What Can I Take for Arthritis in My Knee

Arthritis Treatment Through Injections

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Arthritis is something that affects roughly 40 million U.S. citizens, both young and old. This disease comes in over 100 different forms and is treated in various ways, one of which is through injections. The inflammation and stiffness that the joints feel due to arthritis can often be temporarily relieved through this method, making it appealing to those who would prefer to go the non-surgical route. Here are various options for those who suffer from arthritis and are looking for treatment through injections. Cost can also play a large factor as to whether or not this is the best financial route to take.

Cortisone Injections

Arthritis can appear in any joint from the fingers and toes to the hips and knees. One type of injection often used for those with hip or knee arthritis as well as asthma is cortisone injections, also known as steroid injections. Cortisol is essentially a steroid hormone that is produced by the adrenal glands and helps regulate the immune response and metabolism. The injections imitate the cortisol in a more powerful way and are aimed directly at the areas in the joints that are inflamed. Unfortunately, though, these injections are only a temporary solution and may only be effective for anywhere from six weeks to six months.

These injections are a better option in some ways as they don't have the side effects that the equivalent oral medication has, but this treatment does run the risk of resulting in your cartilage slowly breaking down after repeated injections. In some scenarios though, such as for those who have an autoimmune disease, prescribed oral corticosteroids may be the only option.

Hyaluronic Acid Injections

Those that have tried corticosteroid injections with unsuccessful results could consider hyaluronic acid injections. Hyaluronic acid in the knee helps absorb shock and lubricate the joint. Hyaluronic acid injections act as a supplement to the naturally occurring acid in the knee and aim to reduce the overall pain, slow down the progression of the osteoarthritis and increase the movement of the joint. These injections are used primarily for those that suffer from osteoarthritis in the knee, hip and shoulder. After the injection, the relief can last for three weeks to five months.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections

Another option is to have platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) injections. Unlike the other injections, these use your own blood and platelets to encourage healing and change the body's immune response to help reduce the inflammation caused by arthritis. This is commonly done on the knees but has yet to be fully researched for those that have hip arthritis.

Costs

These various gel injections for knee and hip joints do come at a cost. The health cost you may pay is the risk of an infection, but that is a risk you take with any injection. The financial cost for the corticosteroid injection is between $100-$300 per injection but is often covered by insurance companies. The hyaluronic acid injections are a bit steeper costing between $300-$750 per injection and this, too, is often covered by health insurance. But the Platelet-rich-plasma injections are much pricier with each injection costing between $500-$1,000 per injection and is often paid out of pocket.

Alternative Options

If having an injection in the knee to treat your arthritis doesn't sound like the route you would like to take, there are other options such as medication. Some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) can help reduce the pain and inflammation and can be bought over the counter, but stronger medication will require a prescription. Creams and ointments that contain menthol or capsaicin are also a potential option to temporarily help reduce pain.

If the pain is exceptionally bad, often surgery is the way to go. Surgeons will either help repair joints by smoothing or realigning them, replace them with an artificial joint or in some cases for smaller joints, fuse them together. Anyone that suffers from any form of arthritis should make sure to incorporate physical therapy or some type of daily exercise into their routine. The exercises should promote and increase the range of motion in your joints as well as strengthen the surrounding muscles to help support the joints. In any case, talk to your doctor and together you can decide what is the best method of treatment.

What Can I Take for Arthritis in My Knee

Source: https://www.life123.com/article/arthritis-treatment-through-injections?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740009%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex

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