You have a knee that’s developed painful arthritis, or perhaps one of the bursa sacs in your shoulder is inflamed. In either case, your ability to move freely and comfortably is severely compromised. One of the quickest and easiest roads to relief is joint injections, which can offer a much-needed reprieve from the pain.
To give you an idea about what these injections accomplish and how long you can expect relief, board-certified anesthesiologist Dr. Anjum Bux and the rest of the team here at Bux Pain Management offer the following guidelines.
How joint injections work
Most of the joint injections we administer contain two ingredients: a local anesthetic for immediate pain relief and a steroid to combat inflammation.
Called a corticosteroid injection, we offer these injections right here at our offices, and they take us only minutes to deliver.
Where joint injections work
Joint injections are a fairly universal treatment option for several different issues, including:
- Arthritis
- Tendon injuries
- Bursitis
Any time you’re feeling pain and discomfort in one of your joints, the odds are very good that a joint injection may hold the key to your relief.
How long do joint injections last?
This is a tricky question to answer, as results can vary from one patient to the next. In most cases, our patients realize 2-3 months of relief, at which point the steroid breaks down to the point where it no longer combats inflammation.
The relief typically starts within a week of your joint injection, but, here again, how quickly joint injections get to work can vary.
Using your window of relief
We recommend using your window of relief to address the underlying cause of your joint pain in meaningful ways.
For example, if you receive joint injections for arthritis, we recommend you use the respite from the discomfort to garner longer-lasting relief through exercise and physical therapy.
Strengthening the supporting tissues around your arthritic joint is one of the best ways to tackle pain and inflammation, and we understand that this can be difficult while the joint is in pain. After we administer your joint injection, you can embark on a strengthening and flexibility regimen that will long outlast your joint injection in terms of relief.
This same holds true when you’re trying to rehab a joint injury — the joint injection can buy you valuable time to work on your physical therapy program. As a result, you’ll heal more quickly and strongly.
Of course, the road to healthy joints may be a long one, and you can return to us for periodic joint injections, so you can keep moving toward your goals in relative comfort.
If you have more questions about joint injections, please contact one of our four offices in Lexington, Cynthiana, Maysville, or Danville, Kentucky, to schedule a consultation.
