Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Steroid Injections

Ten Frequently Asked Questions about Steroid Injections

Steroid injections are anti-inflammatory medicines that help relieve pain, swelling and inflammation of joints effectively.

Steroid injections are anti-inflammatory medicines that help relieve pain, swelling and inflammation of joints effectively. Steroid injections are anti-inflammatory medicines used to treat multiple musculoskeletal conditions. Multi-specialty healthcare centers in Brooklyn, NYC offer this unique treatment modality to relieve inflammation and pain caused by various conditions. Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about steroid injections.

1. What are steroid injections?

Steroid injections (also called corticosteroid injections) are anti-inflammatory medicines that can temporarily relieve pain and swelling caused by an inflamed joint. Steroids are natural chemicals that occur in the body. These are injected into different joints such as the spine, knees, ankles, wrists, hips, elbows and other minor joints of the hands and feet. These injections are normally combined with a local anesthetic to enhance pain relief.

2. Why are steroids injected?

The main purpose behind this treatment is to reduce pain and increase movement and use of the affected area. Injecting these medicines into one or two local areas of inflammation allows physicians to deliver a high dose directly to the specific problem area.

3. What conditions are treated?

Steroid injections are mainly used for joint pain relief due to arthritis, but may also be used to treat a wide variety of inflammatory conditions such as       

Carpal tunnel syndrome Tennis elbow Rotator cuff injuries Osteoarthritis Lupus Gout Frozen shoulder

In addition, they may be used for reducing inflammation of soft tissues, such as – bursitis, tendinopathies, trigger points (much localized points of pain in the tissue around a muscle), ganglion cysts, neuromas (small abnormal growths of nerve tissue,

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usually benign), fasciitis and nerve compression. The main objective behind this procedure is to decrease pain and increase movement in the affected area.

4. How do steroids work?

There are various types of steroids, each having different onset of action, duration, solubility and reasons of use. For instance, glucocorticoid steroids are the ones used to treat musculoskeletal problems. Depending on the specific clinical problem, medications may be used at different doses and volumes. When injected into a specific joint or muscle, steroids decrease swelling and redness in the nearby area. This in turn can help alleviate pain and stiffness.

5. Are steroids helpful?

Steroids in most cases are able to lower or eliminate symptoms. They may be more effective when the disorder is less severe. When a single dose of injection does not fully cure the problem, additional doses would be injected. In most cases, patients will experience a temporary or partial improvement in pain.

6. What is involved in steroid injections?

A steroid injection includes both a corticosteroid (for example - triamcinolone, methylprednisolone, and dexamethasone) and an anesthetic numbing agent (like lidocaine or bupivacaine). The injections are directly delivered into the painful joint, inside the joint capsule in areas such as the hip joint, facet joints of the spine, sacroiliac joint, joints in the shoulder, elbow and hand and knee, ankle and foot. The pain can last for days and may depend on the type of joint where it is injected.

7. When will the physician prescribe these injections?

Typically, a joint injection will be recommended for those patients who have pain originating from joint inflammation and those who do not respond to any other traditional treatments such as oral anti-inflammatory medication, rest or physical therapy. The primary decision to prescribe steroid injections will be made on an individual basis. Before prescribing the injection procedure, the physician may consider your age, physical activity and other medications you are taking. In addition, the physician will also make you understand the potential benefits and risks of steroid injections.

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8. How is the procedure administered?

Generally, a group of physicians namely – neurologist, radiologist, anesthesiologist, psychiatrist and surgeon administer this procedure. Before administering it, the physician will review the patient’s previous medical history including several factors such as age, level of physical activity and other medications they are taking. Side effects that may occur include allergic reactions, infections, local bleeding and skin discoloration.

The procedure can be administered in different ways and the medicines are injected –    

into the spine (an epidural injection) into the blood (an intravenous injection) into a muscle (an intramuscular injection) into a joint (an intra-articular injection)

However, the physicians may not administer the procedure if they notice any kind of infection in the area to be injected or elsewhere in the body. Typically, patients resume full activity the very next day. Soreness and pain around the injection site may be relieved by using ice packs.

9. How long would it be before these injections start to work?

Even though, most injections are easy to perform, they should be given in a very clean, sterile environment to prevent infection. Patients should rest the injected joint for 1-2 days after the procedure and avoid strenuous activity at least for five days. Typically, short-acting steroids can give relief within hours and the benefit will last at least for a week. On the other hand, longer-acting steroids may take about a week to become effective but its effect may last for about 2 months or longer.

10. How many injections should a patient receive and how often?

Based on prior treatments and severity of symptoms, steroid injections may be advised by physicians at different times. There is no exact number of maximum injections to be administered as this may vary based on the severity of the problem, improvement of symptoms and prior injection response. Higher number of injections frequently administered into the same site may possibly increase the chances of side effects. The success of injections may be higher when given earlier after symptom onset.

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