Knee Pain FAQs

In many cases, yes. IOW uses regenerative treatments such as PRP, prolotherapy, and stem cell therapy to stimulate natural healing and reduce inflammation without invasive surgery. These image-guided injections target the specific structure causing pain — cartilage, ligament, tendon, or joint — and are often used to avoid or delay procedures like knee replacement. Candidacy depends on the diagnosis and severity.

Sometimes. For moderate knee arthritis or cartilage wear, regenerative options like PRP or stem cells may reduce pain and improve function enough to delay or avoid replacement, especially when combined with rehab. They're less effective for end-stage, bone-on-bone arthritis, where replacement may still be the best answer. A diagnostic exam and imaging give you an honest read on which category your knee falls into.

It depends on severity — here's how IOW typically maps treatment to the stage of arthritis:

IOW recommends one, the other, or a combination based on imaging, exam findings, and your activity goals.

Some meniscus tears — particularly degenerative ones — can improve with regenerative treatment and rehab rather than arthroscopic surgery. PRP or stem cells may support healing and calm inflammation around the tear, and image guidance lets us target it precisely. Not every tear is a candidate; the pattern, location, and your symptoms guide the recommendation, which is why diagnosis comes first.

Knee pain often stems from ligament sprains (such as ACL or MCL), meniscus tears, tendon damage, arthritis, or post-surgical complications. The knee also links closely to the hips, ankles, and low back, so dysfunction elsewhere can show up as knee pain. IOW uses movement analysis, exam, and diagnostic ultrasound to pinpoint the true source rather than treating symptoms alone.

Most patients ease back into low-impact activity within days, but return to higher-demand Eastside favorites — skiing the passes, cycling the Lake Washington loop, or pickleball — is staged, often over several weeks, because regenerative treatment works as tissue gradually remodels. Pushing too hard too soon can undercut the healing you're paying for. IOW gives you a specific return-to-activity timeline tied to your treatment and goals.

IOW combines movement analysis, a physical exam, diagnostic ultrasound, and image-guided diagnostic injections to identify precisely which structure is generating pain. That precision means treatment targets the actual problem — not a guess — for faster, more effective recovery.