Where Are Hyaluronic Acid Shots Given Do They Hurt
If you are going to get hyaluronic acid injections, the actual process is fairly simple. They are directly injected into the affected knee joint, specifically within the synovial fluid that bathes the joint, Dr. Miller says. Like any injection, it may seem more painful to some people than others, but there should not be a lot of pain since a sharp needle is used and the joint may be numbed first with a local anesthetic.
How Is Knee Injection Performed
Knee injection is a relatively quick procedure and may be performed under local anesthesia to avoid pain. A needle of appropriate size and length connected to a syringe is introduced into the joint and the medication is injected. Radiological guidance may sometimes be used to aid injection.
After the procedure, the patient would need to rest for a few minutes, and then they can resume normal activities. Patients may experience pain, swelling, and bruising, which resolve in a few days. Ice packs and pain killers can help reduce pain and bruising.
Avoid Knee Replacement Surgery With Gel Knee Injections
If your knees ache, youre not alone. Over 50 million Americans have arthritis, and the knees are commonly affected joints. As the disease progresses, you may face the possibility of knee replacement surgery. Fortunately, theres another step you can take first. Minimally invasive gel knee injections may delay or eliminate the need for surgery.
Recommended Reading: How To Shower After Knee Surgery
Direct Medical Costs In Ambulatory Care Before Tkr
summarizes the total direct medical costs per year from 1 year to 7 years before TKR for all patients and according to treatment groups. There was not a significant difference between treatment groups except for the year TKR-5 where costs were higher in the HA group . We highlighted that costs increased as patients got closer in time to arthroplasty in both groups means of total ambulatory costs increased 8% per year on average. Costs were from 474 and 544 for the year TKR-7 to 744 and 805 for the year TKR-1 for HA and N-HA groups, respectively.
Another Use In Plantaris
Some cases of Achilles tendinopathy have a plantaris tendon interfering with the inside of the Achilles tendon. We think that some people have a specific type of anatomy that encourages friction between the two tendons. Recent anecdotal evidence suggests that hyaluronic acid injected between the two tendons reduces this friction and improves pain.
Also Check: What Do You Do For Water On The Knee
What Does The Procedure Involve
You can usually receive a knee injection in your doctors office. The procedure only takes a few minutes.
Youll be seated during the procedure, and your doctor will position your knee. They may use ultrasound to help guide the needle to the best location.
Your doctor will:
- clean the skin on your knee and treat it with a local anesthetic
- insert the needle into your joint, which might cause some discomfort
- inject the medication into your joint
Though you may feel some discomfort, the procedure is rarely painful if your doctor has experience administering this type of injection.
In some cases, your healthcare provider may remove a small amount of joint fluid to reduce pressure.
Theyll insert a needle attached to a syringe into the knee joint. Then, theyll draw out the fluid into the syringe and remove the needle.
After removing the fluid, the doctor can use the same puncture site to inject the medication into the joint.
Finally, theyll place a small dressing over the injection site.
What Are Knee Injections
Knee injection is a procedure in which medications are injected into the knee joint to treat the pain due to various causes.
There are different types of knee injections. The most common type of intra-articular knee injection is corticosteroids. Other agents used are hyaluronic acid, infliximab, Botox , and platelet-rich plasma .
Knee pain and stiffness can be debilitating and difficult to treat. Knee conditions may negatively affect the quality of life and emotional wellbeing.
Weight management, exercise, physiotherapy, medications, knee injections, and surgery are some of the approaches used to treat knee pain.
Knee pain can result from ligament or tendon injury, fracture, cartilage loss in osteoarthritis, and inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory arthritis or . Knee pain can also be due to joint malalignment or dysfunction and referred pain from other areas.
Diseases of the knee can be diagnosed based on
- clinical presentation,
- joint aspiration .
Recommended Reading: Why Does My Knee Pop When I Do Squats
How Is The Gel Shot Procedure Performed And What Can You Expect During Your Office Visit
During the procedure, you will be positioned in such a way that the affected joint is easily accessible. After the area around your joint is sterilized, a small amount of joint fluid will be removed before the actual injection to make room for the hyaluronic fluid.
We will use ultrasound imaging guidance to help localize and place the medication. By providing the gel shots to a region the medication has the potential to act as a shock absorber or lubricant. You may experience some pressure or slight discomfort. A small bandage will be placed over the injection site. You may receive a single treatment or weekly treatment for 3 to 5 weeks depending on the product used.
Are There Other Points To Consider About Gel Shots For Arthritis Of Knee
Usually, people consider these injections when they have failed exercise, tablets, and cortisone injections. For example, some people cant take common anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen due to stomach ulcers or previous heart attacks. As the side effects of hyaluronic acid injections are minimal, some people consider these injections as an alternative to surgery.
You need to understand that hyaluronic acid injections should be done with an ultrasound. Ultrasound makes sure that hyaluronic acid is injected into the joint and not outside the joint. If you inject hyaluronic acid into the soft tissue, there is a chance that you may experience severe pain and swelling.
Recently, a new type of injection called platelet-rich plasma or PRP is showing more promise in arthritis. PRP is taken from whole blood and spun down so the plasma is separated from the red cells. The plasma contains a high number of growth factors and platelets. Recent studies suggest that PRP may be better than hyaluronic acid or cortisone for knee arthritis.
Recommended Reading: Nano Knee
The Side Effects Of Gel Shots
Rare side effects of gel shots include bruising, excess fluid, pain, redness, swelling, and heat around the injection site. However, these side effects typically subside soon after the injection.
Compared to other injections, gel knee injections can take up to five weeks for patients to experience full relief but last much longer around six months. Comparably, cortisone shots provide patients relief within a few days but only last a few weeks.
Additionally, like with any shot, there is a small risk of infection.
Contact Arthritis Relief Centers today to schedule your risk-free appointment. We can help you figure out if gel knee shots are the answer to your osteoarthritis pain.
Start typing and press Enter to search
Comparison Of The Time From Diagnosis To Tkr
The bivariate analysis performed on the 1,662 patients with TKR shows that the mean time from diagnosis to TKR was significantly higher in the HA group than in the N-HA group: 864 days vs 573 days, respectively . There were also other significant differences between treatment groups, which are summarized in .
Also Check: How To Whiten Knees And Elbows
What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Knee Therapy
While the benefits can be significant, its important to understand the risks of any treatment you pursue. Gel knee injections may cause a few possible side effects, but they are quite minor compared to ongoing prescription drug use or corticosteroid injections. These include:
- Knee pain
- Bruising and swelling at the injection site
- Skin irritation, rash, or itching around the knee
Is It Worth Getting Hyaluronic Acid Shots To Delay A Knee Replacement Should You Just Get The Surgery
Hyaluronic acid injections are often a last-ditch effort before knee replacement surgery. It bought me a year before replacements, Cathy Anderson Eberhardt told us on Facebook. But because the shots dont actually appear to affect the disease progression, some medical professionals think they just put off the inevitable, and only serve to tack on additional health care costs. For some people it can delay surgery or can avoid it altogether, but hyaluronans will generally not avoid eventual surgery in badly affected knees, Dr. Miller says. But, they will be helpful in patients not quite mentally ready for surgery.
Don’t Miss: Sciatica After Knee Replacement
What Is Viscosupplementation Or Gel Shots
Gel shots, or viscosupplementation, is most commonly used for knee pain secondary to arthritic change that has not been sufficiently responsive to physical therapy and/or medication.
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis that often affects the knee. Osteoarthritis is a condition in which the cartilage around the joint wears down and cant protect the bones that make up the joint. In osteoarthritis, loss of the joint synovial fluid contributes to joint pain and stiffness. Synovial fluid is a naturally occurring substance found within the joints which acts as a lubricant to enable bones to move smoothly over each other and as a shock absorber. Gel shots, or viscosupplementation, involve the injection of a gel-like fluid called hyaluronic acid into your joint to act as synovial fluid. Injecting gel shots to the damaged, arthritic joint can help facilitate movement and reduce pain. Pain reduction can last up to 6 months.
What To Expect After A Hyaluronic Acid Injection
Everyone responds to hyaluronic acid injections a little differently. You might have almost immediate relief, or it could take a few weeks for the inflammation and pain in your knees to subside. Soon you find that you can move more easily and without pain.
Most patients have pain relief for 4-6 months. You can have hyaluronic acid injections every six months or so. Many patients find that the injections provide enough relief that they can delay or even avoid knee replacement surgery.
This is especially important if you had a traumatic knee injury in the past, which can increase your risk of early-onset osteoarthritis. Joint replacements last for 10-15 years. With a current average life expectancy of over 72 years, if you can delay a knee replacement, you can avoid additional knee replacement surgeries later in life.
If you have knee pain thats interfering with your life and want to find out if hyaluronic acid injections can help, .
You Might Also Enjoy…
You May Like: Flying After Knee Replacement Surgery
What Happens During Viscosupplementation Treatment For Arthritis
Viscosupplementation is a relatively quick procedure that you probably can have done during a normal office visit. In general:
- Your healthcare provider will clean the area where youll have your injection.
- Usually, your healthcare provider will inject a local anesthetic into the area around your joint, so you wont feel any pain or discomfort in the area during the treatment. Your healthcare provider might use an anesthetic spray instead.
- In some cases, your healthcare provider might use imaging so that he or she can inject into exactly the right spot. Your healthcare provider might use ultrasound or another device that shows continuous X-rays.
- If you have excess fluid in your joint, your healthcare provider might remove a small amount of fluid before beginning.
- Your healthcare provider will inject the hyaluronic acid into the joint space using a needle attached to a syringe.
- A small bandage will be applied to your injection site.
Your healthcare provider can give you an even more specific idea of what to expect. Depending on the type of product you use, you may not need another shot, or you might need one to four more spread out over the next several weeks.
Side Effects Of Synvisc Knee Injections
There have been no serious side effects reported from the use of synvisc injections. The most common side effect is a short term increase in inflammation in the knee. This only happens in approximately 3% of cases and usually only last a few days. There is also a small risk of infection.
NB SAFETY ADVICE: You should not do any strenuous activity for 48 hours after having knee injections such as jogging, sports or heavy lifting to prevent the risk of injury.
You May Like: How To Remove Scar Tissue From Knee Surgery
How Long Does Relief Last
It is quite variable but many patients report six months of relief, and the injections may be repeated every six months or based on physician judgement, Dr. Miller says. Our Facebook community confirms this, with most patients telling us relief lasted from four to six months they got the shots every six months. But, as Sarah Quina shared, they dont work repeatedly forever. Also, the shots may take several weeks to go into effect, unlike steroid injections, which work much faster.
Will It Fix Everything
Unfortunately, no. Hyaluronic acid injections wont cure all painful knee conditions. However, the injections can be extremely effective for osteoarthritis. Hyaluronic acid injections replenish the lining of your knees, which can provide pain relief for up to six months.
However, the treatment isnt as effective with other painful knee conditions, like ligament tears, tendinitis, or sprains. Hyaluronic acid injections restore the lining of your joints they dont repair your tissue.
You May Like: How To Regrow Cartilage Naturally
Do Injections Work For Osteoarthritis Pain In The Hip And Knee
Posted on:Dr. Frank Bohnenkamp
So youre thinking about an injection to treat your hip/knee osteoarthritis. Heres what you should know.
First, if your knee pain or hip pain is keeping you from pursuing the lifestyle you want, then you need to do something about it. Live the lifestyle you want. Go climb mountains or ride your bike, or shoot a basketball. Now, lets look at one option that could get you closer to pursuing a more active, pain-free lifestyle.
I think the most important thing to say right off the bat is that cortisone injections or viscosupplementation gel shot injections are not cure-alls. They work in tandem with activity modification, weight loss, physical therapy, and anti-inflammatory medications.
Cortisone shots are inexpensive and can provide long lasting relief.
On top of that, injections function as the first line of conservative treatment to alleviate your symptoms, but what you should also know about these injections is that they can help.
One advantage of corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid viscosupplementation injections basically buy you time. They provide pain relief and help to stave off joint replacement, which can be quite helpful as it gives patients the opportunity to think about what exactly they want, and they can make those decisions with less pain because of the injections theyve received.
How Long Will The Pain Relief Last
This can be difficult to determine for each patient, and there is no short answer. Each treatment can have a difference response and a different goal. Regenerative medicine treatments like stem cell therapy, PRP, and amniotic tissue injections can have lasting benefits that extend beyond 12 to 18 months. Viscosupplementation typically provides 6 months relief, while cortisone injections may provide a few weeks and sometimes months of relief.
In conjunction with these treatments, doctors further recommend that patients consider adjunctive treatments to encourage the efficacy of the knee injections, including:
- Weight loss
Read Also: Can I Regrow Cartilage In My Knee
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.
What Is Hyaluronic Acid And What Does It Do
Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is a gel-like substance naturally present in the synovial fluid that lubricates your joints. Because arthritis patients lose hyaluronic acid as their joint wears away, the theory goes that replacing it with a process called viscosupplementation would make using the joint less painful. The injections are FDA-approved for knee osteoarthritis.
Its mechanism of action is not fully known, but is thought to at least temporarily increase the viscosity, or thickness, of the fluid that surrounds the joint it is injected into, says Donald Miller, PharmD, a professor at the School of Pharmacy at North Dakota State University. This may reduce pain and make joint movement easier.
You can think of it like WD-40 for your joints.
You May Like: How Do You Pop Your Knee
Benefits Of Hyaluronate Injections
Hyaluronate injections offer a viable alternative to oral medications, which can have unwanted side effects or are completely ineffective for some people. If your arthritis does respond, the injections offer a very real solution to help you delay surgery or allow you to feel less pain as you wait for surgery to resolve your arthritis pain.
Some research also suggests that the injections can encourage your body to produce more of the substance naturally, which only helps keep remaining cartilage healthy and preserves knee function.
To learn about hyaluronate knee injections and other therapies for your knee pain, call Urgently Ortho in Scottsdale, Arizona, or book a consultation using this website. We strive to help people in the Phoenix area overcome pain and dysfunction in joints so they can resume a high quality of life.
You Might Also Enjoy…