Non-Surgical Knee Replacement™ (NSKR)
Knee arthritis can make every step feel like a compromise—stairs, walking, workouts, even sleep. If you’ve been told your next step is knee replacement, Non-Surgical Knee Replacement™ (NSKR) offers an expert-led alternative designed to improve function and reduce pain without surgery.
A custom, thorough approach for degenerative knees, even 'bone-on-bone'
NSKR is for people who want more than “try another injection” or “come back when you’re ready for surgery.” It’s built around:
- A detailed evaluation that identifies the drivers of knee overload
- A joint-specific plan to shift the knee toward repair and resilience
- Advanced non-invasive therapies when clinically appropriate
- Clear at-home steps to keep progress moving between visits
Non-Surgical Knee Replacement™ is a personalized, non-invasive program designed to improve knee arthritis symptoms by combining expert assessment, targeted therapies, and a structured rehab plan—without surgery.
What makes Cornerstone different for knee arthritis
“First time someone actually looked at my knee”
Many knee arthritis patients are treated based on imaging alone. At Cornerstone Health, we treat the person bending the knee.
Your exam focuses on:
- How the knee loads during walking, stairs, and squatting
- Hip/ankle contributions that commonly drive knee overload
- Joint irritability (why it flares, when it calms)
- Strength, stability, and movement strategy
- A severity/grading approach that guides the plan
This is what patients often describe as:
thorough, specific, clear and finally—motivating.
How NSKR works
Phase 1: Identify the drivers through comprehensive exam
We pinpoint what’s keeping your knee in a cycle of irritation—mechanics, load, tissue sensitivity, compensations, and weak links.
Phase 2: Stimulate repair + calm the pain cycle
Based on your findings, we may incorporate advanced non-invasive therapies such as:
- Radial shockwave therapy for broad tissue improvement and pain modulation
- Focused shockwave therapy for deeper structures, arthrtis, cartilage
- EMTT / Magnetolith to support biologic signaling and healing processes including stem cell migration
- Traction and Joint Mobilization to increase the mobility and nutrient exchange in stiff joints
- Nutritional plan to reduce inflammation and accelerate healing
Phase 3: Rebuild capacity so you continue to rebuild and repair your knee even after you complete treatment.
A knee can feel better temporarily and still fail under load if capacity isn’t rebuilt. Your plan includes progressive exercises and guidance so improvements translate to real life and you continuouly reverse the process of degeneration.
Who is a good candidate for NSKR?
You may be a good fit if you:
- Have knee osteoarthritis or degenerative changes including bone-on-bone
- Want to avoid or delay knee replacement surgery
- Have pain with stairs, walking, standing, or activity
- Have tried injections, PT, or general care with limited success
- Want a plan tailored to your knee—not a generic protocol
When we may recommend a surgical consult instead
If your functional capacity, degeneration severity, or goals indicate surgery is the more predictable route, we’ll tell you. The goal is to give you all the best options so that you can make the right decision.
