Are you one of those people with a high threshold for pain? or one of those people that run to the doctor or pop a pill with the slightest feeling of discomfort? I think I’m a little bit of both. However, my dad is the former. He’s put up with some awful, and at times, excruciating pain in his knees for close to 20 years now.

My dad probably should have opted for knee replacement surgery when he was younger. He is now too old for any kind of risky procedure such as that. He suffers from osteoarthritis and has no cartilage left on either knee, which means both knees are bone on bone. He has tried cortisone shots to no avail but started treatment with Hyalgan, a fairly recent knee pain treatment option (In U.S. for 10 years). He’s just finished with his 2nd round of treatment. It doesn’t look like it’s working as good as last time, but we’ll see how time progresses. Hyalgan, like other treatments isn’t for everyone but it can work and provide some relief.

What is it?
Hyalgan,is a naturally occurring substance in the body. It stimulates the production of the lubricant in the knees or other areas in-between joints. I like to tell my dad, it’s like WD-40 for his knees.

Treatment
This is something that the physician should discuss with your loved one. After discussing my dad’s issues with his doctor, he recommended a rheumatologist to give my dad the injections. In a nutshell, this was the process he followed.

• Consultation – The rheumatologist asked my dad about his history with knee problems and pain and then determined that he would be a good candidate for this treatment.
• Insurance approval – Since my dad is on Secure Horizons, his doctor had to get approval first. If he did not, my dad would have to pay out of pocket for the entire treatment which I believe is around $200.00 per shot, not cheap.
• Injections: Once approved, my dad’s doctor determined that he would get 1 shot per knee, per week for the duration of 3 weeks. This may vary from doctor to doctor and patient to patient. However, this was my dad’s regimen.
• Wait and see: Last time, my dad started feeling a minor improvement after 2 weeks and it was clear by the way he was able to move around much more easily. Unfortunately, not so this time it’s taking a little longer, but we’ll see! If all goes well, every 6 months he will continue on this treatment

Side Effects
Sometimes Hyalgan has no effects, and sometimes it has some minor side effects:

• swelling
• rash and heat
• bruising

These usually clear up after a little while.

In all, I believe that this has been the best treatment for my dad so far. It’s not perfect and not a miracle, but it seems to help him somewhat. You can find more information about Hyalgan at their website.