Osteoarthritis treatment of the joints with hyaluronic acid
Hyaluronic acid - the lubricant for joints
There are many different causes of painful joints. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diagnoses. Osteoarthritis is a sign of wear and tear in joints, which can occur as a result of normal ageing processes or other diseases (e.g. due to accidents, congenital conditions or chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis). In osteoarthritis, the cartilage within the joints changes, which can lead to remodeling processes and ultimately to the destruction of bone substance. This results in severe pain in the joints, which increases under stress and restricts the joint's movement.
In principle, osteoarthritis can occur in all joints. However, some joints are affected more frequently than others. These are usually joints that are exposed to a particularly high level of stress. This stress can be caused by frequent movement or increased pressure on the joint. Joints that are classically affected include the wrist, metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb, ankle and big toe joint. However, larger joints such as the shoulder joint, knee joint or hip joint are also typical sites for osteoarthritis.
Osteoarthritis severely restricts the quality of life of those affected. However, you are not helpless in the face of pain, as there are effective methods to treat the symptoms of osteoarthritis. One of these methods is the injection of hyaluronic acid into the affected joint. In the following sections, you will find out exactly what hyaluronic acid is and why it is so suitable for treating osteoarthritis.
Definition
What is hyaluronic acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a substance that occurs naturally in the body and performs different functions in different parts of the body. It is a carbohydrate (polysaccharide = multiple sugar) that is produced by numerous cells in the body. The most important function of hyaluronic acid is to bind water.
This ability is particularly important in the joints, as it allows the cartilage tissue and synovial fluid (synovia) to maintain their physiological states. The degenerative processes of osteoarthritis described above restrict the function of the cartilage and synovial fluid, which is why injections of hyaluronic acid are particularly suitable in these cases.
Therapy
How can hyaluronic acid be used to treat osteoarthritis?
The body's own hyaluronic acid production is increasingly limited, especially in advanced age, and it is no coincidence that this correlates with the degenerative joint wear that occurs at this age. Although it is possible in principle to support hyaluronic acid production through a balanced diet and dietary supplements, this is not enough to treat osteoarthritis effectively. Injections of this important substance directly into the affected joint are particularly suitable for this purpose. This allows the hyaluronic acid to take effect on the spot.
However, not all hyaluronic acid is the same
As described above, hyaluronic acid is a sugar that consists of chains of individual sugars strung together. There are hyaluronic acids of different lengths which have different effects depending on their length. The short-chain hyaluronic acids are particularly known for their pain-relieving effect. They are also said to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Hyaluronic acid with long chains, on the other hand, is particularly suitable for restoring the gliding ability of a joint. A combination of both forms of hyaluronic acid can therefore significantly alleviate the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Opportunities & Risks
What opportunities and risks does the treatment entail?
Due to the effects of hyaluronic acid described above, it has now established itself as a standard treatment method for osteoarthritis. A major advantage is that hyaluronic acid is normally produced by the body itself. Allergic reactions are therefore very rare when it is administered to the joint. However, not every form of osteoarthritis can be treated satisfactorily with hyaluronic acid.
The most important factor is the cartilage substance that must still be present in the joint. If the osteoarthritis has been present for too long or is progressing particularly quickly, the cartilage mass in some cases falls below a critical amount, meaning that treatment with hyaluronic acid only leads to a limited permanent improvement in symptoms.
As a specialist practice for joint diseases, Dr. Braune's practice specializes in this and carries out multiple injections per day in almost all joints of the musculoskeletal system.
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Extremely high safety and hygiene measures in Dr. Braune's practice
Extremely high safety and hygiene measures are applied for every injection. The joint to be treated is prepared for the injection under comparable sterile surgical conditions. Sterile disinfection three times and subsequent sterile covering of the injection field are standard. Sterile gloves and a face mask are worn during the injection. The risk of infection resulting from the treatment is thus reduced to a minimum, but cannot always be ruled out 100%. Practical experience shows that the risk is less than one in a thousand. As hyaluronic acid has been used as a treatment method for several decades, there is a high level of treatment safety and it is easy to assess in which cases the treatment can be carried out without risk and in which cases further preparation is necessary.
Versatile application options for hyaluronic acid injections
Hyaluronic acid injections can be performed in a wide variety of joints for osteoarthritis, which is also a great advantage. In general, all joint injections in Dr. Braune's practice are exclusively ultrasound-assisted and controlled in order to ensure maximum effect and safety for the patient.
Smaller joints such as the wrist, metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb and metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe can therefore be treated just as well as the large joints of the hip, shoulder and knee. Only the amount of hyaluronic acid administered differs depending on the joint.
Preparation & Follow-up
What should be considered before and after treatment with hyaluronic acid?
Before you decide to undergo treatment with hyaluronic acid, it is advisable to clarify a few aspects. Specifically, it is important to know that the injection of hyaluronic acid does not have to take place just once in order to achieve the desired treatment success. The exact duration of the treatment always depends on the individual case. As a rule, 3-5 injections per session are administered at weekly intervals, which ensures the amount of scientifically determined and required hyaluronic acid concentration for the respective joint. The effect then lasts for several months in most cases. Sometimes the pain can even be relieved for up to a year. After assessing the condition of the joint and, above all, the cartilage substance, a new treatment interval can then be started.
It is also advisable to keep the area of skin around the affected joint as clean as possible prior to treatment and to inform the doctor treating you if you notice any inflammation of the skin in this area. This will minimize the risk of infection of the joint.
Carrying out the injections and assumption of costs by the health insurance company
It is also possible to numb the injection site for the needle with which the hyaluronic acid is administered with a local anesthetic or locally anesthetize the skin with an ice spray. This makes the treatment more comfortable for you on the one hand and on the other hand allows for more stable work by immobilizing the joint. Anesthesia is not necessary for this type of treatment.
Despite the proven and scientifically proven effect of hyaluronic acid on osteoarthritis, the costs of injections are not covered by statutory health insurance. If you are privately insured, please contact your health insurance provider to find out whether they will cover the costs. If you have statutory health insurance, you can expect to pay around €400 for treatment.
