Hyaluronic acid injections are viscosupplementation treatments for osteoarthritis joint pain symptoms. Hyaluronic acid is a natural constituent of synovial fluid, a fluid found in some joints, like your elbow, knee, shoulder and hip joints. Synovial fluid is a viscous fluid, which means its consistency is thick, sticky and flows slowly, similar to an egg yolk.
Osteoarthritis joint pain is caused by cartilage wear and insufficient joint lubrication via synovial fluid, which results in an increased production of prostaglandins. Prostaglandins are what causes those inflammation type symptoms of pain, swelling, stiffness, redness and warmth in your osteoarthritic joint.
Because of low hyaluronic acid levels, the viscosity of your joint fluid is diminished. Viscosupplementation is a form of treatment designed to supplement the naturally occurring viscous fluid in a joint. Thus, an injection of hyaluronic acid can improve the viscosity of your synovial fluid.
Improvement in the viscosity of your synovial fluid has the effect of reducing arthritis inflammation because of a decrease in prostaglandins. Which in turn, reduces your joint pain and increases joint movement.
Hyaluronic acid injections for ostearthritis offers some pain relief for six months or more. However, this viscosupplementation treatment doesn’t offer joint pain relief to all sufferers.
Typically, pain medication is recommended first for your joint pain symptom. Once this treatment is determined to ineffective, then an injection of hyaluronic acid supplement into your osteoarthritis caused joint pain is a viable alternative.
Another joint pain relieving alternative is having a cortisone injection.