nStride® therapy - autologous treatment of knee pain in Warsaw and Płock

Knee pain, stiffness after rest, difficulty going down stairs or reduced activity can all be symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee joint. At OpenMed Warsaw and Płock patients can have an orthopaedic consultation and qualification for nStride® therapy - an injection method that uses an autologous protein solution obtained from the patient's own blood.

nStride® therapy is intended above all for people with knee pain related to degenerative changes, where the aim of treatment is to reduce symptoms, improve joint function and stay active for as long as possible without surgery.

What is nStride® therapy?

nStride® APS, or Autologous Protein Solution, is a therapy that uses autologous material - derived from the patient's own blood. During the procedure peripheral blood is drawn and a concentrated solution is then prepared containing anti-inflammatory proteins and biological factors that may help restore a more favourable environment inside the joint.

In orthopaedic practice nStride® therapy is associated above all with treating knee pain in the course of osteoarthritis. Its aim is not to mechanically "rebuild" a damaged joint, but to limit the inflammatory processes that intensify pain, stiffness and loss of knee function.

Who can nStride® therapy be for?

Qualification for the therapy always requires an orthopaedic consultation. The doctor assesses symptoms following injuries, the extent of degenerative changes, imaging records and treatment to date.

nStride® therapy may be considered in patients who experience:

knee joint pain when walking,
knee stiffness after sitting for a while or after the night,
reduced mobility going down and up stairs,
pain after exercise or overload,
recurring discomfort despite rehabilitation or conservative treatment,
symptoms of knee osteoarthritis confirmed on imaging.

nStride® may be one of the treatment options for patients who want to delay the progression of symptoms and improve their everyday comfort, but the doctor decides whether the therapy is appropriate after an examination.

nStride® and knee osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a chronic process. It affects not only the joint cartilage but also the synovial membrane, the subchondral bone layer, ligaments, menisci and the surrounding soft tissues. That is why treatment should be planned individually and cover not only the injection itself, but also diagnosis, assessment of biomechanics and rehabilitation, as well as weight control where this contributes to overloading the joint.

nStride® therapy is part of a biological and regenerative treatment strategy that uses the potential of the patient's own proteins. The preparation is administered directly into the knee joint so that it acts where the inflammatory and degenerative process is taking place.

What does qualification look like at OpenMed?

The first stage is an orthopaedic consultation. The doctor takes a history, assesses range of motion, knee stability, the location of the pain and treatment to date. If needed, they may perform a musculoskeletal ultrasound. During qualification the doctor assesses, among other things:

whether the pain really comes from the knee joint,
how advanced the degenerative changes are,
whether there is effusion or active inflammation,
whether the patient first needs rehabilitation, pharmacotherapy or another treatment method,
whether nStride® therapy is the right choice in this particular case.

At OpenMed intra-articular and peri-articular injections can be performed using ultrasound guidance, which allows musculoskeletal treatment to be planned precisely.

How does nStride® therapy work in practice?

The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis, with no need for a hospital stay.

1. Blood collection

Peripheral blood is drawn from the patient. This is autologous material - the patient's own - so the risk of an allergic reaction is limited.

2. Preparation of the autologous protein solution

The collected blood is processed in a dedicated system that produces a concentrated autologous protein solution. The preparation is made individually for each patient.

3. Administration into the knee joint

The finished preparation is administered into the knee joint. The doctor decides on the site and technique. In selected cases the injection may be performed under ultrasound guidance.

4. Post-procedure recommendations

After the procedure the patient receives individual recommendations on activity, loading the limb, painkillers and further rehabilitation. For the first few days it is usually advised to limit intense exercise and observe how the joint responds.

When can you expect results?

The response to the therapy is individual. In some patients improvement may appear gradually over the weeks following the injection. The aim of the therapy is to reduce pain, improve movement comfort and increase tolerance of everyday activities.

It is important to treat nStride® as part of a wider treatment plan rather than a single procedure detached from diagnosis and rehabilitation. The best results are usually achieved when injection therapy is combined with appropriate movement, exercise, control of overload and the orthopaedist's recommendations.

Why have your qualification done at OpenMed?

At OpenMed knee pain is treated on the basis of diagnosis and an individual plan of care. The patient receives not just a proposal for an injection, but also an assessment of the cause of the complaints and recommendations for further treatment.

Depending on the diagnosis, the doctor may propose:

nStride® therapy,
platelet-rich plasma (PRP),
hyaluronic acid,
Orthokine®,
an ultrasound-guided injection,
rehabilitation,
imaging diagnostics,
surgical treatment, if it becomes necessary.

Want to find out whether nStride® therapy is right for your knee?

Book an orthopaedic consultation at OpenMed Warsaw or Płock. The doctor will assess the source of the pain, the extent of the degenerative changes and choose the right treatment method.

FAQ - the most common questions about nStride® therapy

: nStride® is not classic PRP. It is an autologous protein solution prepared from the patient's blood. It shares its autologous origin and its use in musculoskeletal injection therapies with PRP, but the end product and mechanism of action are different.
: nStride® therapy is most often associated with treating pain and osteoarthritis of the knee joint.
: Administering the preparation may involve brief discomfort typical of an intra-articular injection. The doctor explains how the procedure works beforehand.
: The procedure is performed on an outpatient basis. After the injection the patient receives recommendations on loading the limb and on activity over the following days.
: Not always. In many cases earlier X-ray, ultrasound or MRI results are helpful, but the doctor decides during the consultation whether additional imaging is needed.
: There is no single method that works for every patient. The effect depends on factors including the extent of the degenerative changes, the cause of the pain, body weight, activity and following the recommendations after the procedure.