Are you suffering from aches and pains throughout your body? If your joints are to blame, you may want to consider regenerative medicine to help you improve your comfort levels. At Phoenix Regenerative Medicine in Scottsdale, AZ, we offer a range of injectable treatments that include viscosupplementation. This is an injection that contains hyaluronic acid and can serve to improve joint comfort and functionality at the same time.
How Does Viscosupplementation Work?
Direct Delivery
If you’re looking for a treatment that gets right to the source of the problem without resorting to surgery, viscosupplementation could be a good option. Once we know which joints need help, we will inject the treatment directly to the “problem area” in hopes of giving you effective relief as quickly as possible.
Depending on the condition of your joints, you may benefit from a series of injections. After we meet with you, we can talk about our treatment series and whether this could help give you the results you’re looking for. If you do end up getting a treatment series, once your series is complete we can move on to scheduling maintenance injections for your long-term comfort.
Naturally Beneficial
Did you know hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body? This is one way viscosupplementation can be used to actually work together with your body and boost its natural healing abilities. This also tends to help this injection be readily accepted by the body, and can be a good option for those who want to treat their symptoms as naturally as possible.
When delivered in a soothing gel base, hyaluronic acid can help your joint move and feel better. For patients with progressive knee osteoarthritis or issues in other joints, receiving these injections can help them stay comfortable while on the move.
Helpful Relief
As the hyaluronic acid gets to work by helping to improve your joint’s flexibility, hydration, and elasticity, the gel base of the injection can also help soothe and lubricate the irritated joint. It may take a few weeks for you to notice results as the injection does its job, but some patients may notice benefits earlier. Each patient’s timeline can vary slightly depending on their joint’s condition and other individual factors.
We’d be happy to help you understand what to expect after treatment when we have the chance to evaluate your needs. Once we have a good idea of how your condition is responding to the treatment, we can figure out a good maintenance schedule for you as well. Many patients find that repeating their single treatment or treatment series every six months is a great way to keep their joints feeling as good as possible.
No Downtime
Since this treatment involves an injection instead of surgery, you can just head right home once your treatment is done. There are many reasons a patient may prefer to avoid surgery, and not having to deal with extensive downtime can be a big benefit for those who have active jobs or lifestyles, or simply don’t like putting their lives on pause.
While surgeries can certainly be helpful and are sometimes necessary, we’re excited to offer injectable alternatives as they tend to be easier on the patient both physically and mentally.
Good Candidates
If you have joint pain, you could be a good candidate for treatment. Joint pain can have many causes, and coming in for a consultation can help us determine if this or possibly one of our other treatments could help you manage your symptoms. Patients suffering from osteoarthritis may especially benefit from viscosupplementation due to the combined relief and joint lubrication it can provide.
How Do I Know if I Have Knee Arthritis?
A Diagnosis
We will list some common signs of knee arthritis below. That said, the best way to know if you are suffering from this condition or a different ailment is to seek out an official diagnosis. When it comes to the health of your joints, guessing what kind of issue you have isn’t ideal. Getting the right diagnosis can help you seek out the best treatments for your needs.
An MRI or X-ray is usually used to diagnose this issue. They can check for changes to the shape of your knee, or for bone spurs. If it’s clear that cartilage has been lost, an arthritis diagnosis may follow. Other diagnostic options can include a blood test, or checking the fluid in your knees.
Common Symptoms
Stiffness
Knee arthritis can cause the joint to stiffen, and sometimes even “lock” in place. This symptom may be more pronounced if you’ve been sitting for awhile or when you first wake up in the morning.
Changes
Have you noticed any visual changes to your knee? This could be another sign of arthritis, as it can cause bumps around the knee or swelling due to bone spur formation.
Cracking
Do you feel a grating sensation as you move your knee, or does it make a crackling sound? This can be a sign that you’ve lost knee cartilage.
What Other Benefits Can I Expect From Treatment?
No Wasted Time
This treatment can help our patients avoid or delay the inconvenience of scheduling and then recovering from surgery. In addition to that, each treatment can usually be carried out fairly fast, and there’s no required downtime.
When it comes to scheduling, these benefits help give our patients plenty of “wiggle room” as they figure out how to fit their appointments into their busy schedules. It can be a relief to know that they won’t have to “lose” a whole day and should still have time to get things done on their to-do list once their appointment is complete.
Reduce Joint Deterioration
This treatment can help patients who are in various stages of joint pain or deterioration. It can also be used as a preventative. If you are in the early stages of joint disease, you may want to start treating the issue proactively. Since these injections can help slow the progression of joint disease, treating the joint early can help buy you time and set you up for long-term comfort.
That said, no matter how severe your condition is, we would be happy to talk about your options with you.
Reclaiming Your Comfort
Healthy joints are often something people take for granted until they start to suffer from joint issues. Simple actions like throwing a frisbee, getting up after a nap, crouching to pick something up off the floor, or walking up the stairs can all become painful when joint issues like arthritis start to set in. This can make both work and daily life more challenging and discouraging.
The good news is, viscosupplementation can help many patients reclaim their comfort and carry out simple tasks again with more ease. Whether you want to feel your best at work, while gardening, or when you play with your grandchildren, improving the comfort and functionality of your joints can be an excellent way to do that. It can even help patients reclaim a sense of spontaneity.
Get Moving Again
Gentle exercise can help protect your health in so many ways, and can help improve certain symptoms of arthritis. However, arthritis can make even light exercise painful, which can lead to a vicious cycle of avoiding exercise to avoid pain. Exercise can also have many mental and emotional benefits. Moving around is good for heart and lung health, and getting out in nature can be a wonderful mood booster.
If you’ve found yourself avoiding activities you used to love, like walking, hiking, or swimming, helping your joints feel better can help you feel more confident in pursuing those activities again. You may even notice that your joints feel better when you’re able to be active more often.
Improve Your Rest
Many people find that their arthritis tends to flare up even more at night. Your joints may start to feel stiffer as the temperature cools and your activity levels slow down for the day. Unfortunately, this can set many patients up for a painful and restless night. Some patients will struggle to fall asleep, and others may even wake up due to pain in the middle of the night.
This can cause patients to never feel fully rested, which can make enjoying the day or certain activities like driving or work very difficult. Finding a treatment that helps manage your symptoms can also help you get better sleep and enjoy more energy during the day.
Ready To Set Up Your Consultation?
If you’re eager to learn more about this treatment and get personalized advice based on your needs, why not set up your consultation? We’d be happy to meet with you and go over your goals and expectations as we discuss our various treatments. Contact us at Phoenix Regenerative Medicine of Scottsdale, AZ, today to set up your meeting!
