Knee pain (OA): causes, symptoms &treatment options

Chronic knee pain is most often caused by osteoarthritis — the gradual breakdown of cartilage that lets bones rub together, triggering inflammation, stiffness, and swelling. Other common causes include past injuries (torn meniscus or ligaments), tendinitis, bursitis, and overuse. When pain lasts longer than three months, it's considered chronic and worth evaluating with an interventional radiologist in Houston or Dallas.

Common signs of knee osteoarthritis include pain that worsens with activity, morning stiffness that eases as you move, swelling, a grinding or clicking sensation, and reduced range of motion. A definitive diagnosis requires a physical exam plus imaging — an X-ray or MRI — to confirm cartilage loss and joint-space narrowing. Our doctors provide this complete evaluation before recommending any treatment.

Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is an outpatient, minimally invasive treatment for knee osteoarthritis pain. Through a tiny catheter, microscopic particles reduce abnormal blood flow to the inflamed knee lining — decreasing the inflammation that drives pain and stiffness, without surgery or a hospital stay. Patients typically walk within a few hours and go home the same day.

Coverage for GAE — including under Medicare and many commercial plans — is expanding as clinical evidence grows, though it can vary by plan and medical necessity. Because coverage details change, our Houston and Dallas team verifies your specific Medicare or insurance benefits and handles any prior authorization before treatment, so you know your costs up front.

You may be a candidate if you have a confirmed knee osteoarthritis diagnosis, persistent pain despite conservative care like physical therapy or injections, and want to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery. Severe joint-space narrowing — where cartilage has almost entirely deteriorated — can make GAE inadvisable, so our Houston and Dallas doctors perform a complete evaluation with imaging first.

Many knee pain treatments, including GAE, are covered by major insurance providers — and a recent study found GAE to be the most cost-effective option compared with radiofrequency ablation and corticosteroid injections. Our team verifies your benefits and explains any out-of-pocket costs before treatment.