Degenerative joint disease can make walking, climbing stairs, lifting, reaching, exercising, working, and completing daily activities more difficult. Adults searching for Degenerative Joint Disease Treatment Concord NC can visit Joint Health Solutions for symptom-led evaluation and personalized nonsurgical care planning.
Patients from Concord and Cabarrus County are seen at the Joint Health Solutions clinic at 9350 Benfield Rd, #109, Charlotte, NC 28269. The practice does not currently operate a physical clinic in Concord.
Treatment begins by understanding which joint is affected, how symptoms limit movement, what care has already been attempted, and whether conservative treatment, a procedure-specific consultation, or orthopedic referral is appropriate.
Degenerative joint disease is another name commonly used for osteoarthritis. Care can include education, activity modification, physical therapy, knee bracing, weight or nutrition support when relevant, aspiration for selected swollen knees, and carefully chosen injection options. Evidence and suitability differ between the knee and shoulder. No nonsurgical treatment guarantees cartilage regrowth, permanent relief, or avoidance of surgery.
Care is led by experienced medical professionals, including Dr. Jeffrey Galvin and Ariel Curtis, FNP-C.
Degenerative joint disease, or DJD, is another term commonly used for osteoarthritis. It is a whole-joint condition involving changes in cartilage, bone, the joint lining, surrounding muscles, and other supporting tissues.
Cartilage normally provides a smooth surface that helps the bones move with less friction. As osteoarthritis develops, the cartilage and other joint structures can change, contributing to pain, stiffness, swelling, grinding, and reduced mobility.
DJD is more complex than ordinary “wear and tear.” Factors associated with its development can include:
Symptoms do not always match the amount of structural change visible on an imaging study. Some people have significant imaging findings with manageable symptoms, while others experience substantial pain or activity limitations.
For a broader overview, visit Osteoarthritis Treatment Near Concord, NC
A healthy joint depends on cartilage, bone, joint fluid, the joint lining, muscles, tendons, and ligaments working together.
Degenerative joint disease can involve several related changes:
These changes help explain why DJD treatment often involves more than one strategy. Improving movement, strength, activity habits, and symptom control can remain important even when structural changes cannot be reversed.
Joint Health Solutions focuses its degenerative joint disease care on knee and shoulder concerns.
Degenerative joint disease in the knee can cause:
The knee contains medial, lateral, and patellofemoral compartments. Arthritis can affect one compartment or several, which can influence rehabilitation and bracing decisions.
Learn more about Knee Arthritis Treatment Near Concord, NC
Some treatment principles overlap, but knee and shoulder evidence is not identical.
Knee osteoarthritis has stronger guideline support for exercise, appropriate weight management, and selected bracing. Hyaluronic acid recommendations for the knee are mixed.
For glenohumeral shoulder osteoarthritis, major AAOS guidance reports no demonstrated benefit from hyaluronic acid and lacks reliable evidence to recommend PRP or other injectable biologics as established treatment.
DJD symptoms can develop gradually, fluctuate with activity, or become more consistent over time.
Pain – Pain can feel aching, sore, sharp, or deep within the affected joint. It often becomes more noticeable during or after activity, although advanced symptoms can also interfere with rest.
Stiffness – Stiffness commonly occurs after sleep, sitting, driving, or another period of inactivity. The joint can feel difficult to move until activity resumes.
Swelling – Knee DJD can produce recurring swelling or a feeling of fullness. Sudden severe swelling, redness, or heat requires prompt assessment because it can indicate another condition.
Grinding or Clicking – Some patients notice cracking, clicking, popping, or grinding during movement. Joint sounds alone do not establish that DJD is causing pain.
Reduced Range of Motion – Knee DJD can limit bending or straightening. Shoulder DJD can make lifting, rotation, cross-body reaching, and reaching behind the back more difficult.
Weakness or Instability – The affected joint can feel weak or unreliable because of pain, reduced activity, muscle weakness, or another associated condition.
Activity Limitations – Symptoms can interfere with work, exercise, household tasks, dressing, stairs, walking, sleep, and other meaningful activities.
| Risk Factor | How It Can Relate to DJD |
|---|---|
| Older Age | Osteoarthritis becomes more common as joint tissues change over time, although it is not an unavoidable part of aging. |
| Previous Injury | Fractures, dislocations, ligament injuries, meniscus damage, or previous joint surgery can contribute to post-traumatic arthritis. |
| Repetitive Loading | Repeated occupational, athletic, or daily stress can influence symptoms and alter joint mechanics. |
| Body Weight | Excess body weight can increase mechanical demand on the knees, but it is not the sole cause of degenerative joint disease. |
| Genetics and Joint Structure | Family history, joint shape, and inherited characteristics can influence the risk of developing osteoarthritis. |
| Muscle Weakness | Reduced muscular support can affect stability, movement control, and the way forces are distributed through a joint. |
| Alignment and Mechanics | Uneven alignment or altered movement patterns can change how pressure is distributed through the knee or shoulder. |
| Reduced Activity | Prolonged inactivity can contribute to weakness, stiffness, and reduced confidence during movement. |
Having one or more risk factors does not prove that DJD is the cause of current symptoms. A clinical evaluation is still needed.
DJD evaluation begins by understanding the symptom pattern, joint function, and effect on daily life.
Your provider can review:
A focused examination can assess:
Bring available imaging reports, orthopedic records, and procedure information when relevant.
Joint Health Solutions does not claim that every patient receives clinic-based imaging or laboratory testing. When further imaging, urgent assessment, laboratory evaluation, rheumatology consultation, or orthopedic referral is needed, the provider can explain the appropriate next step.
Depending on the findings, a plan can include:
An injection should be considered only after the affected joint, symptom pattern, medical history, previous care, alternatives, evidence, and limitations have been reviewed.
Ultrasound or fluoroscopy can be used for selected procedures when clinically appropriate. Not every injection requires the same form of image guidance.
| Treatment | Commonly Considered For | Typical Goal | Evidence and Important Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corticosteroid Injection | Selected knee or shoulder symptoms related to inflammation | Short-term reduction in pain and inflammation | Does not restore cartilage or permanently treat degenerative joint disease. Repeated use requires individual medical review. |
| Hyaluronic Acid Injection | Selected patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis | Attempt to support knee comfort and function | AAOS does not recommend routine use for knee osteoarthritis. Recommendations differ among professional organizations, and it is not supported for shoulder osteoarthritis. |
| PRP Therapy | Selected knee osteoarthritis patients after discussing the evidence, suitability, and cost | Attempt to improve pain and joint function | AAOS rates the evidence for knee osteoarthritis as limited. Reliable evidence is lacking for shoulder osteoarthritis, and tissue or cartilage regeneration is not guaranteed. |
| Toradol IM Injection | Selected acute pain presentations when medically appropriate | Short-term systemic pain support | Injected into a muscle rather than the joint. Total adult ketorolac treatment is limited to five days, and significant gastrointestinal, kidney, cardiovascular, and bleeding risks require individual medical review. |
The AAOS knee guideline describes corticosteroid relief as short term, does not recommend routine hyaluronic acid use, and classifies PRP evidence as limited. For glenohumeral osteoarthritis, AAOS reports no benefit from hyaluronic acid and insufficient evidence for injectable biologics. Ketorolac is intended only for short-term acute pain management.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses a concentrated preparation made from the patient’s own blood. Platelets contain signaling proteins involved in the body’s normal response to tissue stress.
The presence of these proteins does not prove that PRP can rebuild cartilage, reverse osteoarthritis, or restore a damaged joint.
For selected knee osteoarthritis patients, PRP can be discussed after considering:
Symptom severity, Earlier conservative treatment, Medical history, Treatment goals, Cost and coverage limitations, Differences among PRP protocols, Available evidence, Alternative care pathways
AAOS states that PRP can potentially improve knee pain and function, but the recommendation has limited evidence strength. Reliable evidence is lacking to recommend PRP as established treatment for glenohumeral shoulder osteoarthritis.
PRP does not guarantee:
Cartilage regrowth, Reversal of DJD ,Permanent symptom relief, Restoration of the joint surface, Prevention of joint replacement, A fixed duration of improvement
Learn more about the general PRP Therapy service.
Orthopedic or joint-replacement consultation can be appropriate when degenerative joint disease causes substantial pain or functional loss and an appropriate nonsurgical plan no longer provides enough support.
Referral can be considered when there is:
A referral does not mean surgery will automatically be recommended. It provides access to further evaluation and a balanced discussion of operative and nonoperative options.
Nonsurgical care cannot guarantee that joint replacement will be delayed, prevented, or permanently unnecessary.
Knee and Shoulder Focus
Care planning distinguishes between knee and shoulder DJD instead of assuming that evidence and treatment suitability are the same for every joint.
Symptom-Led Evaluation
Recommendations begin with symptoms, function, previous care, medical history, and goals rather than a predetermined procedure.
Non-Surgical Care Planning
Physical therapy, activity modification, knee-specific support, lifestyle guidance, and selected procedures can be considered when clinically appropriate.
Evidence-Aware Treatment Discussions
The care process includes realistic goals, evidence limitations, alternatives, medication risks, and circumstances that justify referral.
Provider-Led Care
The verified care team includes Ariel Curtis, FNP-C, Joint Injection Specialist, and Jeffrey Galvin, MD, Medical Director.
Learn more about the Joint Health Solutions providers
Clear Location and Referral Guidance
Concord patients receive transparent information about the Charlotte clinic where appointments take place. Orthopedic referral remains available when symptoms, structural damage, or functional loss require it.
Yes. Degenerative joint disease is another term commonly used for osteoarthritis. The condition affects more than cartilage alone and can involve bone, the joint lining, muscles, and other surrounding tissues. It can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, grinding, and reduced movement. The term does not indicate a separate diagnosis from osteoarthritis, although the affected joint and severity still influence treatment decisions.
Current treatments do not reverse established DJD or reliably replace lost cartilage. Care generally focuses on supporting movement, strength, function, and symptom management. Physical therapy, activity modification, weight support when appropriate, knee bracing, aspiration, or selected injections can be considered. Improvement in pain or mobility does not necessarily mean that the underlying structural joint changes have been reversed.
Schedule an evaluation when pain, stiffness, swelling, weakness, or reduced movement persists, repeatedly returns, worsens, or interferes with walking, stairs, lifting, reaching, work, exercise, or sleep. Prompt assessment is especially important after significant trauma or when symptoms include deformity, inability to use the joint, a locked knee, sudden major swelling, or fever with a hot and red joint.
Many patients begin with nonsurgical care. Depending on the affected joint and symptoms, a plan can include education, physical therapy, activity changes, knee bracing, weight support when appropriate, aspiration, or selected injection options. Nonsurgical care is not sufficient for every patient. Advanced damage, deformity, substantial functional loss, or persistent symptoms can justify orthopedic evaluation.
Exercise and physical therapy have strong guideline support for knee osteoarthritis and can improve strength, movement, balance, and function. Physical therapy can also be considered for selected shoulder patients, although evidence differs by condition. The program should match the affected joint, symptoms, medical history, and tolerance. Therapy does not rebuild cartilage or guarantee that future surgery will never be needed.
No. Some general principles overlap, but evidence differs by joint. Exercise, appropriate weight management, and selected bracing have stronger support for knee osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid has mixed recommendations for the knee but no demonstrated benefit for glenohumeral shoulder osteoarthritis. PRP evidence is limited for the knee, while reliable evidence is lacking for shoulder osteoarthritis.
No. Many patients begin with physical therapy, exercise, activity modification, or knee-specific support. An injection should be considered only when the affected joint, symptom pattern, medical history, previous treatment, evidence, and patient preferences support it. Cortisone, hyaluronic acid, PRP, and Toradol have different goals and limitations. No injection guarantees permanent relief or structural restoration.
No. PRP contains concentrated platelets prepared from the patient’s blood, but this does not establish guaranteed cartilage regeneration. AAOS rates PRP evidence for knee osteoarthritis as limited, and reliable evidence is lacking for glenohumeral shoulder osteoarthritis. PRP does not guarantee reversal of DJD, permanent relief, restoration of the joint surface, or avoidance of future surgery.
Referral can be appropriate when DJD causes substantial functional loss, progressive deformity, instability, major restriction of motion, persistent rest or night pain, or symptoms that continue despite a suitable conservative plan. Referral can also be needed after significant trauma or when the diagnosis remains uncertain. It provides access to further assessment and does not automatically mean surgery.
Appointments are held at the Joint Health Solutions clinic at 9350 Benfield Rd, #109, Charlotte, NC 28269. The practice serves Concord and surrounding Cabarrus County communities but does not currently operate a physical Concord office. Call 704-833-3566 for current scheduling information, directions, insurance questions, and appointment preparation guidance.
Degenerative joint disease can affect walking, lifting, reaching, sleep, work, exercise, and everyday independence. A focused evaluation can help clarify whether physical therapy, activity guidance, knee-specific support, a treatment consultation, further assessment, or orthopedic referral should be considered.
