Does Injection Therapy Help With Joint Pain? – Primary Care of Kansas
Daily activities and quality of life are often affected when dealing with joint pain.
Many people turn to various treatment options for effective relief, including joint injection therapy.
People of all ages can experience joint pain; it tends to happen more often as we age.
While surgery can help with shoulder, hip, or knee problems, it’s a good idea to consider non-surgical options first to ease joint pain.
Learn about injections for joint pain, their benefits, and alternatives in this blog post.
Frequent Problems With Joint Pain
Everyday joint pain in areas like elbows, feet and ankles, hips, knees, shoulders, wrists and hands is usually handled.
These problems often happen because something’s not quite right in the joint or the nearby bone, muscle, tendon, ligaments, and nerves.
Injection Therapy
The injection therapy involves injecting specific substances directly into the affected joint area to relieve inflammation and pain.
The targeted approach helps provide faster relief and may involve fewer medication doses than oral treatments, reducing the chance of systemic side effects.
Types of Joint Injections
Several types of injections are used to treat pain and provide joint relief. These include:
1.Corticosteroid Injections
Corticosteroids can provide rapid pain relief for joint pain when injected – they are usually considered the first-line treatment.
By suppressing inflammation in the joint, they reduce pain and swelling.
Cortisone shots are a common form of corticosteroid injection therapy.
Cortisone shots work well for many patients by swiftly reducing inflammation and pain within the joint. However, there are a few things to be cautious about.
Insurance usually pays for cortisone shots. If your injury is slight, the relief might last a long time. But if your pain keeps returning (for a long time), the shot will only help for around 3 months.
For those seeking alternatives to cortisone shots, there are several options available.
Some natural alternatives to cortisone injections include physical therapy, acupuncture, diet and supplements.
Keeping your joints healthy and pain-free requires preventive care.
2. Hyaluronic Acid Gel Injections
Hyaluronic acid is a natural component of joint fluid that helps lubricate and cushion joints.
Hyaluronic acid gel injections can help improve joint mobility and reduce pain, particularly in cases of osteoarthritis.
Specific insurance plans might include coverage for gel injections, but this applies to your knee and occasionally your shoulder.
3. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections and Cell Therapy
PRP injections involve drawing a small amount of the patient’s blood, processing it to concentrate platelets, and injecting it back into the joint.
Platelets contain growth factors that stimulate tissue healing and regeneration.
4. Perineural Injection Therapy
Perineural injection therapy involves injecting small amounts of dextrose or other solutions around nerves in the joint region.
This can help reduce pain by targeting nerve pathways associated with joint discomfort.
Making Injections Less Painful
Despite being effective, injections can cause some temporary discomfort. Here’s how to make injections less painful:
- Topical anesthetic: A numbing cream or gel can be applied to the injection site before the procedure to alleviate discomfort.
- Using relaxation techniques: During injections, deep breathing and other relaxation techniques can reduce anxiety and manage pain perception.
- Cold compress: Cold compresses can be applied to the injection site before and after the procedure to help numb and reduce swelling.
The Takeaway
A promising option for treating joint pain is injection therapy, which targets discomfort directly at the source.
Several options are available for treating different conditions, including cortisone shots and approaches like perineural injection therapy.
You should consult a healthcare professional if you are considering injection therapy. They can advise you on the best course of action.
Primary Care of Kansas is here to help you navigate these choices and get started on living a more comfortable, active, and pain-free life.
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