Knee Injections ?
 

I'm considering knee injections for pain which comes and goes - currently its come. I've been previoulsy told the knee is bone on bone and I've already had the other knee replaced by Dr Wynn with great success but the downtime for complete knee replacement at my age is more than I'm ready for at this time especially with Covid. There are 3 Drs that advertise heavily in the paper and I'm looking for comments (good bad or neutral) from anyone who has had first hand experience with either Arthritis Relief Center or Physicians Rehabilitation or The Burress Medical Center.
If I've missed another option please let me know. I would prefer a first-hand experience than picking one blind. I've searched Talk of the Villages and haven't found anything related to this.

I get a cortisone shot every 6-8 months in my knees for arthritis. My current physician and my past physicians have always done them in their office. I suggest you start your search with your primary doctor. Good luck, you have my empathy.

I have no experience with the Doctors listed, but I can say that knee injections are, at best, a temporary relief of pain if you are lucky. Not a long term solution. As a fellow sufferer from knee pain, here is wishing you the best of luck.

I would recommend seeing a good orthopedic Doc. For my bone-on-bone knee, they tried a cortisone shot but that only helped for a few weeks. Then I got a gel shot (actually a series of 3 shots) that has provided relief for 9 months and counting.

From google on gel shots: Synvisc knee injections, also known as Hylan G-F 20, are one of the most common types of joint lubricant injections used for the treatment of knee arthritis. The substance used in synvisc knee injections is hyaluronan, which is a natural gel-like substance found in normal joint fluid, which lubricates the knee

I think these ads in the local paper are basically gel shots but I could be wrong. I’ve used Advanced Orthopedics Institute by the Villages Hospital but I think most ortho doctors will do gel shots.

Besides cortisone shots, the other option is to inject a hyaluronic acid gel, a natural substance that acts as a cushioning agent. It can last for several months before another injection is needed. Do a Google search for "Hyaluronic acid knee injection reviews" for more information.

I had a knee replaced three weeks ago, because of the Covid restrictions.
As the recuperation period is lenghthy, and we are in another lockdown and cant travel to TV. I have very little to do other than exercise, and moan and bitch about the pain!
If you are bone on bone, no treatment is going to solve the problem long term, and only delays the inevitable replacement.
As you have been there before, I would go for it sooner rather than later, as you will be a lot wiser with the recovery the second time around.
The older you get the harder the recuperation.
Good luck.
JMO.

A friend that tried that had to have knee replaced.

I had a series of 5 shots called Supartz injected into both knees over a period of 5 weeks because of bone on bone. My left knee had to be replaced about 6 months after the injections and that was in January of 2018. My right knee is still pain free. These injections were given to me by a PA in my doctor's office. If and when the pain comes back, I will go for the injections first, rather than having knee replacement surgery immediately. I do leg exercises 3 times a week and I'm not sure if that may be why I'm not experiencing pain or not.

I’ ve used Dr. Timothy Van de Leur at Orthopedic Surgeons on 27/441 for one injection and fixing partial tear in meniscus. Good Dr and practice.

I was told by Dr. Nguyen, a prominent Orthopedist in Orlando, that gel shots only work 60% of the time and generally provide relief for a few months. It didn't work at all for me and I had a cortisone shot which provided complete relief for 4-5 months. If you opt for the gel shot, don't waste your money on the $1000 knee brace they recommend. I found it to be very uncomfortable and a complete waste of money.

I’ve had replacement knee surgery with only a few days of down time. Only two days at hospital. One week later I was walking on my own.

I had a partial knee replacement for bone on bone problem. My other knee had also been bothering me so I had gel injection. So far a year later and I’m doing well. Dr Karena at Unova did a great job.

Due to arthritis and a divot in the back of my knee cap from doing deep squats in the gym, I had found it painful to sit with my knee bent for more than 5 minutes. Going to theaters or arenas where there was no leg room or flying in coach was a nightmare (I’m 5’11”).

I got a cortisone shot and it worked great for about one day. I next tried three OrthoVisc gel injections spaced two weeks apart. My knee felt worse (as expected) for a day or so after the injections because the bulky gel expands the joint. It then went back to the normal amount of pain. I got no relief whatsoever.

The cost for the gel wasn’t that much. I think it was something like $275, but with copays for every trip to the doctor it really added up. My copays are $50 for a specialist. So the initial visit, the one to get evaluated for the gel, the three for gel shots, and the followup visit added another $300. It was a real waste of money.

Dr. Oliverre then recommended scoping my knee to smooth out the rough spots. I decided to try it. Although my knee still can get uncomfortable when it is bent for long, it is no longer painful. Getting it scoped was outpatient surgery with a six week recovery. I got serious about cycling to rehabilitate it and am now up to 200 miles per week and have lost 18 pounds.

Your mileage may vary.

same problem
 

had same problem and went to Dr. John Williams, The Villages Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Center | AOI. 1st option was a Cortisone shots which he said may or may not work. next was the gel and finally knee replacement. He is an ex athlete. Very honest. I took the cortisone shot and that has lasted over 6 months. He said it may or may not work and may last from 1 month to 1 year. So far it has lasted for over 6 months. However I do wear a knee brace when playing golf. He also prescribe Diclofenac Sodium Tropical gel 1%. Which in my opinion is a miracle gel. Can't believe how good this works.

Same issue here. Dr. had to give me a Cortizone shot first, as per MEDICARE knows. He said it would not help and it did not. Then 2-3 weeks later I went in and had a gel shot. It has been 14 months and I do not need another one yet. However, he can give me one every six months. I believe this is a stop gap measure to anything more invasive.