How to Prepare for and Get Knee Pain Relief with Synvisc

Knee pain is one of the most common complaints of the American population. Often the pain is a result of an injury during sports, in the workplace, or even performing a routine task in your home. Knee pain can result from normal wear and tear as you age. It really doesn't matter from where the pain originated, it is knee joint pain. If your knee hurts, it can affect your daily life and eventually your quality of life.

The knee joint is surrounded with fluid (synovial fluid) that cushions your knee. If the cartilage protecting the different bones from each other deteriorates, the bones will rub against one another and cause pain, stiffness, and loss of movement. Arthritis often results.

Synvisc is a knee injection that is designed to mimic your natural synovial fluid, lubricate your painful arthritis, and provide pain relief. Synvisc is one brand of this type of injection but there are two others on the market-Orthovis and Supartz or Efflexxa. They are all slightly different in chemical makeup but they are designed to do the same thing-perform arthritis pain management. Read my steps to evaluate if you are a candidate, what to expect and how to get pain relief with Synvisc.

Instructions

• 1

  Make sure that x-rays and or MRIs have been taken of the knee to determine and diagnose your problem.

• 2

  Decide with your doctor if you are a candidate for Synvisc shots. Doctors tend to grade the level of your arthritis pain into three categories. These are mild, moderate and severe. Remember that your stage of osteoarthritis may not match the stage your doctor has rated your condition. Tell your doctor if you can perform your everyday tasks and how painful any activity or exercise is for you.

• 3

  Try over- the-counter medicines, prescription pain relief medicines and steroid injections for pain relief first. Often a Synvisc regime will be tried to stave off the need for surgery. Everyone would want that, wouldn't they? However, if you have real tears on your meniscus or ligaments or your arthritis is the most severe possible, then you had better look at a surgical route first. If you don't, or you already had two knee arthroscopic surgeries like I did, you may be ready to try something else.

• 4

  Get three Synvisc injections serially, about a week apart. You may want to ask your doctor to give you a numbing injection (sort of like Novocaine) before the actual Synvisc shot. The shot itself takes about three seconds, but it will hurt!

• 5

  Stay off your knee and leg for the first 2 days after each injection as much as you can. You need to give it time to settle in and work. After that, do whatever you want within reason.

• 6

  Look out for rashes or bruising at the site, headaches or stomach upset, or some temporary pain or swelling. Most people don't experience any side effects since the medicinal fluid is injected directly into the knee. It is not like a pill which goes into your bloodstream.

• 7

  Do not expect immediate knee pain relief. The fluid takes time to build up and become effective. That is why there are several injections spaced out over time. Some people will feel knee arthritis relief after the first injection. That is rare. Most of the time, relief is felt after the third knee injection. The relief can last up to a year and then can be repeated.

• 8

  Consider trying a different brand of Synvisc if the first prescription did not work. Synvisc is made up of a compound called Hylan G-F20, Orthovis is made up of Hyalauran, and Supartz and Efflexa are made up of Sodium Hyaluronate and they all work just a little bit differently. Always talk to your doctor or even another doctor to get a second opinion if the first treatment was not successful.