What is the Best Injection for Knee Pain?
Knee pain affects millions of people worldwide. Among the many causes, the most common is arthritis. Chronic knee pain can make your daily activities difficult. Whether it’s walking, climbing stairs, or getting up from a chair, most of your daily tasks will become challenging and painful. It’s important to schedule a visit to the orthopedic hospital in Navi Mumbai to identify the cause of the knee pain and determine the most viable treatment plan. In the meantime, here’s a look at the common causes of knee pain and a few effective injections that may help manage your symptoms.
Common Causes of Knee Pain
Knowing the causes of knee pain will help you decide the best treatment. Here are a few:
a) Arthritis
Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) are common knee issues that can affect people of any age. Osteoarthritis refers to the wear and tear of the cartilage, which results in excessive pain and stiffness around the affected joint. RA is an autoimmune condition that results in joint inflammation.
b) Injuries
Knee pain is also common in people who work or participate in activities that carry a high risk of joint injuries, such as sports. ACL tears, sprains, strains, and meniscus tears are a few common examples.
c) Overuse
Knee overuse caused by activities that put immense pressure on the knee joint can also lead to excruciating pain, inflammation, and joint stiffness.
What is the Best Injection for Knee Pain?
Injectables can be used for quick and long-term relief from joint inflammation and pain. Your doctor will inject the healing substances directly into your affected joint to help manage your symptoms. Here’s what may work:
i) Corticosteroid Injections
If your knee pain is due to arthritis, an injury, or other conditions that led to excessive joint inflammation, you might be a good candidate for corticosteroid injections. They contain strong anti-inflammatory and numbing substances that bring the inflammation down and offer relief from pain.
ii) Hyaluronic Acid Injections
With your cartilage wearing down, your bones might rub against each other as you move. This also results in the loss of hyaluronic acid, which acts as the lubricant supporting the natural joint movements. Hyaluronic injection, also called viscosupplementation, mimics the natural hyaluronic acid and provides stability and flexibility to your knee. The effect can last for weeks to months, depending on the severity of your knee pain.
iii) Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) Injections
This modern therapy focuses on injecting your own blood into your knee joint to speed up healing. The procedure involves drawing the patient’s blood, increasing the concentration of platelets, and injecting it back into their knees.
iv) Stem Cell Therapy
Another effective procedure that the doctor for knee pain treatment in Navi Mumbai recommends is stem cell therapy. It aims to slow the deterioration of your knee joint by using your body’s healing mechanism. It involves injecting stem cells, which are drawn from your bone marrow, into the affected knee joint.
Conclusion
Each injection has its advantages and limitations. It’s best to talk to your doctor about your symptoms and medical history. They will run tests on your knee joints to analyze the level of damage before recommending injectables.