Viscosupplementation Injections For Knee Arthritis Treatment

By Author: Brad Drowne
Total Articles: 26
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Viscosupplementation is gaining popularity as a reliable treatment for knee arthritis. Viscosupplementation injection is basically an intra-articular injection of hyaluronic acid which is administrated into the knee joint by a doctor. Hyaluronic acid is a chemical that is naturally found in the synovial fluid of our joints. The main function of this chemical is to work as a joint lubricant and shock absorber. The people suffering from knee arthritis have less amount of hyaluronic acid in their joint. The patients of osteoarthritis who regularly experience knee joint pain can look for viscosupplementation injections if they do not want to have knee replacement surgery.

These injections effectively augment synovial fluid levels of hyaluronic acid because of which its viscosity increases and there is a pain-free joint movement. They can also help in reducing pain significantly by decreasing levels of prostaglandins (a type of inflammatory substance). However, it is considered ideal only for those patients who have mild to moderate osteoarthritis as they can feel more improvement in their pain condition. Patients suffering ...
... from advanced osteoarthritis have chronic knee pain, and viscosupplementation injections may not prove to be useful in such cases.

The injection of hyaluronic acid does not give an immediate relief from pain. But, you may observe mild skin reaction such as pain or slight swelling after the injection. These symptoms usually tend to go away after couple of hours. The doctor may advice you to apply an ice pack to the site of application in order to get ease. Avoid running, jogging or weight lifting for the first 48 hours after the injection. Over the course of treatment you will experience a significant decrease in your knee pain. The injections help the body to produce hyaluronic acid naturally.

However, there are certain side-effects associated with viscosupplementation injections which you should be aware of. The minor allergic reaction in the joint after the injection may cause temporary pain and increase the likelihood of an infection in that area. This kind of effect usually last for one to two days. Till now Viscosupplementation injection is only prescribed for treating knee joint pains. Nevertheless, experiments are being conducted to observe its outcome on other joint pains like shoulder pain, hip pain etc.

Viscosupplementation injection is extremely helpful for patients whose arthritis problem did not get treated well with primary treatments such as anti-analgesic, topical anti-inflammatory gels or physio therapy and exercises. It is more effective for people whose arthritis is in its early stages. The long term usefulness of viscosupplementation is still a question and more research is required in this area. If your arthritis condition is becoming worse day by day or if you are not willing to have surgery, discuss the option of viscosupplementation injection with your orthopedic surgeon.

About the Author:
Brad Drowne is a reputed writer and writes regularly on medical issues such as viscosupplementation injections,prp injections,platelet rich plasma treatment and etc along with reputed medical professionals like Dr. Charchian. He regularly visits and collects informations regarding the updates of the medical science and allthose cutting edge technologies in this field.