Arthritis: Hyaluronan Injections for Knee...

[ Many older people suffer from mild to moderate arthritis in their knees. This regimen to treat & control the arthritic knees is just one regimen to control & treatb the pain.]

    Arthritis: Hyaluronan Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

There are several versions of hyaluronan injections -- also called viscosupplementation -- that are used to treat osteoarthritis of the knee. They are injected directly into the joint. They include:

    Euflexxa
    Hyalgan
    Orthovisc
    Supartz
    Synvisc

They can help reduce the pain in a knee affected by osteoarthritis, increasing mobility and allowing more activity.

How Do These Osteoarthritis Injections Work?
Normal joint fluid contains a substance called hyaluronan. It acts like a shock absorber and lubricant in your joint and is needed to help the joint work properly. Hyaluronan is highly viscous, allowing the cartilage surfaces of the bones to glide upon each other smoothly.

What Joints Can Be Treated?
Currently, these drugs are only approved for treatment of mild to moderate knee arthritis.

Candidates for These Treatments
These drugs are used to treat osteoarthritis pain in the knee in people who have not found significant relief of their symptoms from:

    Physical therapy
    Exercise
    Heat or cold
    Over-the-counter pain relievers

These drugs can be injected into both knees or just a single knee joint.

Side Effects
Potential side effects include joint swelling and pain. They can't be used by people with skin or joint infections. In addition, most varieties are made from processed chicken or rooster combs and should not be used in people with egg or poultry allergies. Euflexxa, however, is safe to use in people with egg allergies.

Occasionally, a severe reaction with swelling, redness, and pain, called a pseudoseptic reaction, can occur with some forms of these viscosupplementation materials, especially if the course of 3 to 5 injections is repeated.

What to Expect From Treatment
Weekly injections must be given for three to five weeks. Pain relief is usually obtained by eight to 12 weeks and the effect has been shown to last for up to several months. The treatment can be used twice a year.

SOURCES:
The Cleveland Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Arthritis Foundation

Comments: 6

Ronnie M. Sep 25, 2006, 3:09pm EDT

A thick liquid into the knee joint sounds like it would be quite painful in itself.

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Barbara F. Sep 25, 2006, 4:28pm EDT

sounds like torture..but with my knee the way it is now after my surgery anything would..:)

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Visionaerie B. Sep 25, 2006, 9:06pm EDT

I've heard of hyaluronic acid being taken as a supplement -- maybe that would be an alternative? This might be a short-term solution, but some kind of food may actually be causing the inflammation. I would suggest adding spices to the diet, such as ginger and turmeric. Glucosamine-chondroitin combined with MSM is another option. Cut out the white flour and white sugar. And Dr. Ben Kim (a Canadian chiropractor with a free newsletter) reports that some patients have seen success at reducing arthritis pain by cutting out dairy and meat. Work on the long-term strategy and then do the shots if you know what you're getting into.

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Magi the magical poet is riding the wind again Sep 26, 2006, 5:14am EDT

Golly, the twice-yearly treatment sounds painful - is there no permanent one?

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Vicky P. Sep 26, 2006, 12:43pm EDT

I've had the Synvisc injections, and while the needle used is a large gauge one, it really did not hurt. The prick of the needle is the worst of it, once the fluid is being injected it just feels like pressure inside the knee, no pain at all. And it did help. Oh and by the way I'm not one of the older ones, just someone who has Osteoarthritis. The right knee didn't fare so well and was replaced in 2001.

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Dan B. Sep 26, 2006, 1:00pm EDT

My Joints used to grind an pop audiblym especially in my shoulder rotator cuffs with severe pain. A shaman suggested I eat raw egg whites as remedy. I did. The pain went away and My joints no longer ache except joint nerves in cold weather that makes it difficult to endure the slightest bounce on a highway. I acquired a "Light Relief" T.M. device for under 100 dollars. After several weeks of use as directed my pain went away. It has infrared lasers and blue and red diodes and is smmall and uses direct current from an a.c. adapter or batteries. This is merely anecdotal experience, and medical claim is not intended. Thanks for the forum! Love Your work!!

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Arthritis: Hyaluronan Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis

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