Are Gel Injections for Chronic Knee Pain Right for Me?
The knee joint is one of the most common places to experience chronic pain, and it can hinder your ability to enjoy life. Generally speaking, knee pain is caused by an underlying condition such as osteoarthritis. In other cases, overuse or a sudden sports injury or accident could be the root case.
As a first line of treatment, knee-pain patients are usually directed to start taking over-the-counter painkiller medications like ibuprofen. While this may relieve pain to a degree, oftentimes simple painkillers don’t provide the full relief from pain that patients are seeking. Furthermore, taking simple painkillers on a regular basis can have numerous negative side effects, such as gastrointestinal ulceration and bleeding, stress on the liver, increased hypertension, and more.
For this reason, and to counter the pain and discomfort associated with more severe knee pain — especially osteoarthritis — The Spine & Sports Health Center offers a highly effective knee pain treatment in Bayonne NJ in the form of gel injections.
What Are Gel Knee Injections?
Gel knee injections are injections of hyaluronic acid into the knee joint. Hyaluronic acid is a lubricant that replaces the naturally occurring _hyaluronan _that is usually present in the knees and other joints. Hyaluronan is a lubricant that allows your joints to bend and move smoothly and without pain.
When a patient has osteoarthritis, its common for their hyaluronan supply to have thinned in the joints. This causes pain when the patient moves because there is no lubrication.
Each injection of hyaluronic acid for knee pain treatment in Hoboken NJ is an outpatient procedure. After several injections, patients are able to find plenty of pain relief and become mobile and active again.
About HYALGAN®
At The Spine & Sports Health Center, we use a gel product called HYALGAN® to treat knee pain. HYALGAN® was the first hyaluronic acid gel injection to be approved for use in the U.S. It came on the medical scene in 1987 in Europe and 1997 in the U.S. Since 1987, it has been administered more than 50 million times. Moreover, 110 clinical trials have proven its efficacy in treating osteoarthritic knee pain.
The Benefits of Gel Knee Injections
If you are interested in knee pain treatment in Jersey City NJ, gel knee injections of HYALGAN® may be the answer. If you choose this treatment route, you’ll look forward to the following benefits:
It’s safe
HYALGAN® is approved by the FDA for use in the knee, and numerous toxicity tests and safety tests have been performed to ensure that it is safe for use in patients.
It’s effective
Gel knee injections work to help you become more mobile and active despite knee pain. It’s important to remember that all patients will react differently to this treatment, but by a large margin, the majority of patients find it extremely helpful at relieving pain.
Nearly anyone can receive gel injection treatments
Generally speaking, there are no specific contraindications or precautions with the use of gel knee injections in patients. Naturally, you’ll need to meet with our specialists for a consultation first, but nearly all patients can benefit from this treatment.
It does not interfere with other medications
Because gel injections are not an oral medication, there’s no need to worry about them interfering with other medications you may be taking.
It’s a treatment option that’s been around for 30 years
Finally, many patients worry about the efficacy and safety of new types of treatments. With gel injections, this needn’t be a concern. In fact, gel injections of have been used for nearly 30 years to treat various types of knee pain.
The same technology has remained widespread and well-liked because it works. Patients find copious relief with gel injections, and problems or complications are extremely rare.
How Often Are HYALGAN® Gel Injections Needed?
Several injections of HYALGAN® gel will be necessary for this treatment to become effective. Our medical specialists will help you decide how many treatments to start with, but generally speaking, patients begin with three to five treatments, plus repeat treatments down the line when further pain is present.
Learn More at The Spine & Sports Health Center
If you’ve been experiencing knee pain in Hoboken NJ, knee pain in Bayonne NJ, or knee pain in Jersey City NJ, let The Spine & Sports Health Center help you. Not only will we help you find relief with gel injections of HYALGAN®, but we can also treat this form of pain with physical therapy and rehab. Oftentimes, the combination of gel knee injections and physical therapy can completely eliminate knee pain for good.
To learn more about this and other spine and joint pain relief treatments at The Spine & Sports Health Center, give us a call, or visit one of our three Hudson County locations.
