Osteoarthritis is a problem that affects the joints, especially the knees, and causes pain and problems with locomotion. One of the treatments for this disease is injections of hyaluronic acid, a substance already found in joint fluids. The goal is to lubricate and prevent bone friction, improve pain and provide cushioning, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).

This process is called viscossupplementation, but it is also known as "rooster crest injection". This is because, before, the manipulation of the drug was made from the region located on the head of this type of animal. Currently, the drug can be obtained synthetically.

Cock crest, region above head was used for hyaluronic acid extraction

Always designed for cases of mild and moderate arthritis, in addition to the knees, injections can also be applied to other joints of the body, such as the hips and ankles. The treatment period may vary from three to five weeks with a weekly application. Pain relief is not instantaneous, but after application, the patient can take months without feeling any discomfort at the affected sites.

The popularization of this treatment was mainly for people who were unable to or did not respond well to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use.

Rooster Crest Injections And Its Benefits

According to the Mother Nature Network website, studies show that for various cases of arthritis, results may vary from person to person. In some of them there is pain relief; In others, patients do not report any improvement.

According to AAOS, "there has never been a record that the procedure can reverse arthritis or grow cartilage again." However, even if not fully efficient, some results are expressive from the point of view of the effect on patients. One of these effects, suggested by several studies, is that the application of hyaluronic acid in joints can increase the production of this substance, helping to preserve cartilage and delay the disease evolution. Confirming this information is Dr. Roland Moskowitz, rheumatologist at Case Western Reserve University and co-founder of the International Society for Osteoarthritis Research.

Knees are one of the main areas affected by osteoarthritis.

In a survey that reviewed 76 studies examining the implications of using this procedure, it was found that, on average, pain levels decreased from 28 to 54% in the patients evaluated. The data were verified by experts from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and the index corresponds to the result expected by patients using anti-inflammatory drugs.

The benefits of movement and performance of daily activities should also be highlighted. According to the analysis, it was possible to verify that the treatment can cause an improvement of 9 to 32%.

The weak point

The only problem with injecting hyaluronic acid into the joints is that it may take a few weeks for the pain to begin to ease. Meanwhile, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatments have almost immediate effect. These drugs, however, can have a side effect in case of overuse: cartilage break in the joints, and may progress to larger problems.

Even so, there are common cases of people who, during the same visit to the doctor, apply rooster crest injections along with these pain relieving drugs, as hyaluronic acid does not promote instant improvement. Dr. Moskowitz points out that "it's not a magic pill, " but in treatment it can help a lot in the medium to long term.

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