Osteoarthritis Specialist

What is osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is a type of degenerative joint disease in which cartilage, the specialized connective tissue that coats the ends of your bones, breaks down. A healthy joint glides easily thanks to this cartilage coating, but as the cartilage dissipates, the bones of your joint rub together. 

This causes many symptoms, including serious pain. Osteoarthritis is most common in the hips, knees, and shoulders. 

What are the symptoms of osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis causes many physical issues in and around your affected joint, including:

• Pain during or after joint motion
• Stiffness
• Swelling
• Tenderness or sensitivity
• Restricted range of motion
• Popping, cracking, or grating feeling during joint motion

Some osteoarthritis sufferers also develop bone spurs, tiny bony growths within the joint. 

How do you treat osteoarthritis? 

Many osteoarthritis sufferers think that their disease is just one of the unavoidable difficulties of aging. While it's true that many middle-aged and older adults develop osteoarthritis, it's not something you have to live with. 

At Bay Oaks Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, Dr. Melillo offers a variety of cutting-edge treatments for osteoarthritis, including:

Steroid injections

Steroid injections deliver a steroid and anesthetic locally around your joint. The steroid reduces inflammation, which helps with swelling and pain. The anesthetic numbs your joint to ease pain and improve movement.

Hyaluronic acid injections

Hyaluronic acid injections, or viscosupplementation, help restore smooth movement in an arthritic joint. Your joints have a natural gel-like lubricant that wears down when you have osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections give you a replacement lubricant, which improves joint movement and shock absorption. This can ease your pain and other symptoms significantly.

Regenerative medicine injections

Regenerative medicine injections, which can include platelet-rich plasma (PRP) or stem cells, deliver a massive local dose of tissue-healing and regenerative substances found naturally in the human body. PRP and stem cell injections can reduce swelling, inflammation, and pain while encouraging lasting joint recovery. 

Joint replacements

Dr. Melillo may recommend a hip, knee, or shoulder joint replacement if more conservative care like medication and injections don’t help you. 

In a joint replacement, Dr. Melillo removes part or all of your joint and then restores it with plastic and metal parts that use your natural tissues and bones for support. Dr. Melillo performs robotic joint replacement, the most surgically advanced option, when possible. 

Robotic joint replacement offers excellent surgical outcomes, rapid recovery, and smooth, natural-feeling joint movement. 

Experiencing ongoing osteoarthritis pain? Bay Oaks Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine offers concierge-type care, and Dr. Melillo is ready to help. Schedule your appointment by calling the office or booking online now.