Easing the Pain of Osteoarthritis in the Knee

"I couldn't walk and I had my mother. She was living with me for a couple of years. Then, she was in a nursing home and I had to lift her and it was just very, very painful," says osteoarthritis patient Virginia Pollard.

For years, Pollard experienced pain everytime she walked of climbed the stairs. Diagnosed with osteoarthritis in her right knee, Pollard tried traditional therapies such as painkillers and even surgery to help relieve the pain.

Nothing worked--until her doctor gave here a non-drug injection called viscosupplementation.

Dr. Michael Parks, assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City says, "Over the course of a year, I can see long lasting relief in a significant segment of my patients. And, they didn't have to take other medications. They can be medication free."

In a normal, healthy knee joint fluid acts as both a cushion and a lubricant. But in a knee with osteoarthritis, this fluid may have lost these features, making it painful when bones rub against each other.

During viscosupplementation, an FDA-approved fluid called "SYNVISC" is injected into the knee three times over three weeks.

It's made from a natural chemical found in normal joint fluid and acts like a lubricant for the knee. Temporarily restoring elasticity and reducing--even eliminating pain. Painfree for a year after the injections, Ginny says the treatment has allowed her to return a more comfortable and active lifestyle.

"Since I've had the injections, it's been fantastic. I've been able to go back to work. I go to aerobics. I have two grandchildren so I'm with them all the time, and I'm just doing things that I normally did before," says Pollard.

For more information on viscosupplementation, visit www.synvisc.com or call 1 (800) 664-4093.

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