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Learn more from OA experts

Jeffrey Rosen, MD
Orthopaedic Surgeon
New York University Medical Center

Stanley Dysart, MD Orthopaedic Surgeon


SD: Diet and exercise play a critical role in the treatment of osteoarthritis. As you are aware, 60% of adults in this country are overweight and 30% are obese and those numbers continue to rise and we know that obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis. And we know the heavy patients often have more pain. So you take a patient who is overweight, you get them to lose weight, you get them on exercise protocol and many have less pain and many do much better when you combine that with other treatment modalities. They also know that quadriceps weakness or weakness of the leg and knee muscles are associated with osteoarthritis, its seems that weakness may precede osteoarthritis. So exercise, the proper diet and weight reduction if you are overweight are all critical aspects in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

JR: You should think of the muscles around the joint as shock absorbers in a car. The stronger and healthier they are, the more they help to protect the inside of the joint in everyday forces of walking around and getting up and down stairs and hills. It is also important that flexibility training be performed in order to prevent the stiffness that comes in association with the osteoarthritis disease process.

SD: - there are patients I see that are overweight and they have arthritis and that subset you definitely want to have them exercise but the right exercise is very important. You don't have them run. You don't have them jog, and you don't have them do things that heavily impact the joints and that seems to make sense. But I get many patients that want to run. So I do exercises that are low stress to the joints but enable them to exercise, like walking, like stair master, like elliptical, these type of exercises do not heavily stress the joints but you get what you need to increase the burning of the calories.

JR: Many times we have to deal with patients who seem to be stuck between a rock and a hard place because in order to exercise they need to use joints that are painful when they use them. Its very important to consult a doctor who may refer them to a physical therapy specialist to help get them going and get them moving. If a patient is at the point where they cannot engage in a regular physical therapy or exercise program because their joints are so painful then they may need to seek further intervention.

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EUFLEXXA (1% sodium hyaluronate) is used to relieve knee pain due to osteoarthritis. It is used in people who do not get enough relief from simple pain medications such as acetaminophen or from exercise and physical therapy.

Important Safety Information
You should not receive this product if you have had any previous allergic reaction to EUFLEXXA or hyaluronan products. You should not have an injection into the knee if you have a knee joint infection or if you have skin disease or infection around the injection site.

EUFLEXXA is only for injection into the knee performed by a qualified doctor. After you receive this injection you may need to avoid activities such as jogging, tennis, heavy lifting, or standing on your feet for a long time (more than one hour). The safety and effectiveness of repeat treatment cycles of EUFLEXXA have not been established. The safety and effectiveness of EUFLEXXA have not been shown in people under 18 years of age.

Side effects sometimes seen when EUFLEXXA is injected into the knee joint were pain, swelling, skin irritation, and tenderness and these were generally mild and did not last long.

Please see Full Prescribing Information.

Please see Important Information for Patients.

Patient Treatment Information

PLEASE CONSULT WITH YOUR DOCTOR, OR OTHER QUALIFIED HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL BEFORE USING ANY PRODUCT DISCUSSED WITHIN THIS WEB SITE.

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Euflexxa® is a registered trademark of Ferring Pharmaceuticals Inc.