What is Osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting over 25 million people in the United States. By definition, OA is a wearing away of the joint’s cartilage. Healthy cartilage is essential for allowing us to fully participate in life and live pain-free. The most essential functions of joint cartilage are to provide shock absorption, lubrication, and joint stability. All three are essential for full function and painless activity. One of the most common joints in the body to develop OA is the knee.
Healthy knee joints contain high amounts of synovial fluid or “joint oil” which contains hyaluronan or hyaluronic acid, a gel-like substance that reduces friction between joint surfaces. This fluid allows us to perform our day-to-day activities without pain or discomfort.
Patients with OA have suffered a loss of joint cartilage resulting in low levels of hyaluronan, which, commonly results in joint pain consistent with OA. The most common OA symptoms of the knee include: pain and swelling into the joints, pain with prolonged standing, walking or climbing stairs, joint enlargement or deformity, stiffness of joints including “clicking or popping” sounds, just to name a few.
Most successful treatments for Osteoarthritis?
In a search for new and less invasive forms of non-surgical treatment for OA, Performance Ortho offers the benefit of viscosupplementation/hyaluronic acid injections or simply known as “joint cushioning injections”. This 100% natural, FDA-approved joint injection process has been proven to help reduce the pain and suffering that is commonly associated with untreated OA . The doctor will gently administer 3-5 hyaluronic acid injections to the arthritic joint, utilizing computer-guided imaging to ensure the exact placement of the cushioning substance. This treatment is ideal for patients suffering from mild to moderate OA. Patients that have been diagnosed with severe OA or “bone on bone” may benefit from a combination of Regenerative Injections and hyaluronan injections. Only a complete medical examination by one of our board-certified physicians and non-surgical orthopedic specialists can determine what treatment or combination of treatments would be right for you. Stop suffering from the pain and physical limitations of OA.