Osteoarthritis (OA) is caused by aging joints, damage, and obesity. OA symptoms include joint pain and stiffness. Treatment depends on the affected joint, including the hand, wrist, neckline, back, knees, and hip, and involves medication and exercise.
Hyaluronic acid is naturally found in many parts of the body. When injected into joints that are affected by OA it acts like a shock absorber and lubricant. Its application is fast and quite painless and may relieve the pain and rigidity of osteoarthritis. Experts suggested that Hyaluronan is only tried when other treatments like physical therapy, exercise, and injections with painkillers and steroids have failed.
One treatment for arthritis patients is to get injections of Hyaluronic acid straight into the affected joint, a therapy also known as Visco-supplementation. It is used mostly in the United States and Europe. The most frequent short-term side effects are minor soreness at the injection site and minor swelling of joint fluid. These get better within a few days.