The Main Pros and Cons of Rooster Comb Injections

Knee osteoarthritis is an extremely widespread chronic disease characterized by mild to intense joint pain. Unfortunately, contemporary medicine does not offer any options to cure it fully. At the same time, however, there exist several methods to achieve significant pain relief while living with osteoarthritis. For instance, a patient might undergo physical therapy treatments, cortisone injections, corticosteroid injections, hyaluronic acid injections, or rooster comb injections.

In this article, we will take a closer look at a rooster comb injection. What is it exactly? And what are the main pros and cons of it? Let us find the answers to these questions together right away and get one step closer to the reduction of knee pain in knee osteoarthritis patients!

Please keep in mind that a rooster comb injection is a procedure intended exclusively for professional use. 

General Information on Rooster Comb Injections

Starting with the definition of a rooster comb injection, it is essential to mention that it might also be called a hyaluronic acid injection. More precisely, it is a minimally invasive injectable treatment used to reduce inflammation and pain in a knee joint caused by osteoarthritis.

The main active ingredient in the composition of a rooster comb injection is hyaluronic acid derived from the combs of roosters. It effectively compensates for the lack of naturally occurring hyaluronic acid that might be found in the synovial fluid that surrounds a human joint.

A SIDE FACT
Hyaluronic acid derived from rooster combs is exceptionally effective in the treatment of knee arthritis since it functions as a lubricant and shock absorber for the affected joint. It does a great job when it comes not only to reducing pain but also to preventing surgical intervention.

When discussing the working principle of rooster comb injections (or, in other words, hyaluronic acid injections), it is worth mentioning that they should be administered directly into the joint space of the affected knee with the help of a fine gauge needle.

Furthermore, it is important to say that the frequency of the above-mentioned intra-articular injections strongly depends on the brand of rooster comb injections used to treat a patient in each individual case. While some of them should be used as single-injection treatments, other treatments require several weekly injections or should be performed three to five weeks apart.

A SIDE FACT
Rooster comb injections have the power to restore the hyaluronic acid levels in knee joints (and, less frequently, in shoulder joints, elbow joints, and other joints). The high molecular weight hyaluronan in the composition of these treatments works as a gel-like substance to absorb shock and reduce the symptoms in patients who suffer from osteoarthritis.

Among the most famous brands that produce rooster comb injections these days are:

• Durolane (manufactured by Bioventus). In most cases, it is a treatment that manages to provide a patient with knee pain relief in just one injection;
• Euflexxa (manufactured by Ferring Pharmaceuticals). Many patients would have to undergo three treatment sessions to achieve substantial knee osteoarthritis-related pain relief;
• Hyalgan (manufactured by Fidia Farmaceutici). It is also a treatment that requires to be injected in a series of treatment sessions (more precisely, five sessions a week apart each);
• Monovisc (manufactured by Anika Therapeutics). Just like Durolane, it is a one-injection treatment that relieves the pain in the knees of patients living with osteoarthritis for several months;
• Orthovisc (manufactured by Anika Therapeutics). The majority of patients notice the pain in their knees to disappear after three to four injection treatments;
• Synvisc and Synvisc-One (manufactured by Genzyme). As one of the most popular treatments for osteoarthritis-related knee pain, it effectively affects the articular cartilage of a patient;
• And so on.

A SIDE FACT
Originally, hyaluronic acid in the composition of rooster comb injections to reduce osteoarthritis-related knee pain was sourced from cartilage in the fleshy, flamboyant-red crown atop a rooster’s head. For this reason, the treatment achieved the name of a rooster comb injection.

Pros and Cons of Rooster Comb Injections

After going through the general information on rooster comb injections (or, in other words, hyaluronic acid injections to treat the symptoms of knee arthritis), it is high time to discuss the major pros and cons of these treatments.

A SIDE FACT
It is important to mention that rooster comb injections discussed in this article are primarily indicated to treat knee joint pain caused by osteoarthritis. Please note that other forms of arthritis disease might be addressed by other treatment methods (starting from taking special supplements and ending with undergoing a special surgery).

Pros

Rooster comb injections have a wide range of advantages. Check them out by going through the below-mentioned list:

• They are exceptionally effective methods to achieve substantial knee pain relief in patients living with knee joint osteoarthritis. More precisely, they do a great job even when physical therapy sessions, cortisone injections, and simple analgetics turn out to be inefficient;
• These injections not only help to reduce inflammation, lubricate, and function as shock absorbers in knee joint space affected by osteoarthritis but also have the power to delay surgery (or even cancel the need of it);
• Rooster comb injections do not tend to carry serious health risks. They might lead to the appearance of such potential side effects as redness, itching, or swelling around the injection site. However, these symptoms usually fade away shortly after the procedure without any medical supervision;
• When answering the question “Do rooster comb injections hurt?”, the majority of patients who have undergone them claim these treatments to be fully bearable. Moreover, it is also possible to reduce pain during them by applying a topical anesthetic to the injection site;
• The composition of rooster comb injections is of the highest quality. It is primarily based on hyaluronic acid, a very important ingredient responsible for cartilage health. In other words, this injection is far beyond a simple chicken fat injection;
• A broad variety of these injections allows each patient to find the most convenient and suitable product to restore his or her knee joint mobility. Namely, it is possible to choose between a single-procedure product and a multiple-procedure product that should be injected several weeks apart;
• There exists a minimal risk of serious complications after undergoing rooster comb injections. In the majority of cases, they turn out to be absolutely safe;
• And so on.

Cons

Despite the above-mentioned advantages of rooster comb injections, they possess several disadvantages worth paying attention to:

• Although way less invasive than surgery, these procedures still involve minimal intrusion into the human body;
• Although long-lasting, rooster comb injections cannot create permanent results. They have to be repeated from time to time to reduce the risk of returning knee joint pain;
• Although universal, not each and every patient is a good candidate for these procedures. There exist several contraindications to them worth taking into consideration;
• And so on.

To Sum Up

All in all, rooster comb injections are advantageous procedures to address knee joint pain caused by osteoarthritis. With a wide range of pros and several cons, they have proven to be safe, effective, and minimally invasive. So, how about trying them out yourself?