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281-690-5082 HOUSTON

houston, texas

Joint pain treatment in Central Houston

Shoulder pain that limits your reach, elbow pain when you grip, heel pain with your first steps, and knee pain that outlasts injections often share a hidden driver: chronic inflammation fed by abnormal blood vessels. At Texas Endovascular in Houston, our board-certified interventional radiologists treat it with image-guided embolization, with no incision on the joint and no general anesthesia.
Texas Endovascular - Bellaire (exterior shot)

4747 Bellaire Blvd #550, Bellaire, TX 77401
Get directions ➔

Contact us: 
Phone:
(713) 489-6319
Fax: (713) 575-3688

Office Hours
Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm
Saturday – Sunday: Closed

About our houston clinic

Chronic joint pain care close to home in Central Houston and nearby communities

at a glance

Why patients choose our Houston clinic for joint pain

  • Care led by a board-certified interventional radiologist
  • One clinic for shoulder, elbow, heel, and knee pain
  • Outpatient procedures with no incision on the joint
  • Insurance benefits verified and costs explained before your procedure is scheduled
  • Spanish-speaking team members available
BOARD-CERTIFIED INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGIST

Meet our Houston joint pain specialists

Four board-certified interventional radiologists treat shoulder, elbow, heel, and knee pain across Greater Houston. Dr. Fox leads the Houston clinic, and our physicians rotate between locations, so ask when you call if you would like a specific doctor.
Portrait of Dr Fox

Dr. William Fox

Co-Founder · Medical Director, Houston
A native Houstonian with more than 25 years in interventional radiology. Dr. Fox treats joint pain at our Bellaire clinic.
Portrait of Eric Hardee

Dr. Eric Hardee

Co-Founder · Medical Director, Katy
Co-founder of Texas Endovascular and a U.S. Navy veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, treating joint pain in Houston and Katy.
Ryan Armstrong

Dr. Ryan Armstrong

Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist
Trained at UT Health San Antonio, UTHealth Houston, and MD Anderson Cancer Center, with more than 16 years in practice. Treats joint pain in Houston, Sugar Land, and The Woodlands.

Dr. AJ Valenson

Board-Certified Interventional Radiologist · Bilingual (EN/ES)
Yale- and Rush-trained and fluent in Spanish. Dr. Valenson leads the Clear Lake clinic and treats joint pain across the Bay Area.
chronic joint pain treatment in houston

What is joint embolization?

Chronic joint and tendon pain is often kept going by inflammation fed by small, abnormal blood vessels that grow in the irritated tissue. Joint embolization is an outpatient, image-guided procedure that reduces blood flow to those vessels so the inflammation can settle and the pain can ease.

It is performed through a pinhole with a thin catheter, so there is no incision on the joint and no general anesthesia. Learn more about joint pain treatment →

conditions we treat

Joint conditions we treat in Houston

Select a condition to learn how our minimally invasive, image-guided treatment works and whether you may be a candidate.
GAE Treatment

Knee osteoarthritis: genicular artery embolization (GAE)

Aching, stiff knees that have outlasted injections and physical therapy. GAE reduces blood flow to the inflamed knee lining to ease arthritis pain, often as an option before knee replacement.

GAE in Houston→ · Are you a candidate?

Frozen Shoulder (FSE) treatment

Frozen shoulder: frozen shoulder embolization (FSE)

Pain and stiffness that limit how far you can raise or rotate your arm, often for months. FSE targets the abnormal vessels in the inflamed shoulder capsule so pain eases and therapy can do more.

Learn about FSE → · Are you a candidate?

Tennis Elbow

Tennis and golfer's elbow: transarterial elbow embolization (TAE)

Tennis elbow causes outer elbow pain, while golfer’s elbow affects the inner elbow, often from repetitive use. TAE targets abnormal vessels that sustain tendon pain.

Tennis elbow → · Golfer's elbow → · Are you a candidate?

Plantar Fasciitis Treatment (PFE)

Plantar fasciitis: plantar fasciitis embolization (PFE)

Sharp heel pain that's worst with your first steps in the morning. PFE reduces blood flow to the abnormal vessels that feed chronic inflammation in the plantar fascia.

Learn about PFE → · Are you a candidate?

Is joint embolization right for you?

Embolization is usually considered when you have:

  • Joint pain lasting three months or more (six months for tennis or golfer's elbow)
  • No lasting relief from rest, physical therapy, medication, bracing, or injections
  • A diagnosis confirmed by exam and imaging
  • A wish to avoid or delay surgery, or you are not a candidate for surgery

Sudden, severe joint pain with swelling, redness, warmth, or fever needs prompt medical care.

how embolization works

How joint embolization works

How embolization treatment works

  1. Review your imaging. Your physician confirms the diagnosis and the vessels feeding the inflamed area.
  2. Enter through a pinhole. With local numbing or light sedation, depending on the joint, a thin catheter is placed in an artery in the wrist, groin, or ankle and guided with live X-ray imaging.
  3. Reduce abnormal blood flow. Microscopic particles are released into the abnormal vessels, while healthy circulation is preserved.
  4. Go home the same day. Most procedures take two hours or less, and most patients return to light activity within a day or two.
Pain usually eases over the first few weeks, and function keeps improving over the following months.
Dr. Fox and Central Houston Team

Benefits of joint embolization

Outpatient, home the same day


No incision on the joint and no general anesthesia


Light activity within a day or two


Covered by Medicare and most major insurance plans when medically necessary

Real patient stories

What patients say about Texas Endovascular

Rated 5 stars by hundreds of Houston patients
Come see us

Visiting our Houston clinic

Our Houston clinic is at 4747 Bellaire Blvd, Suite 550, in Bellaire, a few minutes west of Loop 610. Joint pain patients come to this clinic from across Central Houston, including the Texas Medical Center area and the Galleria.

Joint pain treatment is also available at our Katy, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, and Clear Lake clinics.
Texas Endovascular - houston FAQs

Common questions about joint pain treatment

Who treats joint pain at the Houston clinic?

Dr. William Fox, the clinic's medical director, leads joint pain care in Houston with Dr. Eric Hardee, Dr. Ryan Armstrong, and Dr. AJ Valenson. All four are board-certified interventional radiologists. Our physicians rotate between clinics, so ask when you call if you would like to see a specific doctor.

Which joint conditions are treated at the Houston clinic?

What is embolization for joint pain?

Joint embolization is an outpatient, image-guided procedure that reduces blood flow to the small, abnormal blood vessels that keep chronic joint and tendon inflammation going. It is done through a pinhole with a thin catheter, so there is no incision on the joint and no general anesthesia.

Which joint conditions can embolization treat?

Texas Endovascular uses embolization for knee osteoarthritis (genicular artery embolization, or GAE), frozen shoulder (frozen shoulder embolization, or FSE), tennis and golfer's elbow (transarterial elbow embolization, or TAE), and plantar fasciitis (plantar fasciitis embolization, or PFE).

Who is a good candidate for joint embolization?

Most candidates have had joint pain for three months or more (six months for tennis or golfer's elbow) that hasn't improved with rest, physical therapy, medication, bracing, or injections, and want to avoid or delay surgery. Your physician confirms candidacy by reviewing your history and imaging. Call us or request an appointment online to find our if you're a candidate.

How is joint embolization different from surgery?

Surgery works on the joint or tendon through an incision and often requires general anesthesia and a longer recovery.

Embolization is done through a pinhole in the wrist, groin, or ankle with local numbing or light sedation, depending on the joint, there is no incision on the joint, and most patients go home the same day.

What is recovery like after joint embolization?

Most patients go home the same day with a small bandage at the puncture site and return to light activity within a day or two. Your care team will tell you when to resume sports or strenuous activity, which depends on the joint treated.

How soon will I feel better?

Pain usually eases over the first few weeks, and function keeps improving over the following months. The exact timeline depends on the condition being treated.

Does insurance cover joint embolization?

Medicare and most major insurance plans cover joint embolization when it is medically necessary. Our team verifies your benefits and explains what you can expect to pay before your procedure is scheduled.

Do I need a referral?

No. You can schedule a consultation at our Houston clinic without a physician referral. Call (713) 489-6319 or request an appointment online, and our team will verify your insurance benefits before your visit.

Where is the Dallas clinic?

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