Joint pain is not normal. It does not need to be tolerated as it is not “just a part of the aging process”. Rather, joint pain is your body’s “warning light”. As with your car, you should find the source of the problem causing the warning light to activate (rather than putting masking tape over the light to hide it).

Similarly, you should not merely take pain medication to mask joint pain—you should determine the source of the pain. The problem could be a small one which responds quickly to an exercise program or a more involved process requiring surgery—just ignoring the problem is the wrong approach.

Cartilage problems are the most common source of knee pain. Over 2 million people in the U.S. suffer cartilage problems each year. The cause may be an obvious injury or the problem may develop gradually without trauma. Whatever the cause, areas of damaged cartilage may cause pain and at times swelling - both make it difficult to maintain the active lifestyle you deserve. Fortunately, as we begin the new millennium, there are several new treatment options—many only recently available.

The goal of Cartilage Restoration Associates of New York is to offer a full range of contemporary treatment options for knee cartilage problems. These include the latest minimally invasive procedures adapted for arthroscopic surgery. Some techniques allow for spinal anesthesia and outpatient treatment while more advanced problems may require no more than an overnight stay or brief hospitalization.

In some cases, not only will this resolve pain and restore function, but may also halt the progression to arthritis. Sharing information on a regular basis with other regional Cartilage Restoration Centers in North America, CRA surgeons and research assistants are striving to advance cartilage restoration.