Joint Injections

What are joint injections used for?

Joint injections are the injection of different medications used to temporarily treat joint pain in the knee, hip, and shoulder.

Your Hillside Primary Care provider may recommend injections to treat inflammatory joint conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tendonitis, bursitis, osteoarthritis, or stress from poor mechanics or injury.

Joint injections can also help determine the cause of your pain. For instance, if your provider injects an anesthetic solution into your hip joint, and you experience pain relief in your leg, this may indicate that the hip is the source of pain.

Are there different types of joint injections?

There are various types of joint injections:

Corticosteroid injections

This type uses a combination of steroid medication and an anesthetic to reduce to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation.

Platelet-rich plasma injections

Platelet-rich plasma injections, or PRP injections, use your blood to encourage your body’s natural healing process of tissues within the joints and cartilage. PRP injections provide additional benefits because they are steroid-free and contain natural substances, like blood platelets, to help reduce inflammation.

Hyaluronic acid injections

This injection is usually used in the knee when corticosteroid injections don’t relieve pain. Hyaluronic acid is similar to naturally occurring substances in the body that lubricates your joints. By injecting hyaluronic acid into the knee, providers aim to create more lubrication in your joint, helping it to function correctly.

What happens during joint injections?

Doctors often use X-ray imaging and contrast dye to help guide them in administering joint injections with precision.

If your procedure involves X-ray imaging and contrast dye, the team gives you medication via an IV to help you relax. You then lie down on an X-ray table, and your provider places a topical anesthetic on the skin over the area where the injection will be.

Your joint injections procedure can take anywhere from 30 minutes to one hour to complete, including recovery and observation time, depending on the type of injection and other factors.

Patients can go home the same day of joint injections treatment and usually can return to normal activities one day after the procedure. *It may take some people up to one week to experience pain relief. Pain relief can last months but will vary from person to person.

Call Hillside Primary Care or schedule an appointment online today to learn more about joint injections and find out if they are right for you.

*Results may vary