09/21/2022
What is Joint Fluid Therapy used for?
The main indication for joint fluid therapy is painful symptomatic osteoarthritis. In Osteoarthritis, the hyalouronic concentration of joint fluid becomes thinner. This thinning causes bone on bone grinding and pain.
How does Joint Fluid therapy help?
Using viscosupplementation in the form of injections like Orthovisc, Synvisc and Eufflexa (which are concentrated high molecular weight hyalouronic acids) helps reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Hyaluronic acid injections such as Orthovisc, Synvisc and Euflexxa have shock absorbing properties which protect the joint surface from excess grinding/clicking and nourish the joint cartilage surface.
How often do I need to receive joint fluid therapy?
Typically, these treatments need to be repeated every 6 months. This is because the hyalouronic acid supplementation becomes repleted over time and needs to be replaced.
What is Prolotherapy?
Prolotherapy is another form of fluid therapy with no limitations to how often it can be administered. The main difference between prolotherapy and the previously mentioned viscosupplemention injections, are the ingredients. In prolotherapy the main content is dextrose which can be mixed with other ingredients such as sarapin (an herbal supplement), and lidocaine (an anesthetic). These ingredients work to relieve pain and improve cartilage durability.
How effective is Joint Fluid therapy?
Overall, milder cases of osteoarthritis have better outcomes than severe osteoarthritis.
Viscosupplementation and prolotherapy are not appropriate for all patients. An individualized assessment of each patient is required to determine which treatment is most suitable.
Our focus is not simply administering viscosupplementation. We spend one on one time with our patients to create an individualized home exercise program to maximize their treatment outcomes.
A significant number of our patients receive this treatment and have seen significant improvement in their quality of
