Interventional Orthopedics solves some of these problems by taking image-guided injection procedures to the next level. No longer do we just inject the “pain generator,” but we also address all of the structural tissues that are involved in the functional unit of the body part that has an injury. In the knee, for example, pain may be coming from inflammation due to osteoarthritis, but there may be looseness to the ligaments, irritation to the tendons, wear of the bone under the cartilage, and tearing of the meniscus shock absorbers which are all involved in the function of the joint – treating all aspects with orthobiologics provides comprehensive treatment with better longer lasting results. 

In the absence of a specific trauma or injury, what is the reason why your knee became painful in the first place? Why does the outside of the knee hurt even though the inside has more arthritis? And why is it only one knee that is bothersome? Or why do you have pain in your elbow and shoulder on the same side? Or why do you have pain in your left hand if you’re right handed? You get the point. 

On the other end of the spectrum, there are Osteopathic physicians, Chiropractors and Functional Medicine providers that do a tremendous job at looking at the body as a whole and underlying issues, but may be limited in the breadth of their treatment options when it comes to orthopedic injuries and pain conditions.