Our body experiences wear and tear as we age, which could sometimes result in Arthritis. This mainly occurs when the cartilage or cushion between your joints breaks down, which may cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. Though there is a general myth that arthritis can only occur in adults, it is seen that people can experience it even at a younger age due to family history or other reasons like a sports injury.

 

Out of all the types, Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common and chronic form of arthritis that affects joints, especially the knee. Luckily, there are various ways to get rid of this type of arthritis if you identify it at an initial stage. However, it is seen that many of you who experience discomfort, swelling, or have extensive joint damage, have trouble making a choice between knee injections or even a full knee replacement.

​

When is knee injection therapy ideal?

 

As the pain of arthritis turns into an inflammatory condition, doctors can typically recommend you a knee injection therapy. Again, there are a variety of different injections available to help alleviate knee pain. Here are two popular knee injection therapy options you could be recommended by your doctor:

 

Corticosteroid injections

 

A lot of knee patients have tried Corticosteroid injections where doctors inject corticosteroids directly into the joint to help relieve pain and inflammation quickly. Corticosteroids replicate the same effect of steroid cortisone that is usually used to reduce inflammation and naturally produced by the adrenal glands. This method can be used for those who are not able to tolerate the pain and are looking for a quick relief as corticosteroid is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the inflammation site.

 

Though some people have reported quick relief almost immediately while others only feel the effects several days later.

​

Hyaluronic acid supplements (viscosupplementation)

 

The other option on hand could be Hyaluronic acid joint injections or gel injections. As the name suggests, this treatment uses a naturally occurring substance in your body called hyaluronic acid to be injected into the knee joints. As the healthy joints thrive on this fluid that acts as a lubricant or shock absorber, helping the joints to work properly, Joint lubrication injections with Hyaluronic acids are heading to be the first line of treatment for knee arthritis. The best thing about Hyaluronic acid injections is that it has the potential to even lessen joint pain as well as inflammation.

​

 

When is Knee replacement ideal?

 

If you have tried all the treatment options under the sun or you identified the condition at a very later stage, you could have Knee replacement as the only option. Under knee replacement or also called knee arthroplasty or knee "resurfacing" in medical terms, damaged bone and cartilage from the shinbone and kneecap is replaced with an artificial joint. The material used to make this artificial joint mainly involves metal, ceramic, or high-grade plastic and polymer components. Physical therapy and oral medications are usually the first treatments as we mentioned earlier. If oral medication is unsuccessful, injection therapy is often next. And finally, you can decide upon Knee replacement in case of severe knee pain or stiffness.

​

It is decision time!

 

Understanding the method of treatment used for knee therapy and knee replacement could be helpful for your decision making. Also, it depends largely on the severity of your joint degeneration. On one hand, where Joint lubrication injections seem like an easy and quick alternative to knee replacement, Knee replacement could be the only answer to your joint pain if osteoarthritis progresses to an alarming level.

 

Whether a patient is undergoing injection therapy or a full knee replacement, their doctor can discuss the pros and cons to ensure they make the best decision.

If you are keen on trying out an alternative treatment for your knee, then Keystone Health and Wellness Center could be the right place for you.