Non-Surgical Solutions to Arthritis Pain

Arthritis pain can be disruptive for some and crippling to others. If you’re not a candidate for surgery to treat your arthritis pain, know that a variety of nonsurgical treatments are available to help you find long-lasting pain relief.

At AABP Integrative Pain Care, our team of board-certified pain experts specialize in the treatment of chronic joint pain, so you can regain your mobility and get back to a physically active life.

What you can expect from arthritis

Arthritis is a chronic disease that affects the health and function of your joints. While there are over 100 known types of arthritis, the two most common that affect people’s quality of life include:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a wear-and-tear disease that gradually causes the breakdown of the cartilage that lines the ends of your joints. This cartilage protects your joint bones from rubbing together.

Without sufficient cartilage, your bones create friction that leads to persistent joint inflammation and pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder that causes your immune system to mistakenly attack otherwise healthy joints. This attack causes inflammation that triggers joint swelling and pain.

Without treatment, arthritis can lead to joint deformities that limit what you can do physically and ultimately become disabling. Unfortunately, once your joint becomes deformed, surgery is usually necessary to repair or replace it.

For this reason, it's important that you don’t put off treatment for arthritis pain in the earliest stages. Our pain specialists offer a number of effective, nonsurgical therapies to protect your joint health and keep you pain free.

Managing arthritis pain without invasive surgery

Mild to moderate arthritis pain may be manageable with anti-inflammatory medications and pain relievers. If oral medications aren’t enough, our physicians can deliver medications directly into your joint using minimally invasive injections.

Once your joint pain is reduced, we can refer you to physical therapy to strengthen the muscles that support your joint.

For severe arthritis pain, you might benefit from nonsurgical treatments like:

Viscosupplementation

Viscosupplementation involves injections of hyaluronic acid, a naturally occurring substance already found in your joint. Supplemental acid injections provide more cushioning for your joint, so you can move it more freely.

Regenerative medicine therapy

Regenerative medicine therapies use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or bone marrow aspirate concentrate to stimulate the growth of new tissue in your arthritic joint.

PRP contains growth factors that help your body produce new soft tissues to replace what’s damaged by arthritis. Bone marrow aspirate concentration can regenerate into any type of tissue, including bone and nerve tissue, to heal damaged joints.

Iovera tissue freezing

The Iovera® system uses cold energy to destroy nerves to prevent pain signals from traveling to your brain. This treatment can provide long-lasting pain relief for people with osteoarthritis.

Mind-body therapy

Because we value the importance of the mind-body connection, our providers can also recommend practices like altered focus meditation to help you better cope with chronic arthritis pain. 

Practicing meditation and other mindfulness techniques can also lessen your reliance on opioids and other strong and potentially addictive pain relievers.

To find out how to stay in control of your arthritis pain without surgery, call the AABP Integrative Pain Care office near you or book an appointment online today.