Does your knee hurt? It's not a sentence, you don't have to suffer.

Knee pain is one of the most common reasons why people limit their movement, give up their favorite activities, and silently put up with everyday discomfort. It often seems that there are not many options: either suffer or, if you are lucky, undergo joint replacement surgery. But what to do for those who are not recommended for surgery due to other diseases? Or for those who are not yet ready for it?

We talk to an anesthesiologist-resuscitator, pain specialist at Clinic Agatas, a pain treatment clinic operating in Kaunas and Klaipėda, about why knee pain is not a sentence and what options pain medicine offers today Gediminas Banevičius.

– Doctor, many patients hear that they need a knee replacement. Is it really possible and necessary for everyone?

– Definitely not for everyone. Joint replacement surgery is an effective method, but sometimes it is not the first or only solution. We are especially often approached by people for whom surgery is not recommended due to heart, blood vessels, diabetes or other concomitant diseases. In such cases, people feel as if they have reached a dead end: it hurts, but nothing can be done. And this is where a pain treatment clinic becomes very important, because help is really available.

It is important to note that even in cases where a patient has decided to undergo joint replacement surgery, cryoneurolysis can be performed before surgery for the purpose of postoperative analgesia. This will result in less pain medication being required after surgery and faster recovery from joint replacement.

– What can you offer patients in such cases?

– Our goal is to reduce or eliminate pain, restore movement, and improve a person’s quality of life even when surgery is not possible or postponed. To do this, we use various pain management methods, one of which is cryodenervation.

This is a procedure that uses 90 degrees Celsius of cold to freeze the nerves that transmit pain signals from the knee joint. The joint itself is not changed, but the pain is significantly reduced or completely eliminated for up to 12 months.

– Is cryodenervation suitable for knee osteoarthritis?

– Yes, especially with arthrosis, when chronic pain becomes the main problem. It is very important to understand that arthrosis does not necessarily mean that a person must suffer. When the pain is reduced, the person begins to move again, the muscles become stronger, and the joint function improves.

This often allows joint replacement to be postponed for several years, and for those patients who have comorbidities and surgery is risky, it is one of the few procedures that allows for a better quality of life.

– Do patients often still expect a “magic pill” or a single solution?

– Yes, very often. I remember a patient who came in frustrated and said bluntly: “Doctor, I need either one strong pill or surgery - it won't work otherwise.” He had already tried many medications, various procedures, but the pain kept coming back.

After assessing the situation, we offered a comprehensive solution: individualized pain treatment, movement corrections with a physiotherapist, and later we performed cryodenervation. After a while, he himself said: "I never believed that I would be able to live so normally without surgery."

– What is the most important thing for a person who suffers from knee pain to understand today?

– The most important thing is to understand that there is no need to suffer. Even if you are told that surgery is currently inappropriate or too risky, this does not mean that you have to accept the pain. Modern pain medicine allows you to help many people. Each case is individual, but there are usually more solutions than the patient initially thinks.

Often, patients become disappointed and give up when they do not receive free assistance in public medical institutions. However, having convinced themselves that the main financial investment should be in their health, they turn to us at the Kaunas and Klaipėda pain treatment clinics Clinic Agatas.