allograft tissue injections* (alternative injections).  The focus of various treatments is always to restore function and not deteriorate the knee joint further.

The team also has a strong referral network, including top-rated physical therapists and orthopedic surgical specialists, to meet your every recovery need.

If you have knee pain, stiffness, or other frustrating symptoms that keep you from being active, call Denver Sports Medicine and Spine or book your appointment online now.

*Viscosupplementation is FDA-approved for treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

*Some tissue injections are FDA-approved only for the treatment of certain cancers, blood disorders, and immune disorders