Who Treats Osteoarthritis?

If you're dealing with joint pain and stiffness, you've probably searched for a "knee doctor near me" or "hip doctor near me" feeling overwhelmed by your options. Understanding what different specialists can and can't do for your arthritis—and why a comprehensive approach might be your best path forward—is crucial for getting the right care.

The Orthopedic Approach: Structural Solutions

When searching for an orthopedic specialist, you'll find surgeons skilled at structural repairs. Whether you need a knee specialist, hip doctor, or shoulder specialist, these bone doctors excel at replacements and reconstructions for severely damaged joints.

What Orthopedic Specialists Excel At:

• Joint replacements and major reconstructive surgeries
• Treating severe structural damage
• Advanced orthopedics and sports medicine procedures
• Arthroscopic procedures for mechanical issues

The Hidden Limitations:

The Revision Reality: Joint replacements typically need revision surgery every 15-20 years. If you see a knee doctor for replacement at 55, you're likely looking at 2-3 major surgeries over your lifetime.

The Domino Effect: When you get a "successful" knee replacement from the best knee doctors, it can change how you walk so dramatically that it often accelerates arthritis in your opposite hip.

Even skilled orthopedic specialists address end-stage symptoms but don't stop the underlying inflammatory process destroying cartilage in other joints.

The Rheumatologist Approach: Managing Inflammation

Rheumatologists understand that arthritis affects your whole system, not just individual joints. They see the bigger picture of how inflammation works throughout your body.

The Treatment Limitations:

The Symptom Mask: Anti-inflammatory medications can provide remarkable relief but often mask underlying metabolic problems that fuel the inflammatory process.

The Dependency Cycle: Many rheumatologic drugs gradually reduce your body's natural ability to manage inflammation, creating a "treatment treadmill."

Choosing the Right Specialist

Sports Medicine Doctor vs. Traditional Orthopedic Doctor

Traditional orthopedic specialists typically focus on surgical solutions. If you're seeing a knee specialist or hip doctor at a traditional practice, they'll likely recommend joint replacement when conservative treatments fail.

Sports medicine doctors often have more experience with non-surgical treatments and understand how joint problems affect overall movement patterns.

Beyond Traditional Specialists: The Root Cause Problem

The challenge with traditional specialization is that osteoarthritis doesn't respect these boundaries. Most specialists miss the crucial pain-inflammation loop: pain isn't just a symptom—it's a driving force that makes arthritis worse through inflammatory chemicals that damage more cartilage.

Don't Let Surgery Become Your Only Option

If you're reading this, chances are an orthopedic specialist, or knee specialist has mentioned joint replacement surgery. Maybe they said it's "inevitable," or you're watching others go through multiple surgeries with mixed results.

The Reality of Joint Replacement:

• Multiple surgeries guaranteed - Every replacement needs revision every 15-20 years
• Months of painful recovery with extensive rehabilitation
• Permanent lifestyle changes and activity restrictions
• The domino effect - Surgery on one joint can accelerate problems elsewhere

AROmotion's Alternative: Lasting Relief Without Surgery

While traditional bone doctors, knee pain doctors, and joint doctors prepare you for the operating room, AROmotion pioneers a different path—one that preserves your natural joints while delivering lasting pain relief. Our RFA procedures are performed in-office with local anesthesia. Most patients return to normal activities within days, not months—with no general anesthesia risks, no surgical complications, and no lengthy rehabilitation that orthopedic specialists typically require.

AROmotion has helped thousands of patients who were told by joint doctors they "needed" surgery have found lasting relief while keeping their natural joints intact.