At a Glance Cortisone wins on short-term pain relief (1-4 weeks); PRP wins on 6-12 month outcomes in knee osteoarthritis and tendinopathy. Repeated cortisone injections carry documented risks of cartilage degradation and tendon weakening; PRP carries minimal tissue-harm risk. PRP costs $500-$2,000 per injection and is rarely covered by insurance; cortisone runs $100-$300 and is…
A prolo injection for the knee (prolotherapy) is a course of dextrose injections into and around the knee joint meant to prompt tissue repair. In the 2013 Rabago trial of 90 adults with knee osteoarthritis, it improved pain, function and stiffness more than saline or home exercise at 52 weeks.
Exercise is one of the most effective treatments for osteoarthritis, yet most people with OA don’t do enough of it. This guide covers the best types of exercise by joint, what to avoid, and how to get started even when your joints hurt.
At a Glance Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is best supported for calcific tendinitis of the shoulder, with strong evidence from multiple RCTs and systematic reviews. Rotator cuff tendinopathy and frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) also have meaningful evidence, though less definitive than for calcific tendinitis. Focused shockwave penetrates deeper and is preferable for calcifications; radial shockwave…
Osteoarthritis at a Glance What Osteoarthritis Actually Is (It Is Not Just Wear and Tear) For decades, doctors described osteoarthritis as a “wear and tear” disease. That framing is outdated, incomplete, and frankly misleading. Yes, mechanical stress plays a role. But OA is a whole-joint disease with active biological processes driving its progression. Here is…
A knee stem cell procedure costs $3,000 to $25,000 or more in the U.S., depending on cell type, and no major insurer covers it for knee osteoarthritis. Results depend more on arthritis grade than on price.
Osteoarthritis treatment, in Reston or anywhere in the US, starts with exercise, weight management and NSAIDs, then moves to injections such as cortisone, hyaluronic acid or PRP, and to joint replacement for end-stage joints.
A comprehensive guide to chronic joint pain — from accurate diagnosis through the full treatment spectrum including physical therapy, injection therapies, regenerative medicine, and when to consider surgery.
At a Glance PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field) therapy uses low-frequency electromagnetic pulses to influence cellular activity, reduce inflammation, and support tissue repair. The FDA has cleared specific PEMF devices for bone healing, pain management, and urinary incontinence. These clearances are for specific devices, not the technology category as a whole. The strongest evidence base is…
Stem cell therapy for knees injects concentrated cells, usually BMAC or SVF, into an arthritic knee to ease pain. Many patients improve, but the largest trial (Nature Medicine, 2023) found it no better than a steroid shot at 12 months.
A clinical guide to intra-articular ozone injections for knee OA and other joint conditions: how it works, RCT evidence versus hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids, prolozone, treatment protocols, and cost.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease of the joint lining, while osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of the whole joint. Compare symptoms, diagnosis, DMARDs, and the evidence for PRP, stem cells, prolotherapy and peptides.
