Are you living with knee pain in St. Croix, St. Thomas or Tortola, Virgin Islands?
Are you one of the estimated 100 million Americans suffering from chronic knee pain? If so, this may have you turning to the St. Thomas and St. Croix, orthopaedic specialist Dr. Jeffrey Chase at Virgin Islands Orthopaedics and Medical Specialists. Find out more about knee pain, including causes and treatment options.
What Causes Knee Pain?
If you’ve been running a lot lately or been injured while playing sports, you probably know where your knee pain comes from. Other times, this problem may sneak up on you, making it harder to pinpoint the root cause. The most common causes of knee pain that our St. Thomas and St. Croix, orthopaedic team diagnoses and treats include,
- Acute injuries such as broken bones and ligament tears
- Overuse injuries such as bursitis or tendinitis
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Gout
- Obesity
When Should I Turn to a Specialist?
If you are dealing with severe knee pain or pain that persists for several days despite rest and home care, it’s time to turn to our team here in St. Thomas and St. Croix. Yes, your primary doctor may be able to examine your knee and prescribe pain relievers and home care, only our orthopedic team will be able to provide you with more advanced and effective treatment options to treat all causes of knee pain.
How will an orthopaedist treat knee pain?
We will first need to find out what’s causing your pain before determining how to treat it. A physical examination and imaging tests (e.g., MRI; CT scan) are typically all that are needed to make a diagnosis. There are several treatment options we provide to ease knee pain, including,
Cortisone injections: Steroid injections can provide long-term relief from pain and swelling. Those dealing with acute or chronic knee pain can benefit, particularly when pain relievers aren’t providing you with ample relief or severe pain.
Physical therapy and rehab: We can also prescribe certain exercises designed to strengthen the tendons, ligaments, muscles and other soft tissue in and around the knee to protect against future injuries and provide a faster recovery time for those dealing with injuries.
Viscosupplementation: This treatment involves injecting hyaluronic acid (HA) into the knee to provide lubrication for the joint and can be particularly helpful for those dealing with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Surgery: When there is severe or significant damage to the knee, sometimes surgery is the best way to repair the joint, tissue or muscle. Surgery is typically the last resort or recommended when an injury is so severe that it impacts the function and stability of the knee.
Virgin Islands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine is here to treat your chronic or severe knee pain. To turn to our St. Thomas and St. Croix orthopaedic specialist Dr. Jeffrey Chase for care, call (340) 714-2845 or (340) 692-5000 today.