Steroid Injection
Triamcinolone Acetonide (Kenalog)
What are steroid injections?
Cortisone (steroid) is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication that is commonly utilised in medical practice to help reduce inflammation associated with disease. When this medication is carefully injected into an inflamed joint or soft tissue it is highly effective at reducing this inflammation and subsequent pain.
These injections can be repeated up to three times a year into the same location as and when required. They provide an effective conservative management option for degenerative conditions and allow patients to adhere to rehab more comfortably.
What are the benefits of steroid injections?
Steroid injections help treat the symptoms of your underlying condition. Steroid injections start to relieve pain within hours and the effects can last for a few months or longer. How quickly the treatment works, and how long it lasts will also depend on your condition. Having a steroid injection will hopefully allow to return to your normal activities pain free and aid your rehabilitation.
Are steroid injections right for me?
Steroid injections are often recommended for people with osteoarthritis and many other conditions. They are recommended for osteoarthritis if your joints are very painful or if you need extra pain relief for a time. The injection can reduce inflammation, which in turn should reduce pain. At The Injection Clinic we use steroid injections for a range of conditions such as:
Shoulder Osteoarthritis
Rotator cuff related shoulder pain / Impingement / Bursitis
Tennis Elbow
Elbow Osteoarthritis
Carpal Tunnel
Thumb Osteoarthritis
De Quervains Tenosynovitis
Trigger Finger
Ganglion Aspiration
Hip Osteoarthritis
Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome / Bursitis
Knee Osteoarthritis
Ankle Osteoarthritis
Toe / Finger Osteoarthritis
Plantar Fasciitis
What happens during treatment with steroid injections?
Depending on where the pain and inflammation is, steroids can be injected:
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directly into an inflamed joint - this is known as an intra-articular injection
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into the soft tissue close to the joint - this is called a peri-articular injection
Most injections are quick and easy to perform. They will be carried out by your physiotherapist. Sometimes you’ll be given a local anaesthetic with the steroid to reduce the discomfort of the injection. This would mean your pain should be relieved within minutes. The effects of local anaesthetics can wear off within half an hour, unless you’ve been given one that is long acting. You may have some numbness from the anaesthetic that could last up to 24 hours. You might be advised to wait for 10 to 15 minutes in the clinic after your steroid injection. If you do have any kind of reaction to the injection, it would be helpful to be around healthcare professionals. Loose-fitting clothes may be more comfortable if you’re going for a steroid injection.
Recovery from steroid injections?
Most people have steroid injections without any side effects. They can be a little uncomfortable at the time of injection, but many people feel that this is not as bad as they feared. Occasionally people notice a flare-up in their joint pain within the first 24 hours after an injection. This usually settles by itself within a couple of days, but taking simple painkillers like paracetamol will help.
Injections can occasionally cause some thinning or changes in the colour of the skin at the injection site, particularly with the stronger ones. Very rarely you may get an infection in the joint at the time of an injection. If your joint becomes more painful and hot you should see your doctor immediately, especially if you feel unwell.
People are often concerned about the possibility of other steroid-related side effects, such as weight gain. One of the advantages of steroid injections compared to tablets is that often the dose can be kept low. This means that these other side effects are very rare unless injections are given frequently, more than a few times per year.