People diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis are prescribed treatment options like physical therapy and medications. However, in some cases, these options fail to provide relief from pain and stiffness. This is where knee gel injections can be of great help.
This is a minimally invasive treatment that involves injecting a lubricating fluid into the knee. This gel-like fluid replaces the worn-out cartilage and provides cushioning between the joints. This procedure has proven benefits as it helps in reducing pain, stiffness, and improving range of motion.
Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that mostly affects older adults who are 50 years or older. Nevertheless, it can also occur in younger people. Osteoarthritis causes the breakdown of cartilage between the joints. Cartilage plays a pivotal role in keeping the bones from coming in contact with each other. It protects the surface of the bones. Without the cartilage, the bones can grind or rub together, causing swelling, stiffness, and pain.
Our office in Brooklyn New York can provide Knee gel injections as an alternative to knee surgery. This may be the last option before the doctor suggests a knee operation.
If you are having knee problems and your doctor has prescribed Hyaluronic Acid, viscosupplementation gel injections for knee pain, you should gather all the information regarding the procedure and read all the knee gel injection reviews so that you remain informed.
Knee Injection Therapy
As said, the pain management doctors in Brooklyn New York will typically recommend gel injections for arthritic knees before recommending surgery. For some patients, knee gel injections help to alleviate and manage pain.
Most importantly, a gel injection for knee pain makes it easier to pursue a rehabilitation program for progressive yet gentle knee exercises that were too painful to pre-injection.
The best pain management doctors near me will suggest that the injections will only provide you temporary relief. That is, after a certain period, you may have to undergo another knee injection therapy to reinstate the functioning of your knee over the long term. Above all, the pain management doctors in Brooklyn New York will recommend you continue with the rehabilitation program and exercise to keep the knee functional and improve its range of motion.
Am I a good candidate for knee gel injections?
It is important to know that while gel injections for knee pain have the potential to provide improved function and pain relief for several weeks or even months, it doesn’t work for everyone. And through repeated injections, its effectiveness may wear off.
With that said, pain management doctors in Brooklyn New York may recommend repeating the knee gel injections every 6 months for patients who:
- Want to avoid or postpone a knee replacement surgery or any other knee-related surgery
- Have been exhausted from joint aspirations without positive outcomes
- Have not had good results from OTC and NSAID pain-relievers
- Are unable to take medications because of sensitivities
- Experience daily pain from basic activities like walking or standing
With proper diagnosis and finding the exact location of the injured area, your doctor may be able to tell whether you are a suitable candidate for gel injection for knee pain.
Other Types of knee injections
There are numerous types of knee injections used for treating severe knee pain. Nevertheless, doctors will not recommend all of them. Here is what you need to know about the gel injections as well as other types of injection for arthritic knees.
Corticosteroid Injections
Corticosteroids are the most common knee injections that are similar to cortisol, which is a natural hormone produced by your body. These are injected directly into the knee joint to help relieve inflammation and knee pain quickly. If you have inflammation around the knee region, the doctor may use high doses of corticosteroid injections. This is a minimally invasive procedure, and the affected area is numbed before injecting the drug.
Other Injections
Apart from corticosteroid injections, there are a few others like Placental Tissue Matrix (PTM) injections, Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) injections, and Hyaluronic Acid injections, used by doctors to treat and manage knee pain.
So, it is extremely important to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of knee gel injections with the concerned doctor.