Corticosteroid is an anti-inflammatory drug. When injected into an inflamed or painful joint or area of soft tissue, it can quickly reduce inflammation and result in reduced pain and stiffness.
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What is a joint injection?
Corticosteroid is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug, which when injected into an inflamed/painful joint or area of soft tissue, can quickly reduce inflammation and result in reduced pain and stiffness. It is usually injected along with some local anaesthetic.
Do joint injections always work?
A joint injection is not always helpful, and if it does reduce the pain and stiffness, we cannot predict how long it will work for. But it is often very beneficial, and those benefits can last for many months for some people.
What happens during the procedure?
The procedure will be explained to you, including the risks, and the Orthopaedic specialist can answer any further questions you may have. Written consent will be obtained for you to proceed.
During the procedure, you will be sitting or lying in a comfortable position in the clinic room, and the site to be injected will be cleaned then injected.
The amount of discomfort can depend on the site injected. It may sting initially on injecting, but most people who need to have a joint injection are often pleasantly surprised and find it was much better than they expected it to be.
What happens after the injection?
You will be asked to wait in the waiting room for 15 minutes following the injection, to ensure there is no side effect or allergic reaction.
You may have some discomfort in the injected area for 24-48 hours, following which it should subside. We would encourage you to rest the injected joint/soft tissue for up to one week following the injection.
The benefits of the injection can often be felt quickly, but may take several days or even weeks.
Are there any side effects?
All treatments and procedures have the potential for unwanted effects, however there are very few problems associated with joint or soft tissue injections. The most commonly occurring side effects are:
- Pain for a day or two at the site of the injection
- Slight thinning of the skin or a small patient of scarring over the injection site
- Alteration on blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, you will need to monitor your blood sugar more regularly for up to 48 hours after the injection, and if you were on insulin, you may need to adjust your dose accordingly
- Facial flushing
Far rarer side effects include:
- Joint infection
- Joint damage
- Adverse reaction to either the steroid or local anaesthetic
