Knee Restoration Program for Fort Lauderdale, FL

Fort Lauderdale's knee-program patients are the marine-industry veterans whose joints have paid for decades of decks and ladders, the Coral Ridge and Galt Ocean Mile retirees who want to keep playing golf and tennis, and the A1A cyclists and beach runners whose knees have outrun their cartilage. All of them have an X-ray showing arthritis and most have heard the word replacement. The Knee Restoration Program is the non-surgical alternative, fifteen minutes north on Federal Highway.

The program combines Knee-on-Trac decompression with Class IV laser, adds shockwave for tendon involvement and custom orthotics when the feet are the problem, and starts with an evaluation that reviews your imaging and tells you honestly whether your knee is a candidate. Sessions are grouped for patients driving in from downtown. How it works session by session, what it costs relative to surgery, and whether you can keep working or playing during it, below.

Session one is an evaluation, not a sales visit. Dr. McNamara examines the knee, tests the ligaments and meniscus, checks the hip and foot, and reviews any X-ray or MRI you bring. She then tells you which of three groups your knee is in: a good candidate (painful, stiff, still-mobile arthritis or meniscus degeneration), a maybe (advanced arthritis where relief is likely but limited), or not a candidate (bone-on-bone with deformity, ligament rupture, a locked knee). Only the first two groups are offered the program, and the cost is quoted in writing.

The program is a series, scheduled in blocks. Knee programs run over several weeks, typically two sessions a week, with the count set at the evaluation. Sessions are grouped at the start or end of the day for patients driving in from a distance, and progress is reviewed at set points so the plan can be shortened or adjusted. You are never asked to buy sessions you do not need.

Pairing the program with the rest of your care. Patients who have had injections, physical therapy or arthroscopy are not excluded; the program works alongside a surgeon's care and many patients use it to bridge the years before a replacement or to recover function after one is ruled out. Bring your surgeon's notes. If a replacement is the right answer for your knee, you will be told so and the program will not be sold to you.

Fifteen minutes from downtown. Take Federal Highway (US-1) north through Oakland Park and Pompano Beach; the office is 3320 N. Federal Highway in Lighthouse Point, between Copans Road and Sample Road. From the Galt Ocean Mile and Coral Ridge, take Commercial Boulevard west to Federal and turn north. From I-95, exit at Copans Road or Sample Road and go east.

What is Knee-on-Trac?

A knee decompression device. You sit in a padded chair and it applies gentle, controlled traction to the knee, opening the joint space and relieving the compression that drives arthritic pain. It is done fully clothed, does not hurt and has no downtime. It is the core of the Knee Restoration Program here, paired with Class IV laser.

How much does the Knee Restoration Program cost?

The program is cash-pay and quoted in writing after the evaluation, once the number of sessions is known. It costs a small fraction of a knee replacement. Medicare and health plans do not cover the Knee-on-Trac or laser components. The new-patient program evaluation price is listed on the program page.

Does Medicare cover Knee-on-Trac?

No. Medicare covers chiropractic spinal adjustments but not knee decompression or laser therapy. The program is cash-pay, and the cost is explained in full before you begin so there are no surprises.

Can I keep playing golf or pickleball during the program?

Usually yes, with adjustments to volume and footwear while the knee calms down. Stopping entirely wastes the muscle that protects the joint. Fort Lauderdale patients who play at the marinas along the New River and the Intracoastal are given a specific plan for staying on the course or court during the program rather than a blanket rest order.

Does the program help bone-on-bone knees?

Rarely enough that it is usually not recommended. A joint with no remaining space and visible deformity generally needs the surgeon, and the evaluation will say so rather than sell you sessions. Knees with narrowed but present joint space, even with significant arthritis, are a different story and often do well.

How do I get to the office from Fort Lauderdale?

From downtown, Federal Highway north is about fifteen minutes; from the Galt Ocean Mile, Commercial Boulevard west to Federal then north is about twelve. I-95 to the Copans Road or Sample Road exit works when Federal is slow.