Most anybody experiencing knee pain, brought on by injury, arthritis or something else, probably would choose any therapy or procedure over the more invasive option of surgery.

With surgery, there’s some expected post-op downtime, then perhaps rehab – weeks of recovery, even in the best of circumstances.

For some, however, AdVance Joint Regeneration offers an alternative: it’s called visco supplementation and Clinical Director Brad Johnson said the procedure often delays or prevents the need for surgery.

“To delay or prevent surgery is always a good thing,” Johnson said.

Their specialty is knee joint injections, and Johnson said it’s covered by most insurances, including Medicare and Medicaid. As the clinic’s director, it’s part of his job to answer patients’ questions, handle insurance and generally make sure the place runs smoothly, Johnson said on Tuesday’s TownTalk.

An initial exam and x-rays, followed by an arthrogram – injecting a bit of dye into the joint – helps staff determine good candidates for the joint injection of hyaluronic acid.

Joints like knees are encapsulated, which keeps the body’s natural lubrication contained within the joint and doing its job. Johnson said his staff uses a fluoroscope during the arthrogram to make sure the dye stays within the encapsulated joint and that there is no damage that would cause it to leak out.

The hyaluronic acid is “very similar to what’s in your joints already,” Johnson explained. During the arthrogram, as the dye is injected, the examiner “can see it moving around and staying in place. As long as it doesn’t migrate, she can go ahead and do the treatment.” Physician Assistant Katheryn Lordy and Andrew Stock, M.D. staff the Henderson clinic.

In case the tests show some damage, there’s a way to “trick” the brain into cleaning up the damaged tissue to promote healing using the patient’s own blood platelets.

A platelet rich plasma is injected into the damaged joint, Johnson said, which triggers the brain to start repairing the tissue.

Patients receive five weekly injections and go home with a knee brace to support and gently realign the knee and leg. Sometimes, they’ll need physical therapy or a home exercise device to help improve range of motion, but that’s about it as far as post-injection care goes.

“The downtime is basically none,” Johnson said. Patients “can basically go back and do what they want to do and what they’re comfortable doing.”

Contact AdVance Joint Regeneration at 252.572.2944 to make an appointment for a no-obligation consultation. Visit https://advancejointregeneration.com/ to learn about all the services offered.

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