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Arthritis

Arthritis Treatment in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ

Arthritis can change how the body moves long before it stops a person completely. A stiff knee may make stairs harder. An aching hip may change the way someone walks. Arthritis in the spine may make standing, twisting, driving, sleeping, exercising, golfing, traveling, or working feel more difficult than it used to.

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, our team evaluates whether arthritis pain is coming from a specific joint, facet joint, sacroiliac joint, inflamed soft tissue structure, irritated nerve, or another overlapping pain source. When pain comes from a specific joint or pathway, we direct treatment at that source.

We provide opioid-free, interventional pain care in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ, with a focus on careful diagnosis, targeted treatment, and quality of life. Care is led by Dr. Milind Patel and Dr. Jill Kalariya, double board-certified pain management physicians, with support from Brian Brown, PA.

Their concierge, white-glove model gives patients a more personal and organized experience, with thorough consultations, clear communication, thoughtful treatment planning, and a team that helps reduce the burden of navigating pain care.

To schedule an arthritis consultation in Marlton or Collingswood, NJ, call Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or request an appointment online. Telehealth consultations are available when appropriate. We serve patients in Marlton, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and nearby communities.

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What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis refers to joint inflammation, degeneration, irritation, or damage that can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and reduced movement.

There are many types of arthritis. These include arthritis related to wear and tear over time, as well as inflammatory, autoimmune, crystal-related, and post-traumatic arthritis, and arthritis connected to another medical condition.

Arthritis may affect:

  • Knees
  • Hips
  • Shoulders
  • Hands and wrists
  • Feet and ankles
  • Spine
  • Facet joints
  • Sacroiliac joints
  • Elbows
  • Multiple joints at once

At Peak Spine & Sports Medicine, the focus is on identifying the painful joint or structure and determining whether targeted pain treatment may improve function. Some arthritis patients also need care from a rheumatologist, orthopedist, primary care physician, podiatrist, or another specialist depending on the type of arthritis.

Arthritis can feel different depending on the joint involved and the type of arthritis.

Some patients feel deep, aching pain. Others feel stiffness, swelling, grinding, catching, warmth, tenderness, weakness, or pain that worsens with activity. Symptoms may be mild at first and gradually become more limiting.

Arthritis symptoms may include:

  • Joint pain
  • Joint stiffness
  • Swelling
  • Warmth or redness
  • Reduced range of motion
  • Pain after activity
  • Pain after sitting or resting
  • Morning stiffness
  • Difficulty walking
  • Difficulty using stairs
  • Pain with gripping or lifting
  • Neck or back stiffness
  • Pain with standing or twisting
  • Joint instability or weakness
  • Muscle guarding around the painful joint
  • Difficulty sleeping, exercising, working, traveling, or completing daily routines

Some symptoms may suggest inflammatory arthritis or another medical condition, especially when multiple joints are swollen, stiffness lasts a long time in the morning, symptoms are symmetrical, or joint pain is associated with fever, rash, unexplained weight loss, severe fatigue, or eye inflammation. These symptoms may require evaluation by a rheumatologist or another appropriate medical specialist.

Arthritis may develop for many reasons.

Some arthritis is related to gradual joint wear, cartilage changes, prior injury, repetitive stress, joint mechanics, aging, or degeneration. Other types can be caused by autoimmune inflammation, crystal deposits, infection, or systemic medical conditions.

Possible causes or contributors may include:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Post-traumatic arthritis
  • Inflammatory arthritis
  • Gout or crystal-related arthritis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Prior joint injury
  • Repetitive stress
  • Joint overuse
  • Cartilage loss
  • Bone spurs
  • Facet joint degeneration
  • SI joint irritation
  • Spine degeneration
  • Obesity or increased joint load
  • Genetics or family history
  • Autoimmune disease

Arthritis may also overlap with other pain conditions. A patient with knee arthritis may also have lumbar radiculopathy. A patient with hip arthritis may also have SI joint dysfunction. A patient with spinal arthritis may also have muscle trigger points or nerve irritation. A careful evaluation helps determine which source should be treated first.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis.

It happens when joint tissues change over time, often involving cartilage, bone, ligaments, and surrounding structures. Osteoarthritis may develop gradually and can affect the knees, hips, hands, spine, shoulders, feet, or other joints.

Patients with osteoarthritis may feel pain, stiffness, swelling, grinding, reduced movement, or difficulty with daily activity. Symptoms may worsen with standing, walking, stairs, lifting, exercise, or repetitive use.

Osteoarthritis treatment depends on the joint involved, symptom severity, imaging findings, prior treatments, and patient goals. Options may include activity modification, outside physical therapy referral, non-opioid medication coordination when appropriate, joint injections, regenerative medicine in selected cases, genicular nerve ablation for selected knee pain, or surgical referral when needed.

Rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritis conditions are different from typical wear-related arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks healthy joint tissue. It can cause pain, swelling, stiffness, warmth, fatigue, and joint damage if not managed appropriately. Other inflammatory arthritis conditions may affect the spine, skin, eyes, tendons, or other body systems.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not replace rheumatology care for autoimmune arthritis. Patients with suspected rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, lupus-related arthritis, or another inflammatory condition may need medical management from a rheumatologist or primary care physician.

Our role is to evaluate and treat focal pain sources that may overlap with arthritis, such as painful joints, facet joint pain, SI joint pain, nerve irritation, muscle guarding, or chronic pain patterns.

Arthritis can affect the spine, especially the facet joints.

Facet joints are small joints in the back of the spine that help guide motion and provide stability. When these joints become arthritic or inflamed, patients may feel aching neck or back pain, stiffness, pain with standing, pain with twisting, or pain when bending backward.

Spinal arthritis may contribute to:

  • Neck pain
  • Low back pain
  • Mid back pain
  • Stiffness
  • Pain while standing or walking
  • Pain with extension or twisting
  • Muscle guarding
  • Headaches related to neck mechanics
  • Nerve irritation when arthritis narrows spaces around nerves

Facet joint injections, medial branch blocks, and radiofrequency ablation may be considered when the evaluation suggests that facet joints are a meaningful source of spine pain.

Knee arthritis can make walking, stairs, standing, exercise, and daily movement difficult.

Patients may feel aching, stiffness, swelling, grinding, instability, or pain that worsens with activity. Some feel pain at the front, inside, outside, or back of the knee. Others notice that knee pain changes the way they walk, which can also affect the hip, low back, or opposite leg.

Treatment may include joint injections, activity modification, outside physical therapy referral, non-opioid medication coordination when appropriate, regenerative medicine in selected cases, or genicular nerve ablation for selected chronic knee pain.

Genicular nerve ablation does not replace the knee joint or repair arthritis. It targets pain signals from selected nerves around the knee and may help the right patient improve function.

Arthritis can affect many joints beyond the spine and knee.

Hip arthritis may cause groin pain, buttock pain, thigh pain, stiffness, or difficulty walking, climbing stairs, or getting in and out of a car.

Shoulder arthritis may cause pain with reaching, lifting, sleeping on the shoulder, or overhead movement.

Foot and ankle arthritis may cause pain with standing, walking, stairs, balance, or shoe wear.

Hand and wrist arthritis may affect gripping, writing, typing, lifting, or daily tasks.

The treatment plan depends on the joint involved and whether pain is coming from the joint itself, surrounding tendons, bursae, ligaments, nerves, or another structure. Joint and extremity injections may be considered when the pain source is localized and appropriate for injection treatment.

Diagnosis begins with a careful conversation and physical exam.

The Peak Spine & Sports Medicine team asks where pain occurs, how long it has been present, whether swelling or stiffness occurs, what worsens symptoms, what improves them, what treatments have already been tried, and which activities are being limited.

The evaluation may include:

  • Medical history review
  • Prior injury or surgery review
  • Joint movement testing
  • Strength testing
  • Sensation testing when nerve symptoms are present
  • Walking and balance assessment
  • Spine or joint exam
  • Assessment for swelling, warmth, tenderness, or instability
  • Review of prior imaging
  • Discussion of prior injections, therapy, medications, or surgery

X-rays may help evaluate joint space narrowing, bone spurs, alignment, arthritis severity, or other structural changes. MRI may be recommended when soft tissue injury, nerve irritation, spinal stenosis, inflammation, or other conditions need to be evaluated. Another provider may recommend lab work when inflammatory or autoimmune arthritis is suspected.

A diagnosis should connect symptoms, exam findings, imaging, and daily limitations. Arthritis on imaging does not always mean arthritis is the main pain source.

Why Choose Peak Spine & Sports Medicine for Arthritis?

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine was built around a simple standard: this should be the kind of pain management practice we would want our own family members to visit.

Patients come to our Marlton and Collingswood offices because they want more than a quick visit and another prescription. Our team takes time to understand which joint hurts, how arthritis affects daily life, what has already been tried, and which activities the patient wants to return to.

For one patient, the priority may be walking through a grocery store without knee pain. For another, it may be standing through work, sleeping without shoulder pain, driving comfortably, golfing, traveling, exercising, climbing stairs, or playing with children or grandchildren.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine offers:

  • Concierge, white-glove pain management care
  • A non-opioid approach to pain care
  • Focal pain evaluation and targeted treatment planning
  • Ivy League-trained professionals
  • Double board-certified pain management physicians
  • Cutting-edge interventional techniques and technology
  • Advanced spine, joint, nerve, and musculoskeletal pain evaluation
  • Image-guided procedures when appropriate
  • Joint and extremity injection evaluation
  • Facet joint injection, medial branch block, and radiofrequency ablation evaluation for spine arthritis
  • Genicular nerve ablation evaluation for selected chronic knee pain
  • Regenerative medicine evaluation in selected musculoskeletal pain cases
  • Telehealth consults, when appropriate
  • A helpful staff that works to reduce the burden on patients
  • Insurance access for eligible PPO/POS patients with out-of-network benefits

Care is led by Dr. Milind Patel and Dr. Jill Kalariya, double board-certified pain management physicians who perform advanced interventional procedures in the outpatient surgery center. Brian Brown, PA, supports conservative care, diagnostic workups, imaging coordination, therapy recommendations, and follow-up planning.

Our practice is selective with insurance because the model is built around quality, time, and individualized care. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine primarily works with PPO and POS plans with out-of-network benefits and does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans.

Visit our Why Us page to learn more.

How Is Arthritis Treated?

Arthritis treatment depends on the type of arthritis, joint involved, severity of symptoms, imaging findings, prior treatment response, and patient goals.

Some patients benefit from outside physical therapy referral, strengthening, activity modification, weight management support through the appropriate provider, bracing or support discussion, or non-opioid medication coordination when appropriate. Others may benefit from interventional pain treatment when a specific joint or nerve pathway is driving pain.

Treatment may include:

A patient with knee osteoarthritis may need a different plan than a patient with spinal arthritis, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, or arthritis with nerve compression.

Joint & Extremity Injections for Arthritis

Joint and extremity injections may be considered when arthritis pain is localized to a specific joint or surrounding structure.

These injections may help reduce inflammation, improve comfort, and make movement more manageable. They may be discussed for selected patients with knee, hip, shoulder, foot, ankle, elbow, wrist, or hand pain.

The right injection depends on the joint, diagnosis, imaging findings, medical history, and patient goals. Some injections are intended to reduce inflammation. Others may help clarify whether a joint is the main source of pain.

Facet Joint Injections, Medial Branch Blocks, and Radiofrequency Ablation

When arthritis affects the spine, facet joints may become a major pain source.

  • Facet joint injections may help calm inflammation in or around the joint.
  • Medial branch blocks are diagnostic injections used to determine whether the facet joints are contributing to pain. If the blocks provide meaningful temporary relief, radiofrequency ablation may be considered for longer-lasting improvement.
  • Radiofrequency ablation uses targeted heat to reduce pain signals from the medial branch nerves. It may be appropriate when the diagnosis and diagnostic block response support facet-related pain.

Genicular Nerve Ablation for Knee Arthritis

Genicular nerve ablation may be considered for selected patients with chronic knee pain.

The genicular nerves carry pain signals from the knee. When knee arthritis pain continues despite conservative care, injections, therapy, or medication, genicular nerve ablation may be considered to reduce pain signaling from these targeted nerves.

This treatment may be appropriate for selected patients with knee osteoarthritis, chronic knee pain, or persistent pain after knee replacement when the pain pattern fits.

Genicular nerve ablation does not repair cartilage or replace the joint. It may help reduce pain and improve function for the right patient.

Regenerative Medicine for Selected Arthritis Pain

Regenerative medicine may be discussed for selected arthritis-related pain or musculoskeletal pain patterns.

PRP, stem cell therapy, or prolotherapy may be considered depending on the joint, severity of arthritis, tissue condition, symptoms, medical history, and goals. These treatments are not appropriate for every patient and should not be presented as a guaranteed alternative to surgery.

The team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine evaluates whether regenerative medicine fits the diagnosis or whether another option, such as injection therapy, ablation, therapy referral, or surgical evaluation, may be more appropriate.

When Is Surgery Needed for Arthritis?

Not every patient with arthritis needs surgery.

Surgical evaluation may be appropriate when arthritis is severe, joint damage is advanced, pain remains limiting despite appropriate non-surgical care, or instability, deformity, or functional loss becomes significant.

Surgical referral may be considered for:

  • Advanced knee arthritis
  • Advanced hip arthritis
  • Severe shoulder arthritis
  • Progressive joint deformity
  • Severe loss of function
  • Persistent pain despite appropriate treatment
  • Severe spinal stenosis or nerve compression
  • Instability or structural concerns

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine helps patients understand when interventional pain care is reasonable and when an orthopedic surgeon, spine surgeon, rheumatologist, or another specialist should be involved.

The cost of arthritis treatment depends on the evaluation, imaging or diagnostic needs, treatment plan, procedures recommended, facility, insurance benefits, and medical necessity requirements.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine primarily serves patients with PPO or POS insurance plans that offer out-of-network benefits. Operating out-of-network for most plans enables us to provide a more personalized model with longer visits, tailored treatment plans, and comprehensive education, without the pressure to rush care.

Many patients find that out-of-network care with PPO or POS plan benefits is more accessible than expected. Our team can review benefits, explain the process, and help determine if our practice is the right fit.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans. This enables our office to accommodate new and existing patients promptly.

Patients visit Peak Spine & Sports Medicine in Marlton and Collingswood from Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding areas because they want high-level interventional joint and spine pain care without an opioid-first approach.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not use opioids as a shortcut for pain care.

Arthritis pain may involve inflamed joints, worn joint surfaces, facet joint stress, SI joint irritation, muscle guarding, nerve irritation, or overlapping spine and joint conditions. Long-term opioid reliance can make care more complicated without identifying which joint, structure, or pathway is driving the most treatable symptoms.

Our practice focuses on education, careful diagnosis, and targeted interventional procedures when appropriate. For the right patient, arthritis care may include therapy coordination, non-opioid medication coordination, image-guided injections, medial branch blocks, radiofrequency ablation, genicular nerve ablation, regenerative medicine evaluation, or referral when another specialist is needed.

The purpose is to help patients move better, sleep better, reduce pain flares when possible, and return to daily life with more clarity and support.

Schedule an Arthritis Consultation in Marlton or Collingswood, NJ

Meet Dr. Jill Kalariya , Dr. Milind Patel and Brian Brown PA-C at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine in Marlton, NJ

Arthritis should be evaluated in the context of the whole patient, not just an X-ray finding or a general diagnosis. The right plan depends on which joint hurts, what is causing symptoms, how arthritis affects daily life, and what the patient needs to return to doing.

For arthritis treatment in Marlton and Collingswood, NJ, contact Peak Spine & Sports Medicine at (833) 377-7325 or schedule a consultation online today. Our team will help determine whether the pain pattern, goals, and insurance benefits make our concierge interventional pain model the right fit.

We proudly serve patients in Marlton, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Medford, Moorestown, Mount Laurel, Voorhees, Philadelphia, and surrounding communities.

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Arthritis Marlton, NJ – FAQs

Arthritis is a group of joint diseases with symptoms that worsen with time. While arthritis doesn’t have a cure, managing your symptoms with guidance and treatment from a pain management specialist can make a big difference in your outlook on living with the condition.

The Peak Spine & Sports Medicine team specializes in managing symptoms of some of the most common forms of arthritis, including:

  • Osteoarthritis: Osteoarthritis is more common than all other arthritis types. It develops when the cartilage coating on the bones in your joints wears down, which causes the bones to grate together instead of gliding by each other smoothly. Over time, bony overgrowths and bone spurs can grow inside the joint and cause additional pain and discomfort.
  • Rheumatoid arthritis: Rheumatoid arthritis starts in a completely different manner than osteoarthritis. If you have rheumatoid arthritis, your immune system breaks down the linings of your joints, called the synovial membrane. That causes inflammation, which can eventually spread to affect the bone and cartilage.

All forms of arthritis share distinctive, unmistakable symptoms. While some specific forms of arthritis have their own additional signs and symptoms, and symptoms can vary between individuals, the most common signs of arthritis are:

  • Persistent or recurrent pain in one or more joints
  • Stiffness in one or more joints
  • Joint swelling
  • Warmth and redness coming from one or more joints

Rather than making a self-diagnosis, you should visit Peak Spine & Sports Medicine for a comprehensive arthritis evaluation. Joint pain, swelling, and stiffness can come from injuries and conditions other than arthritis that need different kinds of treatment.

Diagnosis may include a symptom review, physical exam, joint movement testing, imaging review, X-rays, MRI when appropriate, and lab work through the appropriate provider when inflammatory arthritis is suspected.

Yes. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine is an opioid-free pain management practice. The team focuses on diagnosis, education, targeted interventional procedures, non-opioid medication coordination when appropriate, and outside therapy referral when needed.

Patients receive specific post-procedure instructions based on the treatment performed. In many cases, patients may be advised to avoid standing water, including pools, hot tubs, baths, lakes, or oceans, for one to two days after the procedure, or as directed by the clinical team. Showers may be allowed sooner depending on the procedure and aftercare instructions.

Some patients benefit from physical therapy focused on strength, mobility, posture, balance, or functional restoration. Peak Spine & Sports Medicine does not provide physical therapy in-house, but the team may refer patients to outside providers when appropriate.

In many cases, yes. Telehealth consults may be available to review symptoms, discuss prior imaging or treatment, and determine whether an in-person exam or procedure consultation is appropriate.

Your treatment for arthritis depends on factors like your age, general health outside of arthritis discomfort, and the severity of your symptoms. The multidisciplinary team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine strives to decrease your pain, limit inflammation, and preserve your mobility with a personalized care plan.

Typically, arthritis doesn’t require surgical care. A conservative treatment plan for arthritis may involve:

  • Anti-inflammatory medications
  • Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
  • Nutritional counseling
  • Steroid joint injections
  • Hyaluronic acid joint injections
  • Physical therapy
  • Regenerative medicine

The team at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine wants you to live a full life, even with arthritis, and avoid surgery when possible. The team’s treatment plans have proven successful in doing just that for many patients.

If you have persistent or recurrent joint pain or stiffness, book an arthritis treatment consultation over the phone or online at Peak Spine & Sports Medicine today.

Peak Spine & Sports Medicine accepts insurance and primarily works with PPO and POS plans that have out-of-network benefits. The practice does not participate with EPO, HMO, Medicare, or Medicaid plans. The team can help determine whether benefits may apply.

Some patients report more stiffness or aching during cold, damp, or changing weather. Weather does not affect every patient the same way, but arthritis symptoms can fluctuate from day to day based on activity, inflammation, sleep, stress, joint load, and overall health.

Yes. Arthritis can affect the facet joints and other structures in the spine, leading to back pain, neck pain, stiffness, pain with standing, or pain with twisting and extension. If arthritis narrows spaces around the nerves, it may also contribute to radiating arm or leg symptoms.

Walking may help some patients maintain mobility, strength, circulation, and joint function, but the right activity level depends on the joint involved and symptom severity. If walking increases pain, causes limping, or leads to significant swelling, a medical evaluation can help determine what type of movement is safest.

Yes. Many patients manage arthritis without surgery through activity modification, strengthening, outside physical therapy, non-opioid medication coordination, injections, radiofrequency ablation, genicular nerve ablation, regenerative medicine evaluation, or other targeted pain treatments when appropriate.

Joint pain often feels aching, stiff, swollen, or worse with movement through the affected joint. Nerve pain may feel burning, tingling, numb, electric, shooting, or radiating. Because arthritis and nerve irritation can overlap, a careful exam and imaging review may be needed to identify the main pain source.