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Hyaluronic Acid

An amazing natural polymer, that supports our joints with cushioning, lubrication and mobility. In OA our joints loose the healthy, native Hyaluronic Acid (HA) but injection therapies can help to restore the balance. 

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Hyaluronic Acid

An amazing natural polymer, that supports our joints with cushioning, lubrication and mobility. In OA our joints loose the healthy, native Hyaluronic Acid (HA) but injection therapies can help to restore the balance. 

Book appointment

Hyaluronic Acid in our knee joints.

Hyaluronic Acid joint injections offer a restorative effect on joint health when arthritis has broken down the native HA molecules.  HA is essential for cushioning, lubrication, and mobility in the joint. The cycle of OA breaks the body’s own HA down, down-regulating it and creating a less healthy environment that no longer offers the same protection during activity.  The right kind of HA injection can start to slow down this painful cascade and improve joint health.            

The painful OA cycle

HA plays a key role in the painful, worsening cycle of osteoarthritis.  This is because when present in the a healthy joint, it protects against mechanical damage and promotes repair of cells and cartilage.  The inflammatory enzymes found within an arthritic joint attack HA, so we loose the mechanical properties as well as the pain managing properties. 

This creates a painful joint with an environment that creates further damage over time. 

How do HA injections work?

In arthritic joint, the cells that usually continuously produce fresh, healthy hyaluronic acid (called synoviocytes) stop doing this job.  So not only has the wear within the joint gone up, but the joint no longer has a fresh supply of HA to help.

Injections of HA not only offer short term help by increasing the viscosity of the joint fluid and giving immediate cushioning, and lubrication, but they also interact with the synoviocyte cells, restoring their function.  This means they can once again produce normal levels of HA themselves, giving a longer lasting effect. 

Of course it can’t cure the arthritis, so over time the joint health will deteriorate again but it is very safe and commonplace to repeat HA injections once or even twice a year while it continues to help mange the joint health and pain.  On average, for moderate OA sufferers HA is effective for 6-9 months. 

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We offer injection therapies for the various stages of OA

nSTRIDE®

PRP

Cingal®

Hyaluronic Acid

Steroid

Learn more about OA and joint degeneration

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