General Tips

Get educated

Learn as much as you can about the disease. Investigate patient education programs, arthritis self-management programs, and arthritis support groups.

Check out our useful links for help locating programs near you.

Protect your joints

Avoid excess stress on your joints

Stay active

Regular physical activity is key. Consult with your health care provider before beginning any exercise program.

There are 3 types of exercise that are important for people with osteoarthritis of the knee:

  • Strengthening exercises to increase muscle strength and help protect your joints
  • Aerobic exercise to improve the health of your heart and circulation and to control your weight
  • Range-of-motion exercises to help reduce stiffness and develop proper joint flexibility and movement

Eat well

Eating well and controlling your weight can relieve stress on your knees. It can also lower your risk of developing other health problems.

Indulge yourself

Reduce stress. A warm bath before bed can relieve muscle tension, ease aching joints, and help you get a good night's sleep.

Find a certified massage therapist and treat yourself. The benefits of massage may include decreased pain and increased circulation, energy, and flexibility. (And it feels great, too!)

Get plenty of sleep

Sleep can lessen pain and help you cope better with your osteoarthritis.

Tips to help improve your sleep include:

  • Getting enough exercise early in the day
  • Avoiding caffeine or alcohol at night
  • Keeping your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool

Stay positive

  • Focus on your strengths, not your weaknesses
  • Make fitness and good nutrition part of your lifestyle
  • Learn ways to manage stress
  • Develop a support system of family, friends, and health care providers

Important Safety Information

HYALGAN is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate preparations. Intra-articular injections are contraindicated in cases of present infections or skin diseases in the area of the injection site to reduce the potential for developing septic arthritis.

Transient increases in inflammation in the injected knee following HYALGAN injection have been reported in some patients with inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis or gouty arthritis. Physicians should evaluate whether HYALGAN treatment should be initiated when objective signs of inflammation are present.

The effectiveness of a single treatment cycle of less than 3 injections has not been established.

Patients should be advised to avoid any strenuous or prolonged weight-bearing activities within 48 hours following intra-articular injection.

Use caution when injecting HYALGAN into patients who are allergic to avian proteins, feathers and egg products.

Joint effusion, if present, should be removed prior to injection.

The safety and effectiveness of HYALGAN has not been established in children or in pregnant or lactating women. It is unknown whether HYALGAN is excreted in human milk.

In the US clinical trial of 495 patients, the only adverse event showing statistical significance vs placebo was injection-site pain. Other adverse events included gastrointestinal complaints, headache, local ecchymosis and rash, local joint pain and swelling, and local pruritus. However, the incidence of these events was similar in the HYALGAN-treated and placebo groups. In other clinical studies, the frequency and severity of adverse events occurring during repeat treatment cycles did not increase over that reported for a single treatment cycle.

Indication

HYALGAN is indicated for the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics, eg, acetaminophen.

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