Gel injection, also known as viscosupplementation, is an FDA-approved treatment for knee osteoarthritis. It is a quick procedure that may provide relief immediately and can be administered again whenever required.
The cause of knee pain can be both acute injuries and complications of medical conditions. It is a common condition that can be localized to a particular area or spread throughout the whole knee. It is also frequently associated with physical limitations. A thorough physical examination usually determines that the patient has knee pain.
To determine how to treat knee pain, one must determine the underlying cause of the condition. Although severe knee pain may require surgery or other interventions, the prognosis is typically good, regardless of severity. But sometimes knee pain worse after gel injection, so it is always better to consult a doctor until you get satisfied and have no side effects.
What Causes Knee Pain?
Knee pain causes may be discussed under several types. The knee is the most commonly used joint of the body. It comprises a combination of complex bones, muscles, ligaments and cartilage. Any injury, mechanical problems or arthritis may lead to knee pain.
Among these causes, arthritis is considered to have more than 100 types. The most commonly discussed types are osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, septic arthritis and Pseudogout.
These inflammatory conditions lead to pain in the knee joints. Whereas some pain conditions are associated with the treatment techniques used as a medication for knee disorders. Mostly, injections like corticosteroids, viscosupplementation or hyaluronic acid injections are recommended by healthcare experts to reduce pain and inflammation. The patients administered hyaluronic acid injections complain about the pain after the administration of gel injections. Such pain continued for at least 1 hour after the treatment.
If knee pain worsens following gel injections, there is no need to be concerned. The healthcare experts at the pain and spine clinic explain this pain as injections flare up. This may result from any minor interaction with the medication in gel injection that disappears after one or two hours.
When Should I Use A Knee Injection?
Swelling is a natural response of the body against any inflammation. As a result of inflammation, the blood flow and defense mechanism at the sight of infection increases. It sends pain signals to the brain that help identify something happening at a specific site.
In such conditions, injections help reduce pain in inflamed areas, including tendonitis, synovitis, or swelling in cartilage-bearing areas. Several types of medications are administered through injections.
-
Corticosteroids
The gold standard for all kinds of injectables is the corticosteroids. They are potent medications and available in different formulations. Most corticosteroid injections are administered with a combination of local anesthetics to facilitate numbness in the affected area.
The terms cortisone or steroid are also used for the same corticosteroid injections.
-
Viscosupplementation
Viscosupplementation is a series of injections approved by the FDA to be used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. As the time passes, the synovial fluid in joints becomes less dense.
The synovial fluid shows viscosity due to hyaluronan, a natural substance produced in the body for lubrication. Viscosupplementation tries to imitate this natural substance’s role by administering synthetic hyaluronan.
-
Regenerative Biological Products
Regenerative biological agents are advocated for muscle and cartilage degeneration treatments. They most commonly include platelet-rich plasma and stem cells.
What are the Benefits Of Gel Knee Injection?
Gel injections are primarily recommended in individuals who fail to respond to other medications, such as acetaminophen or physical therapies. These injections help reduce the pain due to inflammation in osteoarthritic patients as these injections have hyaluronate. This fluid is similar in composition and function to the natural fluid produced in the joints. This fluid reduces the pain by fulfilling the lubricant needs of the joint.
How to Use Gel Injections?
Gel injections usually have hyaluronic acid that an expert healthcare expert injects. Our Pain Clinic Fort Worth team injects hyaluronic acid directly into the arthritic knee joint. Your healthcare provider or pharmacist can further confirm any queries about gel injection administration. The dosage is decided based on the medical condition and treatment response.
Generally, it is once per week. However, the waste fluid gathered in joints may also be removed before the injection. Two points to be kept in mind while administering gel injections are Skin disinfectants having benzalkonium chloride must not be used.
Injection must not be administered in the arteries or veins, which may increase the chance of side effects.
Do Gel Injections Have Any Risk?
Gel injections are comparatively safe and do not cause any harm unless a few side effects are observed
- Allergic interactions like pseudocyesis
- Post injection flare
- Changes in the color of skin at the site of injection
- Transient elevation in blood pressure
- Increased blood glucose levels in diabetic patients
- Infection
Summary
Our pain clinic Fort Worth team may first administer local anesthesia to minimize knee pain worse after gel injection. The gel injection itself takes about the same amount of time. Patients report feeling pain and swelling following the injection. Fluid buildup may also occur.
Rest and ice the injected knee to prevent these side effects. It is common for patients to experience difficulty moving, stiffness in their knees, or redness in their knees that won’t disappear for a couple of days following the surgery. Avoid weight-bearing activities, such as jogging.
The injection site may also be accompanied by bleeding, burning sensations, discoloration of the skin, a noticeable rash, numbness, tingling, warmth, and infection, although rare. If any patient’s side effects persist or worsen, don’t hesitate to contact our office.
