Non-surgical joint pain relief
You've done everything right — and it still hurts.
Injections that stopped working. Therapy that didn't last. A surgery you'd rather avoid — or one you already had that didn't fix the pain. If that sounds like you, there's a minimally invasive option most people have never been told about.
Feel meaningful pain relief within 2–4 weeks — and get back to normal activity the next day.
Does this sound like you?
If you're saying any of these, you're in the right place
These are the exact words we hear every day. Find yours — then see whether this treatment could help.
“My injections stopped working.”
Cortisone or gel shots that used to help barely last now.
See what else can help →“I want to avoid knee replacement.”
You're not ready for surgery — or you're not a candidate for it.
See the non-surgical option →“I'm still hurting after my knee replacement.”
The surgery went fine — but the pain didn't go away.
See why, and what helps →“I can't sleep on that side.”
Outer-hip pain that flares the moment you lie on it.
See about hip pain →“My frozen shoulder isn't getting better.”
Months of therapy and injections, and it still won't loosen.
See about frozen shoulder →“Nothing has worked. Is there anything left?”
Yes — take the 2-minute check and find out in plain English.
See if I'm a candidate →What we treat
Conditions we help with
Embolization gently reduces the abnormal blood flow and inflammation that fuel chronic joint pain.
Knee arthritis pain
Bone-on-bone knee pain that limits your walking, sleep, and life — when you're not ready for (or want to avoid) a knee replacement.
Explore knee treatment →Pain after knee replacement
Still hurting months or years after your knee replacement? You're not alone — and revision surgery isn't the only path.
Explore post-replacement relief →Stubborn hip / bursitis pain
Nagging pain on the outer hip that steroid shots and PT haven't fixed — often called greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS).
Explore hip treatment →Also treating with shoulder artery embolization.
Why it works
Chronic pain feeds itself. We stop the cycle at its source.
When a joint stays inflamed, your body grows tiny, abnormal blood vessels in the area — and those vessels feed even more inflammation, a cycle that keeps getting worse. Painful new nerves grow in right alongside them. Embolization gently reduces that abnormal blood flow, calming both the inflammation and the pain nerves at once.
The only treatment that targets both the inflammation and the pain — at their source.
A different kind of treatment
Injections mask the pain; surgery replaces the joint. Embolization treats the inflammation and the pain nerves at their source — so the cycle can finally settle.
Targets the source
Reduces the abnormal blood vessels and the painful nerves driving your joint pain — not just the symptom.
No cutting
Done through a tiny pinhole in the foot — no cutting, stitches, or implants.
Home in ~1 hour
A quick, ~30-minute outpatient procedure. Most people head home about an hour later.
Quick recovery
Most people are back to normal activity the next day; relief builds over 2–4 weeks.
A team, not a single doctor
Multidisciplinary care at every location
At each Embolix location you're cared for by a multi-specialty team — board-certified minimally invasive specialists, pain-management physicians, and the supporting clinicians who round out your care, all working together in one place. And no one has more experience: Embolix has trained more interventional radiologists in these techniques than anyone in the country.
- ✔Minimally invasive specialists — the interventional radiologists who perform the embolization
- ✔Pain-management physicians — expert evaluation and the specialist referral some insurers require, handled in-house
- ✔One coordinated plan — no bouncing between offices or repeating your story
A multi-specialty team under one roof — so your care is coordinated from the first visit to your last follow-up.
Why Embolix
The team that pioneered these procedures in America
Embolix physicians were among the first to bring musculoskeletal embolization to the U.S. and now hold the largest experience with these procedures in the world. Experience matters in a procedure this precise.
“My leg is so much better & my knee has really improved. The procedure is handled so well; hardly any pain! I was able to drive myself home!”
— L.S. ·
Who will treat you
The physicians behind your care
You're not being handed to whoever is available. Embolix programs are led by the physicians who helped establish these procedures in the United States — and who train the field through the Embolix Institute for MSK Embolization, which has trained more interventional radiologists in these techniques than any other program.
Keerthi Prasad, MD
A pioneer of musculoskeletal embolization in the U.S. Has trained interventional radiologists across the country in these techniques.
Read full profile →
Monish Merchant, MD
Board-certified interventional radiologist, widely published, with a large volume of experience in novel embolization techniques.
Read full profile →
Rohit Puranik, MD
Triple board-certified in pain management, venous & lymphatic medicine, and anesthesiology — comprehensive chronic-pain care.
Read full profile →Not sure if embolization is right for you?
Take our quick, private 2-minute assessment. We'll tell you whether you may be a candidate and walk you through your coverage.
Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE)
Knee arthritis pain relief — without a knee replacement.
Genicular Artery Embolization (GAE) is a minimally invasive, outpatient treatment for chronic knee osteoarthritis pain. It's designed for people who've tried injections, therapy, and medication but aren't ready for — or want to avoid — surgery.
Bone-on-bone pain with every step? Down the stairs sideways, one hand on the rail, dreading the walk from the car. We hear it every day — and it's treatable.
Does this sound like you?
GAE is often a good fit when knee arthritis pain has stopped responding to the usual treatments.
- ✔Knee pain from arthritis for 6 months or longer
- ✔Cortisone or gel injections stopped working — or never really helped
- ✔Physical therapy and medication haven't given lasting relief
- ✔You want to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery
- ✔You're not a surgical candidate due to weight, age, or health
- ✔Pain disrupts your sleep, walking, or daily activities
How GAE relieves knee pain
Arthritis doesn't just wear down cartilage — the ongoing inflammation makes your body grow tiny, abnormal blood vessels in the joint lining, and those vessels feed still more inflammation in a self-worsening cycle. Painful new nerves grow in right alongside them.
During GAE, an interventional radiologist guides a thin catheter to these small "genicular" arteries and releases microscopic particles that gently reduce that abnormal blood flow. It's the only treatment that calms both the inflammation and the pain nerves at their source — without touching the bone or joint itself.
What to expect
From your first call to lasting relief — most of it happens in a single afternoon.
Consultation & coverage check
We review your history and imaging, confirm you're a candidate, and verify your insurance benefits up front — no surprises.
Procedure day (about 30 minutes)
You're awake but relaxed with light sedation. Through a tiny pinhole in the foot — no cutting — the physician treats the genicular arteries. No general anesthesia.
Home about an hour later
After a short recovery — about an hour after your procedure — you head home. Most people are back to normal activity the very next day.
Relief builds over weeks
Many patients notice pain easing over the following 2–4 weeks as inflammation settles. Results vary from person to person.
GAE vs. your other options
Injections wear off. Surgery is a major operation. GAE targets the source with minimal downside.
| Option | Invasiveness | Typical relief |
|---|---|---|
| Cortisone injection | Low | Only weeks — then it fades |
| Gel (hyaluronic) | Low | Hit-or-miss, temporary |
| GAE (embolization) ★ | Minimal · pinhole | ~70% get lasting relief; no cutting, no implant |
| Knee replacement | Major surgery | Cuts out bone · general anesthesia · months of painful rehab · implant can wear out |
General education, not medical advice. GAE is often the smart step to try before committing to an irreversible operation — your physician will help you decide.
Common questions
Is GAE painful?
How long until I feel better?
Will it "cure" my arthritis?
Can I still have a knee replacement later?
Is it covered by insurance?
Ready to see if GAE is right for your knee?
Take the 2-minute candidacy quiz or check your coverage. Private, no obligation.
Persistent pain after knee replacement
Still in pain after your knee replacement?
You did everything right — and you're still hurting. You're not imagining it, and you're far from alone: roughly 1 in 5 people have ongoing pain after a total knee replacement — a statistic almost nobody is given before surgery. Embolization may help calm that pain without another operation.
Up to ~20% of knee-replacement patients have persistent pain afterward.
The part nobody warned you about
You were never told this could happen.
Before surgery, the conversation is about recovery timelines and getting back to your life. What almost nobody hears is the actual statistic: roughly 1 in 5 people still have significant pain after a total knee replacement. It's one of the best-documented outcomes in orthopedics — and one of the least discussed before you sign the consent form.
So when it happens to you, it feels like a personal failure. It isn't. It's a known outcome that you were simply never given the numbers on.
“The X-ray looks textbook.”
Your imaging is clean, the implant is perfectly positioned, and the surgery was technically excellent. All of that can be true and you can still be in pain — because the pain isn't coming from the hardware.
“Let's try a manipulation. Or a revision.”
Manipulation under anesthesia, or opening the knee back up for a revision — a major operation with a longer, harder recovery than the first one, and no guarantee the pain goes away.
“There's nothing more I can do.”
The hardest one to hear. Often it means there's nothing more surgery can do — which is not the same as nothing at all.
A textbook X-ray doesn't rule out pain — it rules out a mechanical cause. What it can't show is inflamed tissue. And inflammation is treatable without another operation.
Why does it still hurt?
A successful surgery can still leave you with pain — and here's a common, under-recognized reason. After a knee replacement, the way your new knee tracks and moves can change slightly. That can cause the joint lining (the synovium) to get caught and pinched with nearly every step.
Pinched over and over, that lining becomes swollen, inflamed, and painful — even when your X-rays and implant look perfectly fine. Because this pain comes from the inflamed lining, not the hardware, embolization can calm it directly — without revision surgery, a major operation with a long, difficult recovery.
- ⚠Pain, swelling, or warmth months or years after replacement
- ⚠Your surgeon says the implant looks good — but it still hurts
- ⚠You've been told to "wait it out" or consider revision surgery
A non-surgical option first
Embolization for persistent post-replacement pain is the same gentle, outpatient approach used for arthritis: a thin catheter, microscopic particles, and no cutting. It's designed to reduce the inflammation causing your pain and help you avoid — or delay — another operation.
We accept Medicare and most commercial insurance, and we verify your specific benefits before anything is scheduled.
You may have an option besides revision surgery.
Find out in 2 minutes whether embolization could help your post-replacement pain.
Hip bursitis · Outer hip pain · GTPS
Pain on the outside of your hip that won't go away.
You can't lie on that side. Stairs hurt. Getting out of the car hurts. You've probably been told it's "hip bursitis" — and you've probably had a cortisone shot that helped for a while and then stopped. There's a reason for that, and there's more that can be done.
Severe pain on the outer hip? Pillow between your knees, flip to the other side, still awake at 2 a.m. We hear it every day — and it's treatable.
First, the name is misleading
It's usually not the bursa.
"Hip bursitis" describes an inflamed bursa — a small fluid-filled cushion over the bony point of your hip. It's the name that stuck, and it's still what most people are told. But when researchers began imaging these hips, they found that in the large majority of cases the bursa isn't the problem at all.
What's usually going on is gluteal tendinopathy — wear and irritation in the tendons of the gluteal muscles where they anchor to the outside of the hip. Specialists now group this under greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS).
This isn't a criticism of anyone who told you otherwise. The clinical understanding genuinely shifted, and the older name is still in wide use. But the distinction has a practical consequence: a treatment aimed at calming an inflamed sac isn't aimed at a degenerating tendon. That's the single best explanation for why so many people feel briefly better after a shot and then find themselves right back where they started.
What this feels like
- ✔You can't sleep on that side — the pressure is too painful
- ✔Lying on the other side also hurts, when your top leg falls across your body
- ✔Tender to press directly over the bony bump on your outer hip
- ✔Worse on stairs, standing on that leg, or getting out of a car
- ✔Ache spreading down the outer thigh — sometimes mistaken for sciatica
- ✔It's been going on for months, not weeks
Is it your back, your hip joint, or the side of your hip?
These get confused constantly, and people are sometimes treated for the wrong one for years. A rough guide:
Hip joint (arthritis): pain felt in the groin, worse with rotating the leg.
Lower back / sciatica: pain traveling down past the knee, often with numbness, tingling, or weakness.
GTPS: pain on the outer side, tender to touch over the bone, and worst when lying on it.
Only an examination and imaging can sort this out properly — but if the night pain and the point tenderness describe you, GTPS is worth raising specifically.
Where most people get stuck
You've done the clamshells. You've had the shots.
The standard pathway is physical therapy and one or more corticosteroid injections. For a lot of people that genuinely works. But there's a substantial group it doesn't work for, and that group tends to get very little guidance about what comes next.
Therapy that flares it
Loading an already-irritated tendon can aggravate it, especially if the program moves too fast. People often report that the exercises made things worse and conclude they've failed at rehab — when the problem was the dose, not the effort.
Shots that fade faster each time
The first injection buys months, the next buys weeks, the one after that barely registers. There's also evidence that repeated corticosteroid injections may weaken tendon tissue — which is why many specialists limit how many they'll give.
“Learn to live with it”
After therapy and injections, many people are told there's nothing further short of surgery. That's the point at which most stop looking — and it's the point at which embolization becomes worth knowing about.
A newer option
Embolization for chronic outer hip pain
Chronically irritated tendons grow tiny, abnormal blood vessels, and painful new nerve fibers grow in alongside them. That's a large part of why the pain persists long after any original injury should have settled.
Embolization targets exactly that. An interventional radiologist enters through a pinhole, guides a thin catheter to the small arteries feeding the irritated tissue, and releases microscopic particles to reduce that abnormal blood flow — treating the source of the pain rather than masking it.
It takes about 30 minutes. No cutting, no implant, no general anesthetic. You go home about an hour later and back to normal activity the next day.
Embolization for hip pain is newer and less proven than our knee work. The published studies are small, single-arm, and come from a limited number of centers — the largest followed 49 patients and found meaningful improvement in roughly three quarters at 12 months. There are no randomized controlled trials yet.
Safety data across musculoskeletal embolization has been reassuring. But you deserve to know where this sits, and it sits earlier than we'd like. If someone quotes you a success rate without that context, be skeptical.
If you've run out of options, it's worth a conversation.
Take the quick assessment and find out whether embolization could help — and what your insurance covers.
Frozen shoulder · Shoulder Artery Embolization (SAE)
Frozen shoulder can take years to thaw. It doesn't have to.
The standard path for frozen shoulder is months of physical therapy, repeated steroid injections, and waiting — often a year or more, and sometimes surgery under anesthesia. Shoulder artery embolization (SAE) treats the inflammation driving the pain directly, in a 30-minute outpatient procedure.
Reaching back for a seatbelt — and wincing? Months of stretches, and the arm still won't go. We hear it every day — and it's treatable.
Is this frozen shoulder?
SAE is often a good fit for frozen shoulder that isn't loosening on the usual timeline.
- ✔Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) — pain and stiffness for months
- ✔Physical therapy and steroid injections haven't restored your motion
- ✔Your shoulder is stiff, not just sore — the motion itself is limited
- ✔You want to avoid manipulation under anesthesia or capsular release surgery
- ✔Pain disrupts your sleep, reaching, or dressing
How SAE treats frozen shoulder
Like the knee and hip, a frozen shoulder grows tiny, abnormal blood vessels that feed ongoing inflammation in the joint capsule. During SAE, an interventional radiologist enters through a tiny pinhole at the wrist (radial artery access), guides a thin catheter to the arteries feeding the shoulder, and releases microscopic particles to reduce that abnormal blood flow.
No cutting, no implants, no general anesthesia — a ~30-minute outpatient procedure, home about an hour after, and back to normal activity the next day.
Why you've probably never heard of this
“Just keep doing your exercises.”
If you have frozen shoulder, you were almost certainly sent to physical therapy and told to be patient. That's the standard path — and for some people it works, eventually.
But it can take one to three years to run its course. Meanwhile you can't sleep on that side, can't reach a seatbelt, can't put on a coat without wincing. And when therapy and injections don't do it, the next thing offered is usually manipulation under anesthesia or surgery to cut the capsule.
Almost nobody is told there's a third option. Shoulder artery embolization is newer, it's done by interventional radiologists rather than orthopedic surgeons, and most patients only find out it exists because they went looking.
If you found this page, that's how you found out.
What makes someone a good fit
- ✔Frozen shoulder pain and stiffness for 3 months or more
- ✔You've done physical therapy and it hasn't restored your motion
- ✔Steroid injections helped briefly, or not at all
- ✔Night pain that wakes you or keeps you off that side
- ✔You'd rather not have manipulation under anesthesia or surgery
Frozen shoulder is also more common if you have diabetes or thyroid disease — and tends to be more stubborn in those cases.
Ready to stop waiting for your shoulder to thaw?
Take the 2-minute candidacy quiz or check your coverage. Private, no obligation. We accept Medicare and most commercial insurance.
The procedure, explained simply
How joint embolization works
It sounds high-tech — and it is — but the idea is simple: calm the inflammation that's causing your pain, through a pinhole, with no surgery.
Finding the source
Chronic inflammation makes your body grow tiny, abnormal blood vessels in the joint — and they feed even more inflammation, a self-worsening cycle. Painful new nerves grow in alongside them. Your interventional radiologist maps these vessels using live imaging.
A pinhole, not an incision
Through a tiny pinhole in the foot, a catheter thinner than a spaghetti noodle is guided up to the exact arteries feeding your pain. You're awake but relaxed with light sedation.
Calming the inflammation & pain
Microscopic particles are released to gently reduce the abnormal blood flow. That breaks the cycle — quieting both the inflammation and the painful nerves it was feeding, so the pain eases at its source.
Home in about an hour
The pinhole needs only a bandage. You head home about an hour after your procedure, and most people are back to normal activity the next day.
Relief that builds
As inflammation settles over the following weeks, many patients feel steadily improving pain relief. Results vary, and your team will follow up with you.
Your timeline, start to finish
Most of it happens in a single morning — and the relief keeps building for weeks.
Is it safe?
Embolization has been used in medicine for decades. For joints, it's minimally invasive with a strong safety profile.
No general anesthesia
Just light sedation and local numbing — lower risk than surgery under general anesthesia.
Precise & targeted
Live imaging lets the physician treat only the vessels causing pain, sparing healthy tissue.
Backed by evidence
Supported by growing clinical research and 2026 specialty-society guidance. Side effects are usually minor and temporary.
Why Embolix
The most experienced name in musculoskeletal embolization — in the world.
Embolization is a precise procedure, and experience shows. Embolix physicians were among the first to grow these treatments in the United States and now hold the largest musculoskeletal embolization experience worldwide, with thousands of procedures a year behind them.
The Embolix Institute for MSK Embolization
The physicians who teach this field
Musculoskeletal embolization is precise work, and experience is what makes it safe and effective. The Embolix Institute is where that experience gets passed on: our physicians have trained more interventional radiologists in these techniques than any other program — the same physicians and techniques behind the thousands of procedures performed across our network every year.
For you, that means a simple guarantee: every physician who treats an Embolix patient is Embolix-trained — proctored in these specific procedures by the team that pioneered them in the United States, not just credentialed in general radiology.
What Embolix-trained means
- ✔Hands-on proctoring by the physicians who pioneered these procedures in the U.S.
- ✔Trained in the specific techniques for knee, post-replacement, hip, and frozen shoulder embolization
- ✔Part of a network performing thousands of these procedures every year
- ✔Ongoing case review across the network — every physician benefits from everyone's experience
Our physicians
Leaders who helped bring these procedures to patients across the country.
Keerthi Prasad, MD
CEO · Vascular & Interventional Radiologist. Pioneer of musculoskeletal embolization in the U.S.; featured on the national BackTable MSK podcast.
View full bio →Monish Merchant, MD
CMO · Vascular & Interventional Radiologist. Widely published; large-volume experience in advanced embolization.
View full bio →Rohit Puranik, MD
COO · Triple board-certified in pain management, venous/lymphatic medicine, and anesthesiology.
View full bio →Each profile should link to a full bio page — photo, credentials, training, podcasts, and publications — to build patient trust and search authority.
Backed by evidence
These aren't experimental procedures done in a vacuum. Joint embolization is supported by a growing body of published research and, as of 2026, a supportive position statement from the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) — the field's leading professional body.
- 📄Supportive 2026 SIR position statement on knee embolization
- 🔬Multiple published clinical studies for knee and hip
- 🧪Ongoing national clinical trials advancing the science
As seen & heard
Our physicians educate patients and peers through national podcasts, media, and physician networks.
Resorbable Embolics in MSK Embolizations
Dr. Keerthi Prasad on the embolic agents behind knee, plantar-fascia, and shoulder embolization.
Listen →Pain & Veins: A Unique OBL Practice
Dr. Keerthi Prasad on building a multidisciplinary outpatient IR practice.
Listen →Experience you can feel.
See whether you're a candidate — and get care from the team that helped define these procedures.
Vascular & Interventional Radiologist · CEO, Embolix
Keerthi Prasad, MD
A pioneer of musculoskeletal embolization in the United States. Dr. Prasad helped bring genicular artery embolization and musculoskeletal embolization to American patients, and leads the Embolix Institute for MSK Embolization, which has trained more interventional radiologists in these techniques than any other program.
Approach to care
Dr. Prasad is dedicated to finding and treating the root of the problem, not just the symptom. He takes the time with each patient to make sure they understand their condition and every option in front of them — so the choice they make is an informed one.
His work focuses on minimally invasive, image-guided treatments performed in comfortable outpatient settings, sparing patients the risk and long recovery of open surgery.
Education & training
Benedictine University
B.S. in Health Science · Lisle, Illinois
University of Illinois College of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
University of Illinois
Residency in Diagnostic Radiology
Indiana University (Indianapolis)
Fellowship in Vascular & Interventional Radiology
Areas of expertise
Minimally invasive treatment of joint pain and beyond.
Genicular artery embolization
Non-surgical treatment of knee osteoarthritis pain and persistent pain after knee replacement.
musculoskeletal embolization
Hip / greater trochanteric pain syndrome and shoulder embolization for chronic joint pain.
Outpatient IR & OBL
Building and leading multidisciplinary, office-based interventional radiology practices.
Media & speaking
Educating patients and peers on the national stage.
Resorbable Embolics in MSK Embolizations
A deep dive into the embolic agents behind knee, plantar-fascia, and shoulder embolization.
Listen →Pain & Veins: A Unique OBL Practice
Building a multidisciplinary outpatient interventional radiology practice.
Listen →Add publications, additional media, and board certifications here as they're compiled.
Care from the team that pioneered these procedures
See whether you're a candidate for non-surgical joint pain treatment.
Vascular & Interventional Radiologist · CMO, Embolix
Monish Merchant, MD
A board-certified interventional radiologist who has published extensively across the field and holds a large volume of experience in novel embolization procedures and techniques.
Focus
Dr. Merchant brings deep, published expertise in embolization to the Embolix team. His large-volume experience spans novel and advanced embolization techniques — the foundation of safe, effective, minimally invasive care.
He is also advanced-trained in the minimally invasive treatment of uterine fibroids and other women's-health conditions.
Education & training
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Dual B.S. — Molecular & Cellular Biology and Finance
Rush Medical College, Chicago
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Residency in Diagnostic Radiology
Jackson Memorial Hospital · University of Miami
Fellowship in Vascular & Interventional Radiology
Add headshot, board certifications, and selected publications here.
Expertise you can trust
See whether you're a candidate for non-surgical joint pain treatment.
Pain Management Specialist · COO, Embolix
Rohit Puranik, MD
Triple board-certified in pain management, venous & lymphatic medicine, and anesthesiology — a uniquely comprehensive approach to treating chronic pain.
Why this matters for you
Dr. Puranik's triple certification means your joint pain is evaluated by someone who understands it from every angle — pain medicine, vascular care, and anesthesiology. That comprehensive lens helps ensure embolization is the right option for you, and that you're cared for safely and comfortably.
His background in pain management also supports the musculoskeletal-specialist evaluation that some insurers require before treatment.
Education & training
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine (MD)
Maine Medical Center, Portland
Residency in Anesthesiology
Cook County Hospital, Chicago
Fellowship in Chronic & Interventional Pain Medicine
Add headshot and full board-certification details here.
Comprehensive, careful pain care
See whether you're a candidate for non-surgical joint pain treatment.
Our results & the evidence
Real experience. Real science.
We believe patients deserve honesty about what a treatment can and can't do. Here's our own experience alongside the growing body of published research behind joint embolization.
The results speak for themselves
Our procedure volume, and the outcomes reported in published genicular embolization studies.
Outcome figures reflect published GAE clinical studies (a prospective study of 95 knees and a systematic review of 186 knees, Kellgren-Lawrence grade 1–3). Individual results vary and no outcome is guaranteed.
What the published science shows
Joint embolization is not experimental — it's supported by a growing evidence base and specialty guidance.
Knee (GAE)
Across a prospective study (95 knees) and a systematic review (186 knees), about 70% of patients achieved more than 50% pain reduction, with no major complications. Relief typically begins within the first weeks to months. How long that benefit lasts is still being studied — sham-controlled trials have not consistently shown a difference from placebo at the one-year mark, and research continues into which patients and which techniques produce the most durable results. The 2026 SIR position statement supports GAE, and the pivotal MOTION trial is underway.
Hip (GTPS)
Clinical cohorts and registries (2022–2026) report clinical success in roughly 63–73% of patients with stubborn lateral hip pain at one to two years of follow-up. Research is ongoing.
After knee replacement
For persistent post-replacement pain driven by inflammation, embolization is an emerging option studied as an alternative to another surgery — and coverage is expanding.
Building the evidence — together
As one of the highest-volume joint-embolization networks in the world, we're in a unique position to advance the science. We're compiling our outcomes into a structured registry so that our results are transparent, published, and able to help move the whole field — and coverage — forward.
Individual results vary and no outcome is guaranteed. The information here summarizes published research and our experience for education; it is not a promise of results. Your physician will discuss what's realistic for your situation.
See what's possible for you
The best way to understand your options is a conversation. Start with our quick candidacy check.
Learn
Understand your pain — and your options
Clear, honest education about joint pain, what causes it, and every treatment on the table — written in plain language and reviewed by our physicians. Start with your condition, or learn how the treatment works.
Understand your condition
What's actually happening in your joint — and why some treatments work better than others.
Knee osteoarthritis, explained
What "bone-on-bone" really means, why it hurts, and how the disease progresses.
Read the guide →Why knees still hurt after replacement
The overlooked cause of lingering pain when your surgery "went fine."
Read the guide →Hip bursitis & GTPS, explained
Why "hip bursitis" is often more than a bursa — and why shots stop working.
Read the guide →Frozen shoulder, explained
The three stages, why nights are worst, and what to do when therapy stalls.
Read the guide →Understand the treatment
How embolization works, whether it's safe, and how it compares to your other options.
How embolization works
The procedure explained step by step.
GAE vs. knee replacement
An honest side-by-side comparison.
GAE vs. cortisone shots
Why injections fade — and what's different.
From our blog
13 in-depth articles — each answering a real question patients search for, written and reviewed by our physicians.
Knee replacement alternatives: can you avoid surgery?
Non-surgical options for knee arthritis — including when embolization makes sense.
Still in pain after knee replacement? Why it happens
The overlooked cause of persistent pain — and what can help without more surgery.
Hip bursitis that won't go away: why shots stop working
What greater trochanteric pain syndrome really is, and a newer option.
GAE vs. cortisone injections: which is right for you?
How they differ, why shots fade, and who each option suits.
What does knee embolization cost with Medicare?
Coverage, coinsurance, Medigap, and cash-pay explained.
GAE recovery week-by-week
What to expect from procedure day through the weeks relief builds.
Is genicular artery embolization safe?
An honest look at risks, side effects, and the evidence.
GAE vs. knee replacement: how to choose
An honest side-by-side, and how they fit different stages.
How long does GAE last?
Understanding when relief builds and how durable it is.
Knee osteoarthritis treatment options: a 2026 guide
The full ladder from lifestyle care to surgery — and where GAE fits.
Who is a good candidate for GAE?
The signs it may fit — and who it's not for.
Hip embolization for GTPS: cost, candidacy & what to expect
The lateral-hip version of the procedure, start to finish.
All 13 articles are drafted and ready to publish (with physician bylines and FAQ schema). Each links to its condition and booking pages once live.
Condition guide · Knee
Knee osteoarthritis, explained simply
If you've been told your knee is "bone-on-bone," here's what that actually means — and why understanding the cause points you toward the right treatment.
What osteoarthritis is
Osteoarthritis is the gradual wearing down of the smooth cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones in your knee. As that cushion thins, the bones move with less protection — which is where "bone-on-bone" comes from. But cartilage loss is only part of the story.
Why it actually hurts
Here's the part most people are never told: cartilage itself has no nerves, so cartilage wear alone doesn't fully explain your pain. Much of the pain comes from inflammation in the joint lining (the synovium). As arthritis progresses, that lining becomes inflamed and grows tiny, abnormal blood vessels — a process called neovascularity. These vessels feed ongoing inflammation and travel alongside nerve fibers, making the joint more sensitive and painful.
This matters because it explains why two people with similar-looking X-rays can have very different pain — and why treatments that target inflammation and abnormal blood flow can help even when the cartilage can't be restored.
How it progresses
- ✔Early: occasional ache after activity; stiffness in the morning that eases as you move.
- ✔Moderate: pain during and after everyday activities; swelling; trouble with stairs and getting up.
- ✔Advanced: pain at rest and at night; noticeable stiffness and loss of motion; pain that shapes your day.
What this means for treatment
Because inflammation drives so much of the pain, calming that inflammation is a legitimate goal — not just replacing the joint. That's the idea behind genicular artery embolization (GAE): reduce the abnormal blood flow feeding the inflammation, without surgery. It's one of several options, and the right path depends on where you are in the disease and what you've already tried.
This guide is general education, not medical advice. Your physician can explain what your specific imaging and symptoms mean for you.
Condition guide · After knee replacement
Why some knees still hurt after replacement
A knee replacement can be a great success and still leave you in pain. Here's the overlooked reason — and why it points to a non-surgical option.
You're not imagining it
Total knee replacement is one of the most successful operations in medicine, and most people do well. But research consistently finds that around 1 in 5 people continue to have pain or dissatisfaction after their knee has fully healed. If that's you, your experience is real and deserves a careful look.
The possible causes
- ✔Mechanical/implant issues — loosening, alignment, sizing, or instability.
- ✔Infection — uncommon but important to rule out, especially with swelling, warmth, or fever.
- ✔Nerve irritation — surgery can irritate small nerves around the knee.
- ✔Persistent inflammation — the often-overlooked cause below.
The overlooked cause: a pinched, inflamed lining
Here's a mechanism many patients are never told about. After a replacement, the way the new knee tracks and moves can shift slightly. That subtle change can cause the joint lining (the synovium) to get caught and pinched with nearly every step. Pinched again and again, the lining becomes swollen, inflamed, and painful — developing the same abnormal blood vessels seen in arthritis. Your imaging can look "fine" and the implant can be perfect, while the lining keeps flaring up and hurting. Because this pain comes from the inflamed lining rather than the hardware, it can often be treated without revision surgery.
What you can do
The first step is a proper workup to find the cause. If a mechanical problem or infection is found, that's treated directly. But when the implant looks good and infection is ruled out, embolization is a minimally invasive option worth discussing — before committing to another major operation.
General education, not medical advice. A physician evaluation is needed to determine the cause of your pain and whether embolization is appropriate.
Condition guide · Hip
Hip bursitis & GTPS, explained
That stubborn pain on the outside of your hip usually isn't "just bursitis." Understanding what it really is explains why steroid shots stop working.
It's usually more than a bursa
The common term is "hip bursitis," but doctors increasingly use a broader, more accurate name: greater trochanteric pain syndrome (GTPS). The greater trochanter is the bony bump on the outer side of your upper thigh. For years the pain was blamed on an inflamed bursa (a small cushioning sac), but we now know it usually involves irritated or degenerating gluteal tendons and inflamed soft tissue too. That's why treatments aimed only at the bursa often fall short.
Why steroid shots stop working
Cortisone can quiet inflammation for a while, and many people feel better after the first shot or two. But it doesn't repair the underlying irritated tendon or the abnormal blood flow feeding the problem — so the relief fades, and each shot tends to help a little less. Doctors are also cautious about repeated steroids, which over time can weaken nearby tendon tissue.
The overlooked driver: abnormal blood flow
In chronic GTPS, the irritated tissue develops abnormal, extra blood vessels (neovascularity) that feed ongoing inflammation and travel with pain-sensing nerves. Part of what keeps the pain going is this abnormal blood supply — which is exactly what embolization targets.
- ✔Pain on the outer hip, often worse lying on that side or on stairs
- ✔Relief from shots that fades faster each time
- ✔Physical therapy that helps but doesn't fully resolve it
General education, not medical advice. A specialist can confirm whether your pain is GTPS and whether embolization is a reasonable option.
Condition guide · Shoulder
Frozen shoulder, explained
Why your shoulder seized up, why it hurts most at night, how long it actually takes — and what the options are when physical therapy isn't getting your motion back.
What frozen shoulder actually is
Your shoulder joint sits inside a capsule — a sleeve of connective tissue that is normally loose and roomy enough to let your arm move in every direction. In frozen shoulder, medically called adhesive capsulitis, that capsule becomes inflamed, thickens, and tightens down around the joint.
This is the key thing to understand: the problem is not your muscles, and it is not weakness. The capsule has physically contracted. That's why forcing through the stiffness with effort doesn't work the way it might for an ordinary stiff joint, and why the loss of motion is there even when someone else moves your arm for you.
The three stages — and the real timeline
Frozen shoulder is unusual in that it follows a recognizable arc. Knowing which stage you're in explains a lot about what you're feeling.
Freezing
Pain builds, often for no clear reason. Motion starts to shrink. This is usually the most painful stage and the one where night pain is worst.
Frozen
The pain often eases somewhat, but stiffness is at its peak. Reaching a seatbelt, fastening a bra, or putting on a coat becomes genuinely difficult.
Thawing
Motion gradually returns. Most people recover much of their range, though a meaningful number are left with some lasting stiffness.
Total: commonly one to three years. Stages overlap and timelines vary a great deal. If you've been told "it'll resolve on its own," that's often true — but "on its own" can mean a very long time, and that is a legitimate thing to weigh.
Why it hurts so much at night
Night pain is one of the most characteristic — and most exhausting — features of frozen shoulder. Several things stack up at once: the distraction of daytime activity is gone, inflammatory activity tends to rise overnight, and nearly every sleeping position either presses on the shoulder or lets the arm drift somewhere the tightened capsule won't tolerate.
It is extremely common for people to end up sleeping propped on pillows or in a recliner for months. If that's you, you are not handling this badly — that is what this condition does.
Why did this happen to me?
Sometimes frozen shoulder follows an injury, surgery, or a period when the arm was kept still in a sling. Often it appears for no identifiable reason at all, which many people find hard to accept. Known associations include:
- ✔Diabetes — the strongest association by far. Frozen shoulder is markedly more common, tends to be more severe, and often responds less well to standard treatment.
- ✔Thyroid disease — both overactive and underactive.
- ✔Age 40–60, and more common in women than men.
- ✔Immobilization — after a fracture, rotator cuff surgery, or any period in a sling.
- ✔Dupuytren's contracture, cardiac disease, and stroke are also associated.
Frozen shoulder and menopause
A great many women develop frozen shoulder around the menopausal transition, and the peak age for the condition overlaps closely with it. Estrogen appears to play a role in the health of tendons and connective tissue, and declining levels are thought to contribute — though the relationship is still being studied, and frozen shoulder is certainly not exclusive to women or to menopause.
It's worth naming because a lot of women are told their shoulder is unrelated to everything else changing at the same time, and are left to figure out the connection themselves.
Can it happen twice, or in the other shoulder?
Yes — and people are sometimes told it can't, which is unhelpful when it then does. Roughly 20 to 30 percent of people go on to develop frozen shoulder in the opposite shoulder, usually at a different time rather than simultaneously. A second episode in the same shoulder is less common, but it happens.
The usual treatment ladder
Most people move through some version of this sequence. It's worth knowing what each step actually does.
Physical therapy
Gentle, sustained stretching to maintain and gradually regain motion. Genuinely helpful for many — but aggressive therapy during the painful freezing stage can aggravate things, and plateauing is common.
Corticosteroid injection
Reduces inflammation inside the joint. Tends to work best early, during the freezing stage. Relief is often real but temporary, and there are limits on how many injections are advisable.
Hydrodilatation
Fluid is injected under pressure to stretch the capsule from the inside. Less invasive than manipulation, though not offered everywhere in the U.S.
Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA)
You're put to sleep and the arm is moved forcefully through its range to break up the tightened capsule. It can restore motion, but it doesn't address inflammation, carries a small risk of fracture or tissue injury, and the shoulder can re-stiffen afterward — particularly in people with diabetes.
Arthroscopic capsular release
Surgery to cut the tightened portion of the capsule. Effective, but it is an operation, with anesthesia, recovery, and intensive therapy afterward.
Shoulder artery embolization
A newer, minimally invasive option that targets the inflammation itself rather than stretching or cutting the capsule. About 30 minutes, through a pinhole at the wrist, no general anesthesia.
Read more about embolization →The overlooked driver: abnormal blood flow
An inflamed shoulder capsule grows tiny, abnormal new blood vessels, and pain-carrying nerve fibers grow in alongside them. That combination helps sustain both the inflammation and the pain long after any original trigger has passed.
Shoulder artery embolization targets that abnormal blood supply directly. An interventional radiologist guides a thin catheter to the small arteries feeding the inflamed capsule and releases microscopic particles to reduce that flow — treating the source rather than working around it.
Published studies of shoulder embolization report meaningful improvement in pain and motion for most patients treated, and safety has been reassuring. But the studies are small and uncontrolled, and there are no randomized controlled trials yet — a head-to-head trial is currently enrolling. This is a newer option with a developing evidence base, and any honest description of it has to say so.
When to ask about other options
- ✔You've done three months or more of therapy without meaningful gains in motion
- ✔Injections helped briefly, or not at all
- ✔Night pain is still costing you sleep
- ✔You have diabetes and your shoulder isn't following the expected path
- ✔You've been offered manipulation or surgery and want to understand the alternatives first
This guide is general education, not medical advice. Individual situations vary, and a physician should evaluate your shoulder before any treatment decision.
Compare · Knee
GAE vs. knee replacement
Both can help knee arthritis pain — but they're very different decisions. Here's an honest side-by-side to bring to your doctor.
| Genicular Embolization ★ | Total Knee Replacement | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Calms the inflammation at its source — nothing is cut or removed | Saws out bone and cartilage and bolts in a metal-and-plastic implant |
| Invasiveness | Minimal · pinhole | Major surgery · large incision |
| Anesthesia | Light sedation — you stay awake | General or spinal anesthesia |
| Setting | Outpatient · ~30 min · home in ~1 hr | Hospital · often an overnight stay |
| Recovery | Back to normal the next day | Weeks to months of painful rehab and physical therapy |
| Risks | Minor, temporary (mild soreness) | Blood clots, infection, stiffness — and the implant can loosen or wear out |
| Reversibility | Keeps every future option open | Permanent — if it fails, revision is a bigger, harder surgery |
How to think about it
For most people, GAE is the smart first move: relieve the pain now, keep every option open, and avoid rushing into a major, irreversible operation. A knee replacement is a serious, permanent step — best saved for advanced arthritis after less-invasive options have been tried. Many patients use GAE to feel better and put off a replacement for years, and some never need one at all. Your imaging, health, and goals decide the right path.
General education, not medical advice. Only a physician who has reviewed your imaging and history can recommend the right treatment.
Compare · Knee
GAE vs. cortisone injections
If your shots are working less and less, here's why — and how embolization takes a different approach.
| Cortisone injection | Genicular Artery Embolization | |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Floods the joint with anti-inflammatory steroid | Reduces the abnormal blood flow feeding inflammation |
| Typical relief | Weeks to a few months | Often more durable; no implant |
| With repetition | Tends to help less each time | A single treatment; can be repeated if needed |
| Downside | Repeated steroids may affect nearby tissue over time | Minor, usually temporary side effects |
| Invasiveness | Very low | Minimally invasive |
Why shots fade
Cortisone calms inflammation, but it doesn't change what's causing it — the abnormal blood vessels feeding the inflamed joint lining are still there. That's why the benefit often shrinks with each injection. Embolization targets that underlying source instead of repeatedly quieting the symptom. Injections still have a real role — they're simple, quick, and help many people — but when they stop lasting, it's a signal to look deeper.
General education, not medical advice. Talk with your physician about which approach is right for your knee.
Locations
Find joint-pain treatment near you
108 clinic locations across 19 states. Every one has an Embolix-trained interventional radiologist who treats patients there. You'll start with a consultation to confirm embolization is right for you. Search by city or ZIP to find the one nearest you.
Showing clinic locations across our partner network. Your consultation happens here; the procedure is done at a nearby outpatient facility.
Chicago, IL
Knee & joint pain treatment in Chicago
Non-surgical genicular artery embolization (GAE) and musculoskeletal embolization for knee, hip, and post-replacement pain — right here in the Chicago area. A ~30-minute outpatient procedure, home about an hour after, and we accept Medicare and most commercial insurance.
Chicago & surrounding suburbs — with additional Illinois & NW Indiana partner centers.
What this page includes
Local city + condition keywords, address, embedded map, local phone/tracking number, hours, and directions — everything Google needs to rank you locally.
Local trust signals
Google Business Profile link, patient reviews for that location, and the treating physicians on site.
Generated per facility
One page per non-AKPC partner center — each targeting "[procedure] in [city]" searches. This is where local SEO is won.
Note: paid campaigns are geo-excluded from AKPC-client metros; location pages there route patients to the local (AKPC) site rather than competing.
Our difference
Integrated programs, not pop-up procedures
Each location is a complete, multidisciplinary joint-pain program — pain management, interventional radiology, and vein care collaborating under one roof. That's care that's coordinated, convenient, and genuinely hard to copy. Every office gets its own profile telling that story — which doubles as a local-SEO page, a blog post, and a social series.
One roof, one team
Evaluation, conservative care, minimally invasive treatment, and follow-up — from the same team that knows your case. No lost referrals, and the musculoskeletal-specialist referral some insurers require is handled in-house.
Northwest Indiana
Complete, non-surgical joint pain care — under one roof
Serving Hobart, La Porte, Munster, Valparaiso, and Highland, our Northwest Indiana program is where Embolix began: pain specialists and interventional radiologists, working together to treat knee, hip, and joint pain without surgery.
Care that works together, not in silos
Most joint-pain patients get bounced between offices. Here, one team shares one plan.
Pain management
A thorough evaluation and conservative care — injections, therapy guidance, medications — as a first step.
Interventional radiology
Minimally invasive, image-guided embolization when injections and therapy stop giving lasting relief.
Vein & vascular care
Comprehensive vascular expertise on-site — part of the same integrated practice.
No lost referrals. No repeating your story five times. And when your insurance requires a musculoskeletal-specialist referral before embolization, our on-site pain specialists provide it — no outside appointment needed.
What we treat here
- ✔Knee arthritis pain — GAE, for avoiding or delaying knee replacement
- ✔Pain after knee replacement — for pain another surgery may not fix
- ✔Hip / outer-thigh pain (GTPS) — when steroid shots stopped helping
- ✔Vein & vascular conditions — the care our practice is known for
“Real, authorized patient quote goes here — getting back to walking, gardening, or a full night's sleep. Individual results vary.”
Feel better, close to home.
See whether you're a candidate in 2 minutes, or call our Northwest Indiana team. We'll verify your coverage and walk you through your options.
Patient stories
People who were exactly where you are now
Most of our patients had injections that stopped working, therapy that didn't hold, and a surgery they were trying to avoid. Here's what happened next, in their words.
Every story on this page is a real patient, filmed or quoted with written authorization. We don't use actors, stock footage, or composite stories. Individual results vary, and no outcome is guaranteed.
Video stories
Short, honest conversations — what daily life was like before, what the day of the procedure was actually like, and where they are now.
“I was scheduled for a replacement.”
A patient with bone-on-bone knee arthritis who wanted to avoid or delay surgery.
Story coming soon
“The surgery went fine. The pain didn't go away.”
A post-knee-replacement patient told there was nothing left to do short of revision surgery.
Story coming soon
“I couldn't sleep on that side for two years.”
An outer-hip pain patient whose steroid injections had stopped helping.
Story coming soon
“It ached all night, every night.”
A frozen shoulder patient who had run out of conservative options after months of therapy.
Story coming soon
“Honestly? I was home for lunch.”
A walk-through of the actual day — arrival, the 30 minutes, and going home about an hour later.
Story coming soon
“I'm walking the dog again.”
A follow-up filmed several months out — what changed, and what didn't.
Story coming soon
We're building this library across our network, so you can hear from patients treated at the office nearest you.
In their own words
What patients have told us
Unedited except for length and initials in place of full names, at the patient's request.
“I want to thank the doctors at APAC for taking such good care of my artery embolization. My leg is so much better & my knee has really improved. The procedure is handled so well; hardly any pain! I was able to drive myself home!”
— L.S. · treated by Monish Merchant, MD
Shoulder pain since age 23 — and two major reconstructions that only made it worse. By 57 he couldn't cast a fishing pole or throw a ball with his kids, and had accepted that this was permanent. After embolization: back to the gym, stretching, and casting again.
— D.B., as told to our care team · treated by Monish Merchant, MD
“Knee is great! Thank you.”
— Jamee C. · treated by Monish Merchant, MD
Individual results vary. Embolization does not work for everyone, and some patients still go on to joint replacement.
Stories by location
As each office contributes patient stories, they'll appear here — so you can hear from people in your own community, treated by the same team you'd see.
Chicagoland
Stories in production
Northwest Indiana
Stories in production
Milwaukee
Stories in production
South Florida
Stories in production
Metro Detroit
Stories in production
What the research shows
Stories are personal. Here's the data behind them.
Individual experiences vary — so it matters what happens across large groups of patients, not just the ones who volunteer to be filmed.
If embolization changed something for you and you'd be willing to help someone else who's still deciding, tell your care team. Participation is completely optional, never affects your care, and always requires written authorization.
Could this work for you?
Take our quick, private 2-minute assessment. We'll tell you whether you may be a candidate and walk you through your coverage.
2-minute candidacy check
See if I'm a candidate
Answer a few quick questions. It's private, there's no obligation, and you'll get a clear next step.
Where is your pain?
How long have you had this pain?
Have you tried these without lasting relief?
How do you feel about surgery?
You may be a strong candidate
This quick check is general educational information, not a medical diagnosis or advice. Whether embolization is right for you depends on a physician's evaluation of your history and imaging. By requesting a consultation you can discuss your options with our team.