Arthritis Knee Pain Gel Injections

Seven Different Knee Osteoarthritis Treatments

A team of researchers from France and Belgium published a November 2021 study in the medical journal Medicine. In it, the researchers evaluated recent clinical trials on seven different non-surgical knee osteoarthritis treatments. What they were looking for is which of these treatments appeared to work the best.

The seven treatments were:

• Platelet Rich Plasma injection ,
• Corticosteroid injection,
• mesenchymal stem cells injection,
• hyaluronic acid injection,
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs combined with physical therapy.

What the researchers found was varying and different effects of these treatments in the research study on participants suffering from knee osteoarthritis.

• In the primary outcome , mesenchymal stem cells and PRP were significantly better than the chosen control and associated with improvement in knee status.
• Corticosteroid injection improved outcomes but did not perform better than the control.
• Ozone injection is the only intervention for which knee pain and/or function got worse at the end of the study compared with the baseline. Ozone injection showed no improvement in pain and function at 12 months.
• NSAID alone or with physical exercise was not associated with improvement in pain and function compared with the injection of hyaluronic acid.
• The combination of hyaluronic acid and dexamethasone was not associated with improvement at 3 and 6 months compared with the injection of hyaluronic acid alone.

Ha Injections Offer Pain Relief But Results May Not Be Immediate

As per a study, gel injections for knee pain offer relief, but results may vary from patient to patient. Several patients that took HA injections reported some relief from pain after taking the initial injection or around the fourth week.

There are several factors that impact the efficacy of gel injections and the time it takes to curtail pain. These factors include age, the severity of the condition, and the quality of the gel injected into ones knee.

At Oak Brook Medical Group, we use top-quality gel injection brands that are effective for pain relief in the knee. Contact us online or call us at 630-317-7478 to schedule an appointment. Our knee pain experts will tell you more about the gel injection treatment and physical therapy we offer.

Likely Factors For Success

The people who do seem to respond best to hyaluronate knee injections are of normal weight and have only the beginning stages of osteoarthritis. The injections are most effective in people with just mild to moderate arthritis. If youre highly overweight or obese and have advanced osteoarthritis, the injections are less effective.

Hyaluronate injections also seem more effective on people younger than 65. If youve never had treatment with hyaluronate or steroid shots, youre also a better candidate.

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Amniotic Cord Blood And Placenta Tissue Knee Injections

There is a great amount of misinformation surrounding amniotic stem cell therapy, and umbilical cord blood stem cell therapy.We have never offered these treatments.

The primary reason we do not offer these products is that we did not find them to be more effective or economically viable to the patient than the utilization of the patients own stem cells and because we find simple dextrose Prolotherapy and Platelet Rich Plasma to be effective treatments which, in our observations, yield similar if not better results.

Amniotic stem cells marketed in many chiropractic offices are, in reality, micronized amniotic fluid. The micronization process takes amniotic fluid, freeze-dries it, and then processes it. The process kills the stem cells. NO live stem cells are present. However, growth factor remnants remain.

Many people attend webinars and seminars on the benefits of amniotic/placenta, and umbilical cord stem cell therapy. These seminars are often conducted by a chiropractor whose presentation includes a segment on how the attendees of the seminar have joint pain because their own stem cells are too few, too weak, too feeble, and too old to repair the damage.

The great irony of this argument is if you have been told that your own stem cells are too few, too weak, too feeble, and too old, how does the amniotic tissue then work if it has no new stem cells in it?

You Can Delay Knee Replacement Realistically For About 11 Months With Hyaluronic Acid Injections

In September 2020, a study in the journal American Health and Drug Benefits, assessed the value of intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections monetarily. This is a way to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. This is what the study said:

Although limiting hyaluronic acid use may reduce knee osteoarthritis-related costs, in this study hyaluronic acid injection only comprised a small fraction of the overall costs related to knee osteoarthritis. Among patients who had a knee replacement, those who received treatment with hyaluronic acid had surgery delayed by an average of 10.7 months.

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The Current Literature Demonstrates The Potential Benefits Of Utilizing Concentrated Bone Marrow Aspirate For The Repair Of Cartilaginous Lesions Bony Defects And Tendon Injuries

Doctors in New Jersey at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Jersey City Medical Center published their findings in support of this research, in the World Journal of Orthopedics, here is what the paper said:

• The current literature demonstrates the potential benefits of utilizing concentrated bone marrow aspirate for the repair of cartilaginous lesions, bony defects, and tendon injuries in the clinical setting. The studies have demonstrated using concentrated bone marrow aspirate as an adjunctive procedure can result in cartilage healing similar to that of native hyaline tissue, faster time to bony union, and a lower rate of tendon re-rupture.

A June 2018 study in the journal Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders presents the short-term progress of 15 patients with knee osteoarthritis through four bone marrow concentrate treatments.

• Patients underwent four bone marrow concentrate treatments on average 14 days after 1st treatment, 21 days after the second treatment, and 33 days after the third treatment. The last follow-up was conducted on an average of 86days after the first treatment.

Patients experienced statistically significant improvements in active pain and functionality scores after the first treatment.

• On average, patients experienced:
• an 84.31% decrease in resting pain,
• a 61.95% decrease in active pain,
• and a 55.68% increase in functionality score at the final follow-up.

Dextrose Prolotherapy And Saline Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is the injection of an irritant solution into joints to stimulate natural tissue repair. Prolotherapy injections most often use a sugar solution or salt solution to temporarily:

• Improve strength, function, and mobility of the joint
• Increase the strength of ligaments, tendons, and other tissues surrounding the joint
• Reduce pain, stiffness, and inflammation in the joint

Prolotherapy typically involves multiple injections made during one treatment session. These treatments are given monthly over the course of several months, followed by as-needed injections. Fewer treatments may be required, depending on the individual and severity of their condition.

Healing time varies from person to person, but many people experience relief of painful symptoms within three to four days after the treatment. Because of the healing process, it may take up to a few weeks to experience full relief.

Prolotherapy injections are generally safe and come with few risks. However, the treatment may cause mild side effects, including:

• Infection at the injection site
• Pain, swelling, and stiffness in the area surrounding the injection

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Five Year Follow Up On Adipose

In May 2022, doctors in south Korea writing in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine wrote: Although successful short-term results of the intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells for the conservative treatment of knee osteoarthritis have been reported, the mid-term results of the injection of adipose-derived MSCs remains unknown. To add to the research on mid-term results, or in this case five year out study, the researchers assessed eleven patients with knee osteoarthritis who received a single intra-articular injection of autologous high-dose adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. The reserarchers found: A single intra-articular injection of autologous, high-dose ADMSCs provided safe and clinical improvement without radiologic aggravation for five years. Furthermore, structural changes in the osteoarthritic knee showed significant improvement up to three years, suggesting a possible option for disease-modifying outpatient treatment for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

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What Happens After Viscosupplementation Treatment For Arthritis

You should be able to go home shortly after your procedure. Ask your healthcare provider if it is OK for you to drive. For about 48 hours, you should avoid standing for long periods, excessive walking, jogging, or lifting heavy weights.

Some people have slight pain, warmth, and swelling right after their procedure. These symptoms usually dont last long. Using an ice pack may help. Tell your healthcare provider right away if these symptoms dont go away soon, or if you have severe warmth, redness, pain, or high fever. Follow all your healthcare providers instructions about medicines and follow-up care.

Make sure to keep all of your future appointments. The procedure may not work effectively if you do not receive the full series of injections.

You should not expect your hyaluronic acid injection to relieve your symptoms immediately. It may take several weeks before you begin to notice a difference. Your relief from symptoms may last for several months.

If viscosupplementation is effective for you, you may be able to repeat the injection in 6 months or so. The procedure doesnt help everyone, though. If the procedure doesnt work for you, continue to talk to your healthcare provider about other treatment choices, like joint surgery.

Research Comparing Prp Injections Cortisone Injections And Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Doctors wrote in a January 2019 study that PRP injections, cortisone injections, and hyaluronic acid injections are considered equally effective at relieving patient symptoms at three months, at 6, 9, and 12 months the PRP injections delivered significantly better results.

A July 2020 study published in the Journal of Pain Research also suggested that PRP injections provided better results for patients than hyaluronic acid injections. The studys conclusions were: Besides significantly higher satisfaction belonging to the group, there was a statistically significant improvement in pain and function scores at 12 months compared to hyaluronic acid injections

In research published in the Medical Science Monitor: International Medical Journal of Experimental and Clinical Research, PRP was shown to provide significant healing of the meniscus as well as out out-perform hyaluronic acid in patients with knee joint cartilage degeneration. Similar results were documented in the journal Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation.

An August 2021 paper in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine suggests however that corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid injections are favored for different knee problems, while PRP currently has insufficient evidence to make a conclusive recommendation for or against its use.

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Caring Medical Research Prolotherapy For Knee Pain

In published research in the Journal of Prolotherapy, Ross Hauser MD investigated the outcomes of patients receiving Prolotherapy treatment for unresolved, difficult to treat knee pain at a charity clinic in Illinois.

• 80 patients, representing a total of 119 knees, were treated quarterly with Prolotherapy.
• The results of this study showed that patients had a statistically significant decline in their level of pain, stiffness, crunching sensation, and improvement in their range of motion with Prolotherapy.
• More than 82% showed improvements in walking ability, medication usage, athletic ability, anxiety, depression, and overall disability with Prolotherapy. Ninety-six percent of patients felt Prolotherapy improved their life overall.

How Do Gel Injections For Knee Arthritis Work

The active ingredient found in gel injections for knee arthritis is hyaluronic acid. Hyaluronic acid is produced naturally by our bodies. It is a key component of the lubricating synovial fluid found within many of our joints. In knees with osteoarthritis, the quality of hyaluronic acid decreases over time1. Low-quality hyaluronic acid affects the consistency of synovial fluid, reducing its lubricating and shock absorption qualities.

Synovial Fluid: Provides cushioning, supplies nutrients, and reduces friction between the surfaces of joints.

The main benefit of injecting hyaluronic acid into joints is greater lubrication. However, there are several other ways in which it may improve joint function1:

• Hyaluronic acid is anti-oxidative. This means it can combat the build-up of harmful substances in the knee joint.

• Hyaluronic acid may increase the knee joints ability to regenerate cartilage.

• Hyaluronic acid may reduce inflammation within the joint, relieving stiffness and pain from arthritis.

Hyaluronic Acid : HA is found all over the body. It serves a variety of functions from skin repair to wound repair. In our joints, HA increases the thickness of synovial fluid improving lubrication and shock absorption.

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Comparison Research: Hyaluronic Acid And Prolotherapy Injections

In November 2021 doctors publishing in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation evaluated the effectiveness of Prolotherapy for pain reduction and improvement of function in individuals with knee osteoarthritis in comparison with hyaluronic acid by meta-analysis . Six studies were included .

Findings:

In favor of Prolotherapy

• No statistically significant differences were found between Prolotherapy and hyaluronic acid in pain control in the short term, however, the sub-analysis included only the studies that used intra-articular injection within the Prolotherapy scheme, and an effect was found in favor of the Prolotherapy groups.
• An effect was found in favor of the Prolotherapy group in the improvement in function.
• No major adverse reactions or side effects were reported in any of the studies.
• Prolotherapy appears to be an effective intervention to decrease pain and improve function in knee osteoarthritis, with efficacy similar to intra-articular injections with hyaluronic acid in the short-term follow-up.

Are There Any Side Effects Of Gel Injections For Knee Pain

While the benefits of gel injection treatment for knee pain are significant, it is crucial to know if there are any possible side effects. After getting a gel injection in the knee, you may experience the following:

• Irritation or itching

Most of these side effects resolve within a few days of treatment and are primarily seen in first-time patients. Talk to your healthcare expert if you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

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Injections To Relieve Knee Pain

• Reverse Injection: Fluid Aspiration

Knee osteoarthritis is the most common form of osteoarthritis in the United States. It is caused by progressive degeneration of the cartilage in the knee joint, which protects bones in this area from rubbing against each other. While there is no cure for osteoarthritis, also referred to as wear-and-tear arthritis or degenerative joint disease, treatments can help reduce pain and inflammation.

If oral medications do not help with your knee osteoarthritis pain, your healthcare provider may suggest injecting a medication directly into the knee joint. Knee injections used for arthritic pain include corticosteroid , hyaluronic acid , platelet-rich plasma, placental tissue matrix, Botox, and reverse injection .

Before Taking This Medicine

You should not receive Gel-One if you are allergic to it, or if you have an infection in your knee or in the skin around your knee.

Gel-One is not approved for use by anyone younger than 21 years old.

Tell your doctor if you have ever had:

• blood clots or circulation problems in your legs or

• an allergy to birds, feathers, or egg products.

It is not known whether Gel-One will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant.

It may not be safe to breast-feed a baby while you are using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risks.

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What Is Osteoarthritis

Some people who have constant pain in their knees have a condition called osteoarthritis. Unlike the temporary pain and inflammation caused in a joint by an overactive immune system response, osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease.

Osteoarthritis mostly affects the cartilage. Cartilage is the tissue that covers the ends of bones in a joint. When healthy, cartilage allows bones to glide over one another and provides a “shock absorber” function. The normal knee joint also contains a small amount of fluid called synovial fluid, which is a thick, gel-like substance that cushions the joint and provides lubrication to reduce friction.

The Efficacy Of Intra

An August 2021 paper from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine compared the effectiveness of PRP against other knee injections in younger patients and those without severe degenerative changes. The reason? is that the efficacy of intra-articular injections as a nonoperative modality for treating symptomatic knee osteoarthritis-related pain while maintaining function has become a subject of increasing interest.

In this study the following treatments were compared:

• Hyaluronic acid.
• and plasma rich in growth factors .

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Gel Injections For Knee Arthritis

Aug 15, 2022 | Injections, Treatment

Stiff and sore joints are a reality for most of us as we get older. Normally, our body secretes natural lubricants that reduce friction between the joint surfaces. Gel injections for knee osteoarthritis contain hyaluronic acid which can provide relief by improving joint lubrication.

Knee osteoarthritis increases friction in the joint causing the protective layers of cartilage on joint surfaces to slowly break down. Treatments aimed at decreasing joint friction are also known as viscosupplementation. According to experts12, if youve tried exercising, dietary changes, and other painkilling drugs with no success, this treatment could be for you.

Viscosupplementation: Injecting lubricating substances into a joint with the goal of increasing function and decreasing pain.