Treatments using intra-articular injections at Mediss Medical

Hyaluronic acid injections into the joint

Hyaluronic acid is a substance that is one of the most important nutrients for human skin and synovial fluid. Hyaluronic acid is a viscous substance and by injecting it directly into the joint, it is able to create a specific protective and nutritional layer for the joint cartilage. Due to the fact that it is also a substance naturally occurring in the human body, its administration has virtually no side effects. Hyaluronic acid is not a drug that can rebuild hyaline cartilage, but only slows down its degenerative processes. The effect of the acid is time-limited and to maintain its effect it should be administered approximately every 12 months. The use of hyaluronic acid in the case of minor cartilage damage has very good analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.

In the case of orthopedics, there is no point in taking supplements containing hyaluronan in the form of tablets. If you want to be sure that this substance will reach the painful knee, shoulder or hip joint, it should be introduced directly into the articular cartilage, and not through the digestive system and then the bloodstream, because the chances that it will have a positive effect on our health are practically zero. .

Injecting hyaluronic acid is practically painless (apart from inserting the needle), the substance applied topically in high concentration provides a very high guarantee of action. Patients often notice its effects practically from the first days after the procedure, but the full effect of the hyaluronic acid injection usually appears 2-3 weeks after administration.

Steroid injection (joint block)

What is the treatment and when is it used?

Joint locking is a simple orthopedic procedure that is used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. It is recommended for patients who struggle with ailments that persist after an injury or in the course of an illness. Joint blockade, commonly called a “cortisol injection”, involves the injection of a steroid with anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. This effective and minimally invasive method of treatment allows for rapid improvement lasting from 2 weeks to a maximum of 6 months.

Two preparations are administered simultaneously into the diseased joint: an anesthetic (lidocaine) and an anti-inflammatory drug (usually a steroid in the form of cortisol). Cortisone injections reduce the inflammation and, along with it, the pain.

Although joint blocking is considered an effective method, it is only a symptomatic treatment and does not eliminate the cause of pain.

Steroid blockade may improve the patient’s well-being, accelerating the course of rehabilitation, but it cannot eliminate the disease itself. Joint blockade is a temporary measure and cannot replace either rehabilitation or causal treatment, including surgery. The blockade allows you to overcome the symptoms, not the disease, so before doing it, you should first undertake other pain treatment methods, such as:

• use of medicated patches with diclofenac,
• massage,
• relaxation exercises,

Steroid blockade is performed only when other forms of treatment do not bring the expected result.

What are the indications and contraindications for the procedure?

The indication for the procedure is very severe pain, resistant to all other forms of symptomatic treatment. The block is performed in patients with various diseases and conditions – after injury, in the course of degenerative changes, struggling with chronic pain of various causes. It is also an alternative for those who, for some reason, cannot take oral painkillers. Steroid blockade is performed on all inflamed joints, unless there are contraindications.

The procedure is not performed on pregnant women and in patients with:

• allergic to any of the ingredients of the medicines.
• coagulation disorders,
• systemic infection,
• local inflammatory and purulent lesions of the skin,

Appli cation examples:

• popping finger, rheumatoid arthritis.
• rheumatic lesions, ganglions.
• subacromial bursitis.
• spine injury
• sciatica,
• disc damage and lesions
• diseases of the sacroiliac joint.
• osteoarthritis of the knee joint, bursitis.

We invite you to use our orthopedic services at Mediss Medical Clinic. Thanks to our experience and advanced treatment methods, we can help you regain full fitness and enjoy life without pain.