Arthritis of the knee can take the joy out of the activities you love. Whether that’s exercising or playing sports, chasing young family members around the house, or traveling the world, knee discomfort takes a major toll on your lifestyle. Maybe you deal with stiffness; maybe you’re struggling with chronic pain. Either way, a non-invasive procedure known as viscosupplementation could offer relief. Read on to find out more about viscosupplementation for knee arthritis.
What Is Viscosupplementation?
First, let’s explore how arthritis impacts the function of the knee. A healthy knee joint is coated with cartilage and surrounded by a protective substance known as synovial fluid. While the cartilage helps your knee absorb shocks during movement, the thick synovial fluid allows your bones and joints to glide without friction. With sufficient synovial fluid, you can bend and flex your knee throughout the course of normal movement without pain or stiffness. But arthritis reduces that synovial fluid. It also eats away at the protective cartilage, leaving your knees sensitive to even the slightest movement.
For lasting relief, patients with knee arthritis need help replacing those lubricating substances. Viscosupplementation is a safe, non-invasive way to do this. The procedure involves in-office injections of hyaluronic acid gel, which is a natural lubricant found in many of the body’s tissues. (You may see hyaluronic acid advertised in skincare products for its hydrating capabilities.) Hyaluronic acid is the main component in synovial fluid; thus, injecting hyaluronic acid directly into the knee joint helps supplement the lubrication lost due to arthritis.
What to Expect During Viscosupplementation
As we mentioned above, viscosupplementation is a non-invasive procedure with very little recovery time. The injections take place in your doctor’s office, and you can head home immediately after the procedure. You can expect the following when you visit your healthcare provider for viscosupplementation injections:
- Your provider will sterilize the injection site around your knee.
- Your provider will locate the knee joint using precision technology, such as an ultrasound or C-arm (live x-ray).
- Your provider will numb the knee using a local anesthetic.
- Once the knee is numb, hyaluronic acid is slowly injected into the joint. After that, the site is covered with a sterile bandage.
Some patients experience mild pain or swelling after the injections, but this usually goes away within 48 hours. And while it may take a few shots to feel better, the pain relief can last for as long as six months. After the treatments start to take effect, many patients are able to go months between injections.
Am I a Good Candidate for Injections?
If you have chronic knee pain that does not respond to treatments like physical therapy, cortisone injections, or non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), you might be a good candidate for viscosupplementation. Additionally, if you’re hoping to delay surgery — or if surgery is not an option for you — you may benefit from viscosupplementation.
Some individuals should avoid viscosupplementation. These include women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and patients with specific allergies that could lead to a reaction. If you’re not sure if viscosupplementation is right for you, talk to your healthcare provider.
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Viscosupplementation is a valuable treatment in our toolkit when treating knee arthritis. With very little downtime, minimal side effects, and a high rate of success, this treatment is revolutionizing arthritis treatment, allowing patients to take their lives back and resume their active lifestyles.
C.O.R.A.MED HRT & Regeneration Center, founded by Laura Clark, APRN, MSN, FNP-C, is a family-owned integrated medical practice that stands apart from traditional healthcare models. Individualized care is at the core of our philosophy — meaning that we focus on the root causes of health issues rather than merely alleviating symptoms. Contact us today to make an appointment.
