Viscosupplementation
Viscosupplementation
Providing the right non-surgical procedures for your pain relief from the leader in Drug-free, Non-Surgical Treatments of Low Back, Spine, Knee, and Joint Pain.
Chattanooga Non-Surgical Orthopedics is a leader in Viscosupplementation treatments for knee pain in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
About Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis of the knee is one of the leading causes of disability in the United States. It develops slowly and the pain it causes worsens over time. Although there is no cure for osteoarthritis, there are many treatment options available to help people manage pain and stay active.
If you have tried OTC’s, knee bracing, steroid injections, and physical therapy methods and your pain continues to limit your activities, Viscosupplementation may be an option.
About Viscosupplementation Treatment for Knee Pain
In this procedure, a gel-like fluid called hyaluronic acid is injected into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance found in the synovial fluid surrounding joints. It acts as a lubricant to enable bones to move smoothly over each other and as a shock absorber for joint loads. People with osteoarthritis have a lower-than-normal concentration of hyaluronic acid in their joints. The theory is that adding hyaluronic acid to the arthritic joint will facilitate movement and reduce pain. Viscosupplementation can also help to prevent Knee Replacement Surgery.
The most recent research has found viscosupplementation to be effective at significantly reducing pain or improving function in mild to moderate OA. Patients with severe OA sometimes are not helped by the injections.
Viscosupplementation was first used in Europe and Asia, and was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1997. Several preparations of hyaluronic acid are now commercially available.
Non-Surgical Knee Decompression is performed before the injection.
The Viscosupplementation Procedure
For the first 48 hours after the shot, you should avoid excessive weight bearing on the leg, such as standing for long periods, jogging or heavy lifting.
Side Effects
You may notice a local reaction, such as pain, warmth, and slight swelling immediately after the shot. These symptoms generally do not last long. You may want to apply an ice pack to help ease them.
Complications
Rarely, patients may develop a local allergy-like reaction in the knee. In these cases, the knee may become full of fluid, red, warm, and painful. If this occurs, contact your doctor immediately.
Infection and bleeding are also very rare complications of this procedure.
OUTCOMES
As is noted above, some patients with severe OA may not be helped by viscosupplementation. For those who report pain relief with the procedure, it may take several weeks to notice an improvement. How long the effects last varies. Some patients report pain relieving effects for several months following the injections.
If the injections are effective they may be repeated after a period of time, usually 6 months.
Although some patients report relief of arthritis symptoms with viscosupplementation, the procedure has never been shown to reverse the arthritic process or re-grow cartilage.
The effectiveness of viscosupplementation in treating arthritis is not clear. It has been proposed that viscosupplementation is most effective if the arthritis is in its early stages (mild to moderate), but more research is needed to support this. Research in viscosupplementation and its long-term effects continues.