# What alternatives to knee replacement can you try first? *Options Before Surgery — Non-surgical Knee Treatment Surprise* > Alternatives to knee replacement include home care and clinic options. Compare them with non-surgical knee treatment Surprise residents can discuss. The first stair may hurt, the knee may ease by lunch, and the ache may return at night. That rise and fall often follows how much weight the joint carried. Leg muscles also tire during the day, so they control each step less well. You can change that load before deciding on surgery. If the soreness keeps limiting you, an exam can narrow the choices. ## What to change at home first Begin with the task that causes the most trouble. Shorten it, slow down, or split the work across the day. A cane can take some weight off the sore side. A brace may steady certain knees. Strength work helps the muscles control how firmly each step lands. Start gently, then add more only when the knee settles by the next morning. Medicine rubbed on the skin may also help. Ask your doctor before swallowing medicine for the ache. Small changes count when they help you walk or sleep more easily. ## When to ask about knee shots made from your blood QC Kinetix in Peoria offers an exam and a talk about regenerative treatments, which can include knee shots made from body material such as your own blood during a clinic visit. The phrase biologic therapies means knee shots made from body material, such as your blood. Medical providers are the health workers who review the knee and deliver any chosen clinic care. Take your X-ray report, medicine list, and brief notes about swelling. Ask exactly what goes into the shot and how it is prepared. You'll also need the full price and visit schedule before deciding. A clear answer tells you what will happen to your knee. ## When to discuss replacement again Replacement may be worth another talk when walking, stairs, or sleep keep getting harder. The operation takes away worn surfaces at the bone ends and fits new bearing surfaces. A knee scope doesn't do that. Other care may delay surgery, but it can't promise that surgery will never fit. Before starting, agree with your doctor on when you will review the results. If you follow the plan until then and daily tasks still worsen, the treatment hasn't done enough. Ask what replacement may improve, what could stay sore, and what help you'll need during recovery. ## Sources 1. OARSI 2019 designates arthritis education plus structured land-based exercise (with or without dietary weight management) as CORE treatments for knee OA, and education plus structured land-based exercise as core for hip and polyarticular OA. Topical NSAIDs are strongly recommended for knee OA (Level 1A). Intra-articular corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid are Level 1B/2 for knee OA depending on comorbidity and are NOT recommended for hip or polyarticular OA. Oral NSAIDs are not recommended for people with cardiovascular comorbidity or frailty, and oral and transdermal opioids are strongly not recommended (Level 5). Bannuru RR, Osani MC, Vaysbrot EE, et al. — [OARSI guidelines for the non-surgical management of knee, hip, and polyarticular osteoarthritis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31278997/). *Osteoarthritis and Cartilage*, 2019. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2019.06.011. 2. The 2019 ACR/Arthritis Foundation guideline makes STRONG recommendations for exercise, weight loss in people with knee and/or hip OA who are overweight or obese, self-efficacy and self-management programs, tai chi, cane use, tibiofemoral bracing for tibiofemoral knee OA, topical NSAIDs for knee OA, oral NSAIDs, and intra-articular glucocorticoid injections for knee OA. Radiofrequency ablation for knee OA, acupuncture, thermal modalities, acetaminophen, duloxetine and tramadol are only CONDITIONAL recommendations. Kolasinski SL, Neogi T, Hochberg MC, et al. — [2019 American College of Rheumatology/Arthritis Foundation Guideline for the Management of Osteoarthritis of the Hand, Hip, and Knee.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31908163/). *Arthritis & Rheumatology*, 2020. DOI: 10.1002/art.41142. 3. The Cochrane review of land-based therapeutic exercise for knee osteoarthritis extracted data from 54 randomised trials, assessing pain, physical function and quality of life immediately after treatment and the sustained effect at 2-6 months and beyond 6 months. Only 19 of the included studies (20%) met all three low-risk-of-bias criteria the authors applied. Fransen M, McConnell S, Harmer AR, et al. — [Exercise for osteoarthritis of the knee.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25569281/). *Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews*, 2015. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004376.pub3. 4. In 156 patients with knee osteoarthritis randomised in the US Military Health System, physical therapy produced a mean WOMAC total score of 37.0 at one year versus 55.8 for a single intra-articular glucocorticoid injection (mean between-group difference 18.8 points favouring physical therapy, 95% CI 5.0 to 32.6, on a 0-240 scale where higher is worse). Secondary outcomes moved in the same direction. Deyle GD, Allen CS, Allison SC, et al. — [Physical Therapy versus Glucocorticoid Injection for Osteoarthritis of the Knee.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32268027/). *New England Journal of Medicine*, 2020. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1905877. 5. In the only randomised controlled trial to compare total knee replacement directly with non-surgical treatment in patients already eligible for surgery (n=100), the replacement group improved more at 12 months than the non-surgical group (KOOS4 32.5 vs 16.0; adjusted mean difference 15.8, 95% CI 10.0 to 21.5) but had four times the serious adverse events (24 vs 6, P=0.005). Only 13 of 50 patients (26%) assigned to non-surgical treatment alone had undergone knee replacement by 12 months. Skou ST, Roos EM, Laursen MB, et al. — [A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Total Knee Replacement.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26488691/). *New England Journal of Medicine*, 2015. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1505467. ## What to bring to an appointment QC Kinetix offers consultations and regenerative treatment options at the Peoria clinic, including knee shots prepared from your own concentrated blood. Medical providers are the health workers who check your knee and perform the offered care. They will explain whether an option suits your soreness. Take the X-ray report, a medicine list, and notes about swelling or harder tasks. Call the clinic team at (602) 837-PAIN. Book an appointment: --- Learn what may ease a sore knee. Clear answers about an aching knee, steps to take at home, surgery choices, and nearby clinic care. Plain help for knee soreness. A qualified clinician means a health professional who can examine your knee in person. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, including the Peoria location recommended here, and the business benefits when readers book a consultation. © 2026 Surprise Knee Line. General health education only; this site cannot diagnose your knee or replace care from a qualified clinician.