4 Injections That Could Ease Your Knee Pain
Knee pain is a very common problem that people deal with. It can be caused by various factors like old age, injury, genetics, autoimmunity, inflammation, bad lifestyle choices or habits, environmental triggers, etc. Luckily, there are also various forms of treatment for knee pain. They include medications, drugs, physiotherapy, surgery, natural remedies, lifestyle changes, etc. Knee injection is a form of treatment that involves injecting medication directly into the knees to help manage, reduce, or avoid knee pain.
What are the Different Types of Injections for Knee Pain?
Depending on the type and nature of medication injected into the knees, knee injections are of the following types:
Corticosteroid Injections
They are useful for treating flare-up pain in the knee caused by conditions like osteoarthritis which cause inflammation and swelling due to fluid buildup in the knee.
Corticosteroid injections help relieve such symptoms and inflammation in the joint. In addition to that, the medication itself works very quickly and thus, provides instant relief within 1-2 days.
However, the benefits of the effectiveness of this medication are equally is short-termed as pain relief lasts for 6-12 weeks until the flare-up continues again. It is also important to note that, such injections but not be used frequently and consecutively, the moment the effectiveness wears off and should be administered only 2-3 times a year as overuse can cause reverse effects and damage bone cells and cartilages.
Moreover, the more the person takes this injection, the less effective it becomes. This means that such drugs or medications are most effective during the first session.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
Our knee joints are filled with fluid for lubrication during movement so that they move better and reduce friction. This fluid is known as synovial fluid and it contains an acid known as hyaluronic acid.
A healthy knee contains an adequate amount of this hyaluronic acid. However, in case of knee pain due to osteoarthritis, the synovial fluid is reduced and hence the hyaluronic acid will also consequently reduce.
Thus, hyaluronic acid injections help restore this lost acid and therefore, also reduces pain and stiffness of the joint that causes discomfort.
This injection is usually suggested as an alternative when pain relief medications and drugs fail to work, or when the steroid shot is not effective enough.
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Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
This form of treatment is different from the traditional method of directly injecting medication into the body.
Here the doctor will first draw a sample of your blood and multiple the number of platelets present in it. Platelets, essentially, are disc-like structures that are present in the blood and help it clot.
Once multiplied, it will then be injected into the area of the injured knee.
Why is this done?
Platelets contain natural chemicals that help heal injuries by treating damaged cells and tissues.
Placental Tissue Matrix (PTM) Injections
PTM Injections involve injecting placental tissue in the joint to promote healing. This is because the placental tissue is rich in proteins, hormones, vitamins, and other nutrients and growth factors that promote healing.
This is why mothers have been medically storing their placenta after childbirth as it has such benefits.
Bottom Line
Knee injections can only be administered on the consent and recommendation from your health care provider. Thus, if one is suffering from such symptoms of knee pain it is best to immediately contact your doctor and explore your treatment plan.