Conditions We Treat
Knee arthritis doesn't have to be a fast track to replacement. Most patients can meaningfully reduce pain, maintain function, and delay or avoid surgery with structured PT. The evidence on this is strong: progressive strengthening is at least as effective as arthroscopic surgery for most knee osteoarthritis, and far safer.
Knee osteoarthritis (medial, lateral, patellofemoral compartments, or all three), post-traumatic arthritis after old ligament or meniscus injuries, mild-to-moderate degenerative meniscus tears (which look like arthritis on MRI), and joint stiffness without aggressive radiographic findings.
Imaging often shows arthritis that doesn't correlate with symptoms. We focus on what we can change: quad and glute strength, range of motion, gait mechanics, and load tolerance. Many patients meaningfully reduce pain even when imaging looks rough.
Progressive strengthening — quad, hamstring, hip, and calf. Manual therapy for joint mobility and soft tissue. Aerobic conditioning, especially low-impact (bike, pool). Weight management coordination when appropriate (small weight reductions have outsized knee benefits). Gait and movement re-education for the patterns that load the knee unevenly.
We're honest about it. When pain is uncontrolled despite consistent rehab, when daily function is severely limited, when imaging shows bone-on-bone with significant deformity — those patients usually do well with replacement. We can prepare you with pre-hab to optimize outcomes.
Medicare, CareFirst, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Tricare. Self-pay $150. Capitol Hill, Bethesda, and in-home.
Same-week evaluations at Capitol Hill, Bethesda, and in-home throughout the DMV.
Book a Knee Arthritis EvalYes — many patients delay or avoid replacement for years with consistent strength and conditioning work. Some don't need it at all. The right answer depends on your symptoms, function, and goals — not just the imaging.
Short-term relief is real, but repeated injections may accelerate cartilage breakdown. PT plus selective injections is reasonable for many patients; PT alone often works.
Mixed evidence — some patients get meaningful relief, others don't. Reasonable to try if you've maxed out PT and aren't ready for surgery.
Often yes, with modifications. The evidence doesn't support "running wears out your knees" as a universal rule. We help you keep moving in ways that don't worsen the joint.
Most patients see meaningful improvement in 6–12 weeks. Long-term, it's about establishing a maintenance program — a few key exercises 2–3x/week keeps things working.