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Knee Pain is one of the top reasons patients visit Source of Health. Common questions include: Is surgery necessary for a torn meniscus? Can a meniscus heal on its own? Can you live with a torn meniscus?
What most surgeons recommend is to scope a knee and “clean it up” meaning to remove tissue. Your meniscus is composed of fibrocartilage and acts as a “shock absorber” for impact in the knee. Pain typically feels like the knee catches on something or has a painful click to it. A torn meniscus often presents with osteoarthritis, tendon pain (tendonitis), and/or ligament laxity.
Usually, people who are sports-minded or around middle age seek medical attention for knee pain. Upon exam and MRI findings, a torn meniscus is common. Conventional treatment is directed at fixing or removing the tear. The shortfall of this approach is that the surrounding structures are rarely supported and by removing tissue, the joint becomes more unstable and the chances of needing a knee replacement in the future go up!
At Source of Health, we aim to focus our treatments on 3 main parameters:
- Increased joint stability
- Decreased pain
- Regenerate lost tissue
With therapies such as tissue repair cells, Platelet Rich Plasma therapy, and Prolotherapy, we have seen significant improvement in all 3 parameters. There is a vast amount of peer-review research studies verifying the long-term safety and effectiveness of regenerative injection therapies.
Recently an article in the NY Times, Why ‘Useless’ Surgery Is Still Popular, reports on the poor outcomes of surgery and how even the placebo effect is comparable to going under the knife.
In conclusion, knee pain from a torn meniscus is not a sentence for surgery. There are other options like regenerative medicine that you should certainly seek out first before going under the knife. We are passionate about helping patients look and feel their best, naturally.
To schedule a Free Consultation, give us a call at 480.361.4005
About the author:
Dr. Steven Sorr is the founder and chief medical officer at Source of Health in Scottsdale, AZ and has been in clinical practice using regenerative medicine since 2013. He received his doctorate in naturopathic medicine from SCNM and is a licensed healthcare provider in Arizona.
Dr. Sorr brings a huge passion for life and a diverse educational background of food, yoga, and medicine to Source of Health. His goal is to revolutionize the standard of care mindset by making significant strides in evidence-based therapies that are drug and surgery-free to restore high-level health for all.
