Knee injections long term?

I too have had a long journey with knee problems... starting with arthroscopy surgery in my twenties (I am now 66). I have done multiple rounds of prolo therapy, PRP injections, autologous stem cell injections - all very expensive and the results did not last. The best things I have done are Arthrosamid and Whole Body Vibration. For the Arthrosamid, I flew to Canada last year. It was about $3000 USD, and it has worked incredibly well. My once weak knee is now my strong knee! Halleluiah! I can now do a one-legged squat, with my other foot resting on that knee, and then jump up and down with all my weight on the knee that crippled me for most of my life. I have also been doing Whole Body Vibration for 25 years and have found it to be incredibly helpful for all kinds of joint and nerve problems (I had many debilitating joint and nerve issues). Within days of starting Whole Body Vibration, I saw my pain and inflammation levels drop and other things like my immune system and my mood improved. It is important to use the right WBV machine for you though. There are many different kinds of machine and they are not all the same. It has very powerful effects on the whole body. For example, you don't want to use a machine designed for an Olympic athlete if you are older and have some health issues. With Arthrosamid, WBV, plus eating well and HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training workouts which I've been able to take up since getting Arthrosamid), I feel fantastic! I am so much stronger and more active than I have ever been before. I am so grateful to finally be able to do the activities I love and enjoy.

@beckychambers thanks. Had not heard of Arthrosamid. I looked it up and from Canadian and EU results, it looks very promising. I’m currently getting hyaluronic which have worked great, but only about six months. With delays in insurance approvals, it ends up being 7-8 months, which leaves a few month of acute pain.

@trimomlewis - You're welcome 🙂 Yea, arthrosamid is supposed to last "up to 5 years" - but that number 5 is only because that is how long the studies have been going on. They don't really know how long it might last! Could be much longer. The polyacrylamide gel they inject is a synthetic substance that our bodies do not break it down (unlike hyaluronic acid). It gets incorporated into our ligaments and other joint strengthening tissues giving them greater toughness and strength, and can last at least 5 years, maybe much longer.

Check out Whole body Vibration also - super helpful for all kinds of joint issues. Strengthens muscle, bone, and joints, and lowers pain and inflammation often dramatically and quickly, helping your body to heal from many health issues. I've been using WBV for 25 years and have written several books about it including, Whole Body Vibration: The Future of Good Health.

@covidstinks2023 hello cs2023, and first let me say thank you for the blessing ! I wanted your opinion on my "next move". I am currently taking Alleve, 2 in am/2 in pm w/meals, using topical myoflex ( trolamine salicylate) 2x/day with prior cleansing for each fresh application, and taking drs. best turmeric w/pepper 1per day. I still have pain bilaterally and my surgeon advises injections... which do you think is best ? I want to get back to my daily walks and re-start golfing again. do I understand you correctly that the hyaluronic gel is better than your earlier corticosteroid injections ? any advice you can pass along will be greatly appreciated ! btw, I believe in the gift of mortification, which explains Christ's emotional and physical suffering before he died, and how, when we suffer emotionally and/or physically, it is something we share explicitly with him, which brings us closer to his loving heart. blessings to you, cs2023 !!

@armesdennis1, cs2023, Thank you for such a wonderful email. I am so sorry you are going
through so much pain. Think about this. Oral pain meds affect the kidneys & liver more than the injections.

I did not do so well with the gel injections in my knees as it made them so much stiffer, but, it
did help with the pain. I am a sensitive Nellie to everything, so it may not affect you that way.
The injections last a year with me and I have had them twice and I opted out to not get them
this year due to getting so much stiffer. Yes, I do have more arthritis.

The sterioid injections have worked the best for me, but, they are not without issues. They
and having to take oral steroids for asthmatic bronchitis wiped out my cortisol levels, so
be careful not to get too many of them. As I said, you can only get an injection every 12 weeks.

I am going to a Fibromyalgia/Arthritis/Spine specialist who has had some special pain cream
made up for me at a compounded pharmacy. It works better than Voltaren gel and NO NARCOTICS are in them. It takes the edge off of my pain. You can only apply 8 pumps of the
gel a day. I find putting a heat pack on me after the gel is applied really helps. I can no longer
take tub baths due to needing total knee replacement soon, so I take a hot shower to loosen
my muscles and then apply the cream. The cream does not have a name and a Pain Clinic or
Neurologist can have this compounded for you . It has 2% Lidocaine, 2% Flexeril (Muscle Relaxant), 2% Gabapentin & 2% Diclofenac (What's in Voltaren Gel) and it helping me. The key is to reapply. No more than 8 pumps (1 pump is a Gram) daily. It is out of pocket and runs around $80. They will mail it to you.

I hope this helps and I agree with your precious comments my friend. No comparison to
our sufferings & Christ's. Praying for you right now. Blessings & Prayers....

Corticosteroids may give you temporary relief from pain, but have many side effects to consider. Plus, in the long term they may cause more damage in the knee. Most doctors set limits for how many steroid injections you can get in a set period of time, and how many total injections they will give you. Gel injections are much safer and often the relief from gels lasts longer. Keep in mind, however, that if you have osteoarthritis/degenerative changes in the knee, neither of these medications will ultimately solve the underlying problem.

@covidstinks2023 dear cs2023... thank you for the kind note and especially praying for me. I will remember you specifically tonight when I recite my rosary of the glorious mysteries. as I stated in our last email, I no longer belong to the Catholic church due to the child abuse by our local priests and the subsequent cover up of these crimes by our acting bishops ( they just re-assigned the priestly criminals to another parish where the members there did not know of the crimes at that time), but I do a daily rosary which keeps me in direct touch with our dear Jesus. I surely hope you will feel better soon !! thoughts/prayers/blessings to you my dear friend !!