Treating Osteoarthritis Knee Pain Using Supartz

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease of a knee joint, common in people older than 40 years. It causes pain, swelling and reduced motion in your joint. The cartilage in your joints breaks down if you have osteoarthritis. Cartilage is a rubbery tissue at the end of the bones, allowing your joint to move easily.

A healthy knee contains synovial fluid, a fluid that cushions your knee. Synovial fluid contains a lubricating substance called hyaluronan or hyaluronic acid. When you have osteoarthritis, it can be hard to move your joints due to lack of hyaluronan. This can cause the surface layer of cartilage to break and wear away. The bones under the cartilage rub together, which can cause pain, swelling, and loss of motion of the joint. The joint may loose its normal shape over time.

As a solution to knee osteoarthritis pain, Supartz joint fluid therapy may provide long lasting pain relief. Supartz is a solution which consists of highly purified sodium hyaluronate (hyaluronan). Hyaluronan is a natural substance found in the synovial fluid that helps cushion and lubricate a knee joint.

Supartz injection helps in restoring the cushioning and lubricating properties of synovial fluid. Upon injection, Supartz acts in place of synovial fluid, facilitating smoother joint movement and less painful contact between bones. This can be used for those who have failed to respond to simple pain killers, exercise or physical therapy. It is administered in the form of injection, injected directly into the knee. It is given once a week for 5 weeks, for up to total of 5 injections. To reduce the pain, local anesthesia may be provided.

Supartz is one of the earliest joint fluid therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). More than 200 million injections have been administered worldwide, and it is the most prescribed joint fluid therapy. This only shows that this joint fluid therapy is safe to use and is effective in providing pain relief.

A course of Supartz therapy can help relieve pain and improve mobility. Although it can be given with 3 to 5 weekly doses, some patients experience benefits within the first 3 weeks. The joint fluid therapy can be very effective in delaying or preventing knee replacement surgery. Also, its effectiveness in improving knee pain from knee osteoarthritis has been shown in several clinical studies.

After taking Supartz, the patient may be advised to avoid doing strenuous activities for 2 days after the injection. Strenuous activities may include climbing stairs, jogging and weight training. The doctor may notify some other restrictions which should be best complied by the patient.