Hi dna41,
I also have painful osteoarthritis in my right knee. I was managing the pain with exercise and hot/cold packs but in December 2023 my usual methods of pain management were no longer working and I was in a lot of pain every time I had to walk for more than 5-10 minutes. My orthopedic surgeon recommended 3 injections of Gel-One hyaluronate viscoelastic hydrogel, since it is covered by my insurance. Another option is PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma injections - but they are not covered by my insurance.
I had three weekly injections of Gel-One on Jan 4, Jan 11, and Jan 18. There was minimal pain during the injection ( lidocaine injections were used before the gel injections to minimize any pain from the Gel-One.) I did not have any side effects from the injections. and no noticeable swelling or additional pain after the injections.

I was told that results would be maximized within 6 weeks of my final injection which was on Jan 18. Thus I was expecting to feel relief by the first week of March. Well- no improvement - diminishment of knee pain yet. I have been doing mild stretching and straightening of my knee during the healing period - but I still can’t walk for more than 5-10 minutes without having to stop and massage my knee. So I would say Gel-One was not effective for me.
Here is a PubMed study on Hyaluronic Gel injections and the outcomes experienced by the patients. Probably if I had read this article before I had the Gel injections I would not have had the injections.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4311527/
Best wishes to you, I hope you find a treatment that works for you.