Non-Surgical Knee Pain Treatment in Jacksonville, FL
Most people arrive at this page from the same place: an orthopedic visit that ended with “we can replace it when you’re ready.” That is a real option and sometimes the right one. But it is not the only one, and for a large number of patients it is not the next one.
Well&You’s knee pain and osteoarthritis program exists for the gap between “take ibuprofen and lose weight” and “schedule the replacement” — a gap where roughly 790,000 Americans a year currently have no clear path. This guide lays out every non-surgical option we offer, who each one suits, and what each actually delivers.
Why Non-Surgical Options Matter More Than They Used To
Osteoarthritis affects 32.5 million US adults, and up to 30% of adults aged 45 and older have knee osteoarthritis (CDC). More than half of people with symptomatic knee OA are under 65 — an important number, because a replacement in a 55-year-old will likely need revision later.
Around 790,000 total knee replacements are performed annually in the US. Outcomes are generally good, but a meaningful minority of patients report persistent pain afterward, and the recovery is substantial: weeks of physical therapy, months to full function.
Non-surgical treatment is not a consolation prize. For the right patient it is the correct clinical choice.
The Full Non-Surgical Menu at Well&You
Corticosteroid Injections
Fast anti-inflammatory relief, usually within days, lasting weeks to a few months. Useful for flares and as a diagnostic tool. Limitation: repeated injections lose effect and are generally limited to three or four per year. If you are here because your steroid injections stopped working, that is a signal to move up the ladder, not to keep repeating them.
Viscosupplementation (Hyaluronic Acid)
A gel-like injection that supplements the joint’s natural lubricating fluid. Best suited to mild-to-moderate arthritis. Onset is slower than steroid — several weeks — but relief can last six months or longer. Response varies considerably between patients.
Genicular Nerve Block
A targeted anesthetic injection onto the sensory nerves carrying pain signals from the knee. Relief is quick but temporary. Its main value is diagnostic: a good response predicts a good response to radiofrequency ablation, so we use it as a screening step rather than a standalone therapy.
Genicular Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
Heat energy applied through a needle interrupts the sensory nerves that transmit knee pain. Relief typically lasts six to twelve months, sometimes longer, and the procedure can be repeated when nerves regenerate. RFA treats pain transmission — it does nothing to the joint itself — which makes it a good fit for patients with advanced arthritis who cannot have surgery.
Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
Blocks the abnormal blood vessels driving joint inflammation. Best for mild-to-moderate arthritis with an inflammatory component. Gradual onset over four to twelve weeks, with durable results reported at two years. Full detail on our GAE procedure page.
Addressing the Vascular Contributors
This is where Well&You differs from a standard orthopedic or pain practice. Knee pain is sometimes not primarily a knee problem. Chronic venous insufficiency produces aching, heaviness, and swelling around the knee and calf that patients and clinicians alike attribute to arthritis. Peripheral artery disease causes activity-related leg pain that can mimic or compound arthritic pain.
Because Well&You is built around vein and vascular care, we screen for these rather than assuming the X-ray explains everything. When a patient’s “arthritis” turns out to be substantially venous, treating the veins changes the picture in a way no knee injection would.
Matching the Treatment to the Patient
| Your situation | Where we usually start |
| Early arthritis, first flare | Steroid injection + structured PT |
| Mild-moderate OA, want durability | GAE |
| Injections used to work, now don’t | Genicular nerve block → RFA, or GAE |
| Advanced OA, not a surgical candidate | RFA for pain control |
| Swelling, heaviness, skin changes | Venous evaluation first |
| Pain with walking that stops at rest | Arterial evaluation first |
| Want to delay replacement 5+ years | GAE, reassessed annually |
What a First Visit Looks Like
A Well&You knee evaluation includes a history focused on what specifically triggers your pain and what you have already tried, a physical exam including joint-line tenderness and range of motion, review of existing imaging or new weight-bearing X-rays, vascular screening when indicated, and a written treatment plan with a stated timeline for judging whether it worked.
We are explicit about that last item. Every treatment gets a review date. If you are not better by then, we escalate rather than repeat.
Recovery Across the Options
All of these are outpatient. Injections and blocks: back to normal activity same day, sometimes with 24 hours of reduced activity. RFA: mild soreness for two to three days, normal activity within a week, relief building over one to three weeks. GAE: same-day discharge, normal activity in two to three days, relief building over four to twelve weeks.
None of these requires the weeks of rehabilitation that follow joint replacement.
Insurance and Cost
Steroid injections, viscosupplementation, genicular nerve blocks, and RFA are well established and generally covered by commercial insurance and Medicare when conservative care has been documented. GAE coverage varies by plan.
Well&You accepts all major insurance plans and works with most providers to maximize coverage. Free insurance verification through our Patient Navigators means you get your expected out-of-pocket cost before you commit. Call (904) 895-5400.
Getting Started
Well&You Northside — 15496 Max Leggett Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218, Mon–Fri 7:00am–5:00pm. Fleming Island 1730 Kingsley Ave, Suite C. Call (904) 895-5400.
Written by the Well&You Patient Education Team. Medically Reviewed By Dr. Ragu Murthy, MD, FACC, ABVLM — Founding Cardiologist, Well&You. Reviewed September 2026.