Arthritis & Joint Pain Treatment New Jersey

Live Better With Arthritis Without Rushing Into Surgery

Arthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic joint pain, affecting millions of Americans every year.

Whether it’s your knees, hips, shoulders, hands, or another joint, arthritis can make everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, exercising, or even getting dressed increasingly difficult.

The good news is that arthritis doesn’t automatically mean you need joint replacement surgery.

For nearly 30 years, Dr. Todd Koppel has served as a trusted pain management doctor in New Jersey, helping patients manage arthritis pain through personalized, minimally invasive treatment options designed to improve comfort, restore mobility, and help many patients delay or avoid surgery.

More than 95 percent of Dr. Koppel’s patients find meaningful relief without surgery.

What Is Arthritis?

Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation and gradual breakdown of the cartilage that cushions your joints.

As cartilage wears away, the bones begin rubbing against one another, leading to pain, stiffness, swelling, and reduced movement.

Although arthritis becomes more common with age, previous injuries, repetitive stress, genetics, and excess weight can all contribute to its development.

The most common type is osteoarthritis, often called “wear and tear” arthritis.

Symptoms of Arthritis

Arthritis often develops gradually.

Symptoms may include:

• Joint pain
• Morning stiffness
• Swelling
• Reduced flexibility
• Grinding or popping sensations
• Pain during activity
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty climbing stairs
• Reduced grip strength

Symptoms often become more noticeable over time if left untreated.

Which Joints Are Commonly Affected?

Many pain practices focus narrowly on the spine. Dr. Koppel evaluates and treats arthritis and joint pain throughout the entire body:

• Knee: pain with stairs, kneeling, squatting, and prolonged walking
• Hip: deep groin or outer hip pain that worsens with walking or standing
• Shoulder: aching with reaching, lifting, or lying on that side at night
• Facet joints of the spine: a very common cause of chronic neck and back pain
• Hands and fingers: morning stiffness, swelling, and reduced grip strength
• Ankles and feet: especially in patients who are on their feet all day

Treatment Options

There is no one-size-fits-all solution for arthritis. Dr. Koppel builds a treatment plan based on which joint is affected, the severity of the damage, what the patient has already tried, and their goals.

PRP Therapy (Platelet-Rich Plasma)

PRP uses concentrated growth factors from your own blood, injected directly into the damaged joint. Rather than simply masking pain, PRP stimulates tissue repair and can slow the progression of arthritis. Many patients notice improvement within a few weeks, with continued gains over three to six months.

Regenerative Cell Therapy

For patients with more significant joint degeneration, regenerative cell therapy delivers powerful healing regenerative cells into the joint to support cartilage repair and reduce long-term inflammation. Free consultations are available.

Genicular Nerve Block and Radiofrequency Ablation

For knee arthritis specifically, this approach blocks the small nerves that carry pain signals from the knee to the brain. A diagnostic nerve block first confirms these nerves are the source, then radiofrequency ablation can interrupt those signals for a year or more.

Joint Injections

Targeted anti-inflammatory joint injections placed directly into the affected joint provide fast, meaningful relief. They reduce inflammation and restore enough function that many patients can return to normal activities and participate in physical therapy.

Spinal Cord Stimulation

For chronic joint pain that has not responded to other treatments, a small implanted device delivers gentle electrical signals that interrupt pain pathways. This is a longer-term option for persistent, difficult-to-treat joint pain.

Do You Really Need Joint Replacement Surgery?

The two questions arthritis patients ask most often:

1. Can I just take medication?
2. And do I need joint replacement surgery?

Medication reduces discomfort but does nothing to address the underlying joint degeneration. Joint replacement is a major surgery with a months-long recovery, real risks, and results that vary widely. Dr. Koppel’s position is straightforward: exhaust every appropriate non-surgical option first. In the vast majority of cases, that’s enough.

If surgery ultimately becomes the right answer, Dr. Koppel will tell you honestly and help coordinate that care. But it should never be the starting point.

Why Choose Dr. Todd Koppel?

Successful arthritis treatment begins with understanding exactly what’s causing your pain.

Dr. Koppel has helped patients throughout New Jersey manage arthritis using personalized treatment plans designed to reduce pain, improve mobility, and help patients remain active.

Patients choose Dr. Koppel because he offers:

• Nearly 30 years treating arthritis
• 1,000+ five-star patient reviews across Google, Healthgrades & RateMDs
• Board Certified in Pain Medicine by the American Board of Anesthesiology
• Board Certified in Anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology
• Fellowship Trained in Interventional Pain Management
• Earned his medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College
• Fellowship training at The New York Hospital and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)
• Advanced expertise in image guided, minimally invasive pain procedures
• Personalized treatment plans
• Advanced image guided procedures
• Minimally invasive treatment options
• A conservative approach before surgery

 

Frequently Asked Questions