Enhancing Recovery with Injection-Based Therapies
At Reactivate Muskoka, we offer advanced, evidence-based injection therapies to help reduce pain, promote healing, and improve mobility. While these injections can be effective on their own, we recognize that true, lasting recovery often requires addressing the underlying causes of pain and dysfunction.
That’s why we take a holistic approach, integrating injection-based treatments with acupuncture, shockwave therapy, chiropractic adjustments, exercise-based rehabilitation, massage therapy, and mobility work to support your body’s healing process from every angle.
Viscosupplementation
What Is Viscosupplementation?
Viscosupplementation is a treatment where a doctor injects a gel-like substance called hyaluronic acid into a joint, usually the knee. This substance is naturally found in the body and helps lubricate and cushion your joints. It can help reduce pain, make it easier to move, and slow down joint damage from osteoarthritis (OA).
What Condition Does It Treat?
This treatment is mostly used for osteoarthritis (OA), a condition where the cartilage (the smooth covering on your bones) wears down, causing pain and stiffness.
Many people think you should wait until your arthritis gets really bad to try injections — but actually, it works better when the arthritis is still mild or moderate.
Here’s why:
When OA is just starting, your cartilage is still alive but just not working well. The injection helps "wake up" the cartilage so it can start making joint fluid again. This fluid helps your joints move smoothly.
If your arthritis is advanced, most of the cartilage is already gone or damaged, so the injection doesn’t work as well.
Success rates:
Mild to moderate OA: 90 to 95% of people feel better
Severe OA: 50% or fewer will feel better after the injection, and the effect might not last as long
That’s why, even though it can be expensive, it’s best to get this injection sooner rather than later.
Which Joints Can Be Injected?
Any joint can get this injection.
Big joints like the knee need more fluid
Small joints like fingers need only a little
Are There Any Risks or adverse effects?
Viscosupplementation injections are very safe. Most adverse effects are the result of the medication being present in the joint for 2-3 days. During this time, you might feel a full and stiff feeling in the joint. As the medication incorporates itself into the collagen matrix and begins to work, your joint can feel a bit warm to the touch. If it feels hot, painful, or the swelling gets worse, then you might have a secondary infection (1 in 30,000 risk) caused by the needle going in through the skin. Very rarely, in people who have an allergy to birds can have a reaction to certain forms of viscosupplementation as some of them are made in a medium derived from birds. Please inform the doctor if you have an allergy to birds.
What Is “Stacking”?
Sometimes your doctor might inject a steroid at the same time. Using both together gives you fast and long-lasting relief.
Steroids work quickly (in a few days), but the effects wear off faster
Viscosupplementation takes longer to work (up to 60 days), but it lasts longer
How Is the Injection Done?
A Sports Medicine Doctor will do the injection
For hard-to-reach joints (like the hip or shoulder), they’ll use ultrasound to guide the needle
Easy-to-reach joints (like the knee or fingers) might not need an ultrasound
Your skin will be cleaned, and a freezing medicine (lidocaine) will be used so it doesn't hurt
Then, the viscosupplementation is injected into the joint. Afterwards, your joint might feel full with the viscosupplementation
What Helps the Injection Work Even Better?
To get the best results, it helps to add other treatments like:
Exercise Therapy: Strengthening the muscles around the joint helps take pressure off it
Chiropractic Care: Helps your joints move better so the gel can spread evenly
Massage & Stretching: Loosens up tight muscles and helps you move more freely
What is the cost of the different products available at Reactivate?
In order to keep the costs down for our patients, we carry this medication at the clinic. This means no dispensing fee by your pharmacy. We can give you a letter to give to your insurance company if one is required.
Durolane: $500 plus tax. This is a “very high” crosslinked viscosupplementation injection that has a very good success rate with the effects often lasting longer than 6 months
NeoVisc: $450 plus tax. This is a “high” crosslinked injection that is good for mild to moderate osteoarthritis. It’s effects last 3 to 6 months.
Multivisc: $350 plus tax. This is a “medium” crosslinked injection that is better for mild osteoarthritis and lasts anywhere between 3 and 6 months.
If an ultrasound is used to perform the injection to increase the accuracy of the location of the injection, then there may be an additional technical fee.
