Expert treatment for knee pain
When our knees our healthy and working properly, it can be easy to pay them no attention. It’s often only when they’re damaged that we realise just how much we depend on them for so many of our daily activities.
Knee pain in particular is a very common problem, often resulting from a sports injury or general wear-and-tear as we get older.
When we have pain or stiffness in the knee, even simple things like getting out of bed, walking downstairs or driving a car can all become much more difficult.
Whether you’re suffering from arthritis in the knee, damage to a ligament or meniscus or incorrect alignment of the joint itself, they would be delighted to help you.
When you visit Bath Clinic for your knee problem, you will have access to the largest group of dedicated knee specialists in the country for best-in-class assessment, diagnosis and treatment for all knee conditions and symptoms.
Our leading knee experts help adults of all ages and activity levels to get out of pain and stiffness, and back to better mobility and function in their knee once again. They would be absolutely delighted to help you too.
As a weight-bearing joint, it has a number of different loads and forces being put through it each time you stand, walk or jump. The structure of the knee, comprising bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and shock-absorbing bursae, is designed to help disperse and redirect these loads safely without causing damage to the joint.
With this complexity and function comes the potential for injury or damage. If any part of the knee, whether structural of functional, is affected by injury or disease, it can cause symptoms such as pain and stiffness.
Some of the common reasons people come to us for help include:
Knee conditions that can cause these symptoms include:
While many knee injuries will resolve themselves naturally over time, others may continue to cause you problems. If your knee injury doesn’t seem to be getting better over time, or is starting to affect daily life, it is sensible to have things investigated by a knee specialist to get clarity about what exactly is going on in your knee and how it can best be treated.
Likewise, ‘wear and tear’ damage in the knee will often only cause fairly mild symptoms, particularly when the degeneration is not too advanced. If the damage is more extensive, with severe osteoarthritis for example, you may find that the pain and stiffness in your knee is bad enough to start limiting your mobility or interrupting your sleep. This is also a sensible time to get expert medical guidance.
Getting expert help, advice and the appropriate treatment when needed can help to get you out of pain and keep you mobile and active.
Bath Clinic does not have paediatric facilities, therefore we cannot accept any appointments for those under 18 years of age – thank you for your understanding.
If you would like a personalised quote for the treatment you need, give us a call and one of our dedicated advisors can provide one.
If you are paying for your own treatment, you'll be given a fixed-price package, which will include a full breakdown of costs so you know exactly what's included. Our self-pay customers can take advantage of flexible payment options, allowing you to spread the cost over monthly instalments.
If you have private medical insurance, knee surgery may be covered by your policy. Speak to your provider to find out, or call our team for advice. We liaise directly with insurers to make things easier for you.
Initial treatment for knee problems will often be conservative, and these can be very good at relieving symptoms. They include:
All of these can be arranged for you at Bath Clinic. Our physiotherapists work closely with the knee surgeons to ensure any exercise or mobility programme is tailored to your specific needs. If over-the-counter pain relief medication is not able to help, your consultant can prescribe stronger medication where appropriate. Joint injections tend to be of a corticosteroid, which provides a pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effect.
If these non-surgical treatments aren’t able to give you appropriate symptom relief, surgery may be an option. We provide a comprehensive range of surgical treatments.
A Partial Knee Replacement (PKR) can be done where only part of the knee has been damaged.
Where the ACL has been ruptured (torn), ACL Reconstruction will help to restore stability in the joint again. The damaged ACL is reconstructed using graft tissue taken from the hamstring tendons or patella tendon.
When a meniscus has been damaged, Meniscus Repair can be carried out. Although still fairly uncommon, Meniscus transplantation may be an option. This uses donor tissue to replace the damaged meniscus. It is not appropriate for all patients, but your consultant will be able to discuss this further with you if required.
An Osteotomy can be done to correct misalignment of the knee, where the poor alignment is causing damage to specific parts of the knee.
Patella correction/stabilization can be helpful if you suffer from recurrent dislocation of the patella (kneecap).
Many modern knee operations can be carried out with keyhole surgery (knee arthroscopy). This minimally invasive approach to surgery means smaller cuts, reduced pain and bleeding, less visible scarring and a faster recovery.
Whether your knee problem would be better treated with or without surgery, by “open” surgery or keyhole surgery, you will be guided at every stage by a leading Consultant Knee Surgeon. With some of the top knee surgeons in the country choosing to work at Bath Clinic, including international leaders in ACL reconstruction and meniscus repair, you will always be in extremely good hands when you come to us for treatment.
Knee replacement surgery usually takes between one and two hours, but this will depend on the details of your surgery, and it can take longer.
Your consultant knee surgeon will give you personalised information so that you know what to expect on the day of your surgery.
Knee surgery is highly successful overall. For example, 85-95% of knee replacement surgery patients experience a significant improvement in pain levels and mobility.
How successful it will be in any one case depends on various factors, so do speak to your consultant about what you can expect.
One important note is that physiotherapy is one of the most important things you can do to promote successful recovery. All our knee surgery patients will work with a physiotherapist on a personalised recovery plan.
They will carry out a clinical examination of your knee, and often your hip, back and lower leg as well if they suspect that your knee pain may be referred from a problem in one of these areas.
This may be all that is needed to make a diagnosis, but often you will be referred for further investigations. These may include blood tests, X-ray, CT or MRI scans or ultrasound. With comprehensive imaging facilities on-site at Bath Clinic, any of these can be easily arranged for you if required. On-site radiologists provide fast reporting of any scans, so that the results are back with your consultant as soon as possible.
Once the results of any tests are back and a diagnosis has been made, your consultant will meet with you again to discuss them with you and to explore possible treatment options.
For some knee problems, your consultant may need to perform knee arthroscopy, a form of keyhole surgery. This gives them an excellent look inside the knee joint. If certain problems are seen, such as damage to the cartilage or a ligament, these can often be addressed during the arthroscopy to provide relief of symptoms.
It may be that referral to another specialist is needed. For example, if it is found that the pain in your knee is being caused by a problem in your back or hip, you will be referred to a spinal surgeon or a hip surgeon.
If you have any concerns about your knee, we can help. There are good, effective treatments to help get you out of pain and back to doing the things you most enjoy.
For peace of mind and expert care ASAP, please contact us today to book your appointment. We look forward to welcoming you to Bath Clinic.
Some swelling is expected after knee surgery, and it may take a good few weeks or even a few months to subside. Your surgeon will give you details of exactly what to expect in your case.
If you experience any of the following after your knee surgery, you should seek help immediately:
Reception: 01225 835555
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Outpatients: 7am-8pm
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