Knee arthrosis spraying & mirroring ineffective?

Knee osteoarthritis: joint reflections, hyaluronan and corticosteroid injections hardly help

08/14/2014

Patients with knee osteoarthritis are often severely limited in mobility because of their constant knee pain. Often syringes with hyaluronic acid and corticosteroids are used here to relieve the symptoms. But a current one „Fact check health“ The Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that the syringes are usually ineffective and also harbor unrecognized risks. The evaluation of knee reflexes in osteoarthritis patients is comparably negative.

The current study by the Bertelsmann Stiftung shows that „common therapies for knee osteoarthritis hardly effect“ to have. Was created the „Fact check health“ by the Harding Center for Risk Competency at the Max Planck Institute in Berlin, which has carried out a comprehensive literature review for this purpose. The Bertelsmann Foundation comes to the conclusion that „Pelvic reflections, hyaluronic and corticoid injections show only a very limited benefit.“ In addition, the risks associated with the intervention are often under-researched.

Syringes often remain ineffective
People who constantly suffer from knee pain due to their knee osteoarthritis are severely restricted in their everyday lives. So far, it has often been tried to achieve a relief of the symptoms with the help of hyaluronic and corticoid injections. The success of this treatment, however, is extremely doubtful, according to the current study. „It is always amazing that the facts are quite thin for commonly used treatments“, stressed the director of the Harding Center, Professor Gerd Gigerenzer, given the study results. Only rarely are patients informed about it, Gigerenzer continues. According to the experts „In particular, hyaluron injections are to be critically evaluated.“ Although lead the treatment „occasionally to minor pain relief and more mobility“, but the improvements are often no longer detectable after a few months. Scientific investigations would prove that the effect fizzles out already after four weeks. Corticoid injections are not an alternative because they only relieve pain for a short time, the foundation reports.

Take advantage of conservative measures
Eckhard Volbracht, Project Manager „Fact check knee surgery“ at the Bertelsmann Stiftung emphasizes in the current press release that „Patient and physician should first exhaust all conservative measures“, before considering the use of controversial treatments. Be here „Weight reduction, joint-sparing activities, physical, ergo and physical therapy“ meaningful alternatives. On the other hand, be „Injections and reflections often have no effect in the longer term. Their benefits are too often overestimated and the associated risks, such as inflammation or swelling hidden“, emphasized Prof. Gigerenzer. As possible side effects of injections called the Bertelsmann Foundation „reddened skin, swelling and joint inflammation.“

According to the Bertelsmann Foundation, osteoarthritis is „the world's most common joint disease.“ Older people in particular often have to deal with joint problems such as persistent pain and low mobility. In Germany, according to the Foundation „About every third man and every second woman over the age of 60 is affected, and they often suffer from knee osteoarthritis.“(Fp)