DOCTORS One Out Of Four Holiday Shoppers Report Knee Pain (NAPSA)—The holiday season can be a real pain in the neck, knees, legs, and back for people with osteoarthritis (OA). In fact, a recent survey of over 1,000 households shows that almost 75 percent of respondents experience aches, pains, sorenessor stiffness during holiday shopping.In particular, over 25 percent of respondents indicated that knee pain was bothersome during holiday shopping. Of the 20 million Americans with OA, half have OA of the knee. People with OA of the knee frequently experience pain when trying to stand or walk, making everyday activities such as shopping difficult, if not impossible. According to Dr. Nicholas DiNubile of the University of Pennsylvania, “I get a lot of people in my office around the holidays asking for something to help them get through theflurry of activity.” Treatment options for OA range from behavior modification to medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors. Another increasingly popular treatment is viscosupplementation (VS), an FDA-approved, pill-free treatment for pain associated with OA of the knee, which involves injecting a gel directly into the joint to restore the “shock-absorbing” and cushioning properties of healthy joint fluid. SYNVISC (Hylan G-F 20), the leading VS product used in the United States, can help to relieve pain associated with OA of the knee and improve joint mobility for up to six months—all without having to rememberto takea pill! off ane = ‘ = Researchers have found there are steps you can take to avoid knee pain during holiday shopping. That’s encouraging news for those who, when the time comes for hanging uptheir stockings, feel like hanging uptheir aching knees too! For tips to keep you on your feet during the holidays, and for more information about OA of the knee and SYNVISC, contact your physician, call 1-888-793-2486, or visit us. SYNVISC.com. SYNVISC is generally well-tolerated; however, it may not work for everyone. The most commonly reported side effects are temporary pain, swelling, and/or fluid accumulation in the injected knee (about 2% of injections). If fluid accumulation is large or painful, call your doctor. Otherside effects, such as rash, have been reported rarely. Before you begin your treatment with SYNVISC, advise your doctor if you are allergic to products from birds, such as feathers, eggs, or poultry, or if your leg is swollen or infected. The results of repeat use have not been established.
