For some time I have experienced arthritic type pain in my left knee. Because of my age (83) I really did want to have it replaced and thus asked Dr. Bryan Waxman what he could do for me. He has been giving me shots in the knee on a 3-4 times per year basis for about 3 years with mixed results. I finally decided it was not working. About three weeks ago I awoke one morning with more severe pain in the knee than I had previously experienced. I had no idea what was going on. I considered going to a [different] walk in facility because I needed immediate help. I took a flyer and called Dr. Waxman's office and was able to get in that day. I walked into his office with a cane and much pain. He felt my knee and noticed a lot of fluid inside. He also mentioned that they had a new type of shot that they thought might be superior to what I had been give previously. He then took quite a bit of fluid from the knee and inserted the needle. Long story short. After walking into his office with a cane, on a Wednesday afternoon, I was able to play 18 holes of golf on the following Friday morning. I have had no pain since and my knee feels great. At a follow up call the following week, Dr. Waxman said just call me again if the pain ever recurs. I am so glad I called him and he was available to see me. Just to let you know it is not a perfect world. The shot did nothing to improve my already lousy golf game.
Bryan Waxman, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in treating disorders of the foot, ankle and knee, including sports injuries, trauma and the various forms of arthritis.
This article is part of the Ultimate Guide to Knee Pain Relief.
