Understanding Knee Pain and Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis affects over 32 million adults in the United States, making it the most common joint disease. It occurs when the articular cartilage covering the ends of the femur, tibia, and patella gradually wears away, leading to bone-on-bone contact, joint space narrowing, osteophyte (bone spur) formation, and chronic inflammation. The result is pain, stiffness, swelling, and progressive loss of mobility.
While knee replacement remains the definitive treatment for end-stage arthritis, a significant proportion of patients — especially those with moderate disease or who are not ideal surgical candidates — can achieve excellent functional outcomes with targeted injection therapies. Dr. Qureshi performs all knee injections under ultrasound guidance to confirm accurate intra-articular placement, which significantly improves efficacy compared to landmark-guided injections.
Symptoms
- Pain with weight-bearing activities — walking, stairs, rising from a chair
- Morning stiffness lasting 15–30 minutes
- Swelling and warmth in the joint
- Creaking, grinding, or clicking sounds (crepitus) with movement
- Reduced range of motion and inability to fully straighten or bend the knee
- Pain that worsens with weather changes
Treatment Options at Our Katy Practice
Dr. Qureshi takes a multimodal, non-surgical approach to pain management. Treatment recommendations are based on your diagnosis, imaging findings, symptom severity, and prior treatment history.
- Corticosteroid knee injections for rapid anti-inflammatory relief
- Hyaluronic acid (viscosupplementation) for lubrication in mild-moderate OA
- PRP therapy for regenerative benefit and longer-term symptom control
- Genicular nerve block and radiofrequency ablation for refractory knee OA pain
- Physical therapy and activity modification guidance