HOUSTON -- Doctors say by the year 2020, approximately 60 million Americans will develop osteoarthritis. But a simple injection is helping eliminate the pain for some Houstonians, News2Houston reported Wednesday.

Karen Hanna had unbearable knee pain. She thought knee surgery or a replacement is definitely in her future.

"It's literally like having a hammer and a chisel banging into your joint all night long, all day long," Hanna said.

Her left knee was slowly calling it quits.

"No matter what you do, there's no relief," Hanna said.

She tried pain pills and more rest.

"I would sit there and say, 'How can I live like this?' It was that horrible of pain," she said.

But a local doctor had what seemed like a magical solution.

Chief of orthopedics at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Hospital, Dr. Stefan Kreuzer, is one of several doctors using an injection as an alternative.

"It's basically lubricating the joint," Kreuzer said.

It's called supartz, a natural shock absorber.

"It's a substance found in cartilage and found in the joint fluid," Kreuzer said.

It acts like jiffy lube for your joints.

"I jumped at the chance to have it done," Hanna said.

She saw a big difference after five injections.

"I can sleep all night without waking up, gasping in pain," Hanna said.

She's also back on the treadmill.

"It's made me able to just go back to a normal existence and living instead of just every moment living in pain," Hanna said.

But the results are not a permanent fix.

"Some people get good results for six months. Some get it for almost two years," Kreuzer said.

Hanna said it bought her some time, since she no longer needs surgery and the pain is gone.

"It makes me feel like I have my life back," she said.

Supartz is approved by the Food and Drug Administration and covered by most insurance companies.

For more information, call Dr. Kreuzer at (713) 827-9316.