Hyaluronic Acid
Your body creates hyaluronic acid. It's a natural part of the fluid that lubricates and cushions your joints and helps keep them working smoothly. When you have degenerative joint conditions, the hyaluronic acid in the affected joint thins. Hyaluronic acid injections add to the body's natural supply.
You may hear doctors refer to these injections as viscosupplementation, which means they help with the fluid in your joints. This treatment is also commonly referred to as "rooster comb injections" because back in the early days, hyaluronic acid was extracted from the cartilage of rooster combs. These injections are no longer taken from animals but are instead synthesized in labs.
Many doctors give hyaluronic acid injections to people with knee osteoarthritis whose symptoms don’t get better with painkillers or non-drug treatments such as heat or ice. Hyaluronic injections are often tried by people who can't take painkillers like acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin), or naproxen sodium (Aleve) or can't have, or aren't ready for total knee replacement surgery.
Studies show hyaluronic acid injections can work better than prescription painkillers for people with degenerative joint conditions. Other studies have shown they also may work as well or better than corticosteroid knee injections.
Our experts at Minneapolis Regenerative Medicine are ready to help you understand more on how this innovative therapy works with your body and how we administer hyaluronic acid injections safely to our patients. Book a consultation with us online or call the clinic directly at 612-424-6942!
Hyaluronic Acid Benefits
Hyaluronic acid is a remarkable substance because of all the benefits and uses it has in your body. Here are just a few of the benefits of hyaluronic acid:
-
It helps things move smoothly. Hyaluronic acid helps your joints work like a well-oiled machine. It prevents pain and injury from bones grinding against each other.
-
It helps keep things hydrated. Hyaluronic acid is very good at retaining water. A quarter-teaspoon of hyaluronic acid holds about one and a half gallons of water. That’s why hyaluronic acid is often used for treating dry eyes. It’s also used in moisturizing creams, lotions, ointments and serums.
-
It makes your skin flexible. Hyaluronic acid helps skin stretch and flex and reduces skin wrinkles and lines. Hyaluronic acid is also proven to help wounds heal faster and can reduce scarring.
A Highly Effective Alternative to Cortisone Shots!
Cortisone injections don’t work for all. Also, many experts are concerned that repeated injections lead to cartilage loss. This is why your primary care doctor must limit the amount of cortisone injections you can receive per year. In addition, there is added evidence that having repeated injections will lead to faster joint replacements. Overall, there are some question marks about the use of cortisone for arthritis and other joint pain ailments. In general, we should limit cortisone to those cases with severe pain and swelling that require immediate relief.
Unlike cortisone, the effect of hyaluronic acid is not immediate. It often takes up to 4 weeks to notice an impact. However, the result lasts much longer than cortisone averaging 8-14 months vs the 2-3 months cortisone typically offers.
Research suggests that the results of hyaluronic acid for knee pain are outstanding. Many studies have reported reduced pain, particularly in arthritis patients. However, the results seem better with the high molecular weight hyaluronic acid which is the type that we utilize at Minneapolis Regenerative Medicine. Also, there are very few adverse outcomes and no potential negative impact like cortisone. This product is fully approved for use in joint pain by the FDA and has undergone countless trials and studies for a variety of uses over the years.
How Does Hyaluronic Acid Work?
Hyaluronic acid belongs to a form of long, complicated chain-like molecules called polymers. The chain has plenty of spots on it where other chemical compounds (like water, for example) can latch on. That is why a quarter teaspoon of hyaluronic acid can hold about one and a half gallons of water, making it the best polymer — natural or artificial — for absorbing water (and a key ingredient in moisturizing products).
Because it has a lot of space for other molecules to latch on, HA is great for transporting other molecules throughout your body. It also has the ability to attach itself to cells, which is why the targeted delivery of medications using hyaluronic acid is a major topic of study.
Hyaluronic acid’s chain-like structure also means it can act in a similar fashion to a scaffold structure, allowing tissues to grow. This is a key step in how wounds can heal on your body.