Many people choose hyaluronic acid injections over other treatments for knee osteoarthritis because it’s simpler, quicker, and much less invasive as well as safe and affordable.
Hyaluronic Acid
Knee osteoarthritis is a painful condition that affects many Americans. It results from the breakdown of joint fluid within the knee due to wear and tear on the joint. In addition to pain, people with osteoarthritis can suffer from swelling and inflammation, as well as reduced mobility of the knee joint.
If the condition progresses, it can wear away at the cartilage in the joint, eventually resulting in a “bone-on-bone” condition that greatly limits mobility, causes excruciating pain, and can majorly impact a person’s quality of life.
One of the treatments frequently used to treat knee osteoarthritis is the hyaluronic acid injection. Across dozens of verified scientific research papers, it has proven to be effective in treating knee osteoarthritis in terms of improvements in knee pain and function.
What is a hyaluronic acid injection?
A hyaluronic acid injection (also called joint fluid replacement or viscosupplementation) is a treatment often used to help relieve osteoarthritis pain. It’s frequently used to treat knee osteoarthritis since that is the most common type of osteoarthritis.
Who should get hyaluronic acid injections?
A lot of people are always on the go, whether it’s running, lifting heavy things, or just plain rushing around the city. This makes them very susceptible to orthopedic conditions like knee osteoarthritis and will benefit the most from hyaluronic acid injections.
If you’re experiencing pain in your knee, consult a physical therapist right away.
We usually recommend Hyaluronic acid injections to:
- Weekend warriors
- People with active lifestyles
- Senior citizens
- Busy professionals
- Professional athletes
- Amateur athletes
How does it help relieve knee pain?
How does hyaluronic acid actually help relieve knee pain? To answer that, we need to talk about hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid is a chemical that promotes water binding and retention. It’s a chemical, yes, but not in the scary, unnatural way that we think about chemicals. In fact, hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that you will always find in your body.
If you look under a microscope, you’ll see a lot of it in your eyes, connective tissue, and skin. Its job is to keep everything lubricated and moist. Without it, your eyes would be parched and your skin wrinkly.
And since its job is to lubricate, you can find it in your joints in high concentrations. Like what oil does to a machine, the hyaluronic acid keeps your joints lubricated — minimizing friction, reducing inflammation, and promoting the growth of new cells and tissues.
With these things in mind, it’s only natural to conclude that hyaluronic acid must be good for the body and especially the joints.
With the wear-and-tear that comes with joint overuse and aging, our natural supply of hyaluronic acid declines steadily. Getting a hyaluronic acid injection to treat knee osteoarthritis would be the equivalent of lubricating a rusty bike chain — it just makes sense.
o how does hyaluronic acid actually help relieve knee pain? To answer that, we need to talk about hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic acid is a chemical that promotes water binding and retention. It’s a chemical, yes, but not in the scary, unnatural way that we know chemicals for. In fact, hyaluronic acid is a natural substance that you will always find on your body.
If you look under a microscope, you’ll see a lot of it in your eyes, connective tissue, and skin. Its job is to keep everything lubricated and moist. Without it, your eyes would be parched and your skin wrinkly.
And since its job is to lubricate, you can find it in your joints in high concentrations. Like what oil does to a machine, the hyaluronic acid keeps your joints lubricated — minimizing friction, reducing inflammation, and promoting the growth of new cells and tissues.
With these things in mind, it’s only natural to conclude that hyaluronic acid must be good for the body and especially the joints.
With the wear-and-tear that comes with joint overuse and aging, our natural supply of hyaluronic acid declines steadily. Getting a hyaluronic acid injection to treat knee osteoarthritis would be the equivalent of lubricating a rusty bike chain — it just makes sense.
Why Hyaluronic Acid Injections?
Many people choose Hyaluronic Acid Injections over other treatments for knee osteoarthritis because it’s simpler, quicker, and much less invasive.
Other common options for treating knee osteoarthritis are:
All of which involve surgery (which means more risks) and are much more expensive.
So not only are hyaluronic acid injections effective for knee osteoarthritis pain relief, but they’re also safe and affordable.
What are the side effects of Hyaluronic Acid Injections?
Hyaluronic Acid Injections have very few side effects. The substance is naturally found in the body, so there is very little risk.
There is usually some post-procedure soreness and swelling, but this often disappears with time. There are also rare cases of infection or allergic reaction.
If you notice any unusual symptoms after your injection, tell the person treating you right away.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections experts
Patients with moderate to severe knee osteoarthritis or general knee pain can ask about Hyaluronic Acid Injections at any orthopedic clinic near them.
Here in New York City, at our offices in Upper West Side and Madison Ave, we welcome patients with musculoskeletal conditions like the ones listed above. We can recommend the safest, most practical nonsurgical solution for their condition so they can feel pain-free and move better.
Get started on the road to recovery by booking an appointment today or giving us a call at 212-362-4742.
Hyaluronic acid injections FAQ’s
When reintroducing synovial fluid back into the joint, hyaluronic acid is used. Hyaluronic acid is a chemical substance that helps various parts of the body bind and retain water. In this case, hyaluronic acid helps to lubricate the joint, which minimizes friction and promotes healing.
It depends on the person’s pain tolerance. Some people can stand needles better than others. Some doctors use a local anesthetic to help reduce the pain, but the pain is manageable even without the anesthetic.
Compared to cortisone injections, which are great for immediate pain relief (shorter-term, up to 1 month), studies have found that hyaluronic acid injections are more effective in the long term (up to 6 months).
The pain relief resulting from hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis can last 4 to 6 months. It depends on the individual and how their body reacts to the injection. After 6 months (or when the pain relief subsides), the patient can get another series of injections.
You can get hyaluronic acid injections every 4 to 6 months, depending on how long the pain relief lasts.
It can take a while for pain relief to set in, usually beginning around 2 to 4 weeks after the initial injection.
The entire procedure is simple and quick. It should only take about 30 minutes, so patients can often go home the same day as the procedure. The doctor injects the hyaluronic acid directly into the knee.
Yes, hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis are FDA-approved. For other joints, however, FDA approval has yet to come. Despite this, though, some doctors use it off-label as a hip injection. Unfortunately, the results for using hyaluronic acid injections for hip osteoarthritis are unproven, which is why we don’t recommend getting them for your hips.
