What Are Joint Injections?
Joint injections are an injection that uses a mixture of anesthetic and steroid medication into a joint causing irritation or pain. Joint injections can be done in the office and applied to any joint including the shoulder, knees, hips, shoulders, and wrists.
What Do Joint Injections Treat?
Several conditions can cause joint pain, including:
- Osteoarthritis (OA): When cartilage between two bones break down due to wear-and-tear, and the exposed ends grind together.
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA): An autoimmune disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the joints.
- Gout: A form of arthritis when the body produces too much uric acid and sharp crystals form at the big toe or other joints.
- Joint Sprains & Strains: When tendons, ligaments or muscles around the joints become overstretched and torn
How Do Joint Injections Work?
The physician utilizes local anesthesia to numb the body areas to be treated. With the help of imaging technology, they will then insert an anesthetic needle filled with steroid medication, directly into the inflamed body joint.
What Are the Risks?
Joint injections are considered extremely low-risk. The only possible risk is an infection, which can be rare. Due to their minimally-risk behavior, these injections are ideal non-surgical treatment procedures for those experiencing joint pain.
Benefits of Joint Injections
any patients will experience relief instantly, with pain and inflammation relief lasting up to 6 months. For specific injuries, repetitive procedures may not be required, since these injuries may heal through time and be permanently mitigated in a while.