INJECTIONS

Joint injections can ease inflammation and pain when other treatments for injuries and arthritis haven’t helped. If you have persistent joint pain, visit board-certified orthopedic surgeons at AZ Ortho in Scottsdale, Arizona. The team has extensive experience administering joint injections, which contain powerful anti-inflammatory medications or healing properties. To discover how you could benefit from joint injections, call AZ Ortho or book an appointment online today.

What are joint injections?

Joint injections are a minimally invasive treatment for painful joint problems. The most common medications used in joint injections are corticosteroids, powerful anti-inflammatory drugs that can ease pain and inflammation when non-invasive therapies don’t work.

When might I need joint injections?

Joint injections can be beneficial for many painful conditions, including acute and overuse injuries and chronic diseases. Common problems that the AZ Ortho team treats with joint injections include:

Bursitis

Bursitis is inflammation affecting small sacs of fluid in your joints called bursae. It’s usually an overuse injury caused by repeatedly making the same movements.

Tendonitis

Tendonitis is another condition typically caused by overuse, resulting in inflammation in the tendons — connective tissues that attach muscles to bones.   

Nerve compression

Conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome (which causes chronic wrist pain) develop when a thickened ligament or other abnormality compresses or pinches a nerve. A joint injection can reduce inflammation and help the tissues heal.

Ligament sprains

Ligaments attach bones to other bones. Joint injections could help if the tissues stretch too far and become inflamed.

Arthritis

Arthritic disorders take numerous forms, but osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common. Osteoarthritis develops when the articular cartilage covering the bones in your joints wears away after years of activity. The exposed bones rub together painfully, creating inflammation and chronic pain.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disorder, meaning your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the tissues lining your joints. It causes chronic joint pain, distortion, and stiffness.

Conservative and minimally invasive treatments, including medication, activity modification, physical therapy, and iovera°® cryoanalgesia can often improve joint pain and function. You could benefit from joint injections if other treatments fail to resolve your symptoms.

What happens when I have joint injections?

The treatment doesn’t take long, and as joint injections are outpatient procedures, you can go home right after your treatment. You might need a numbing cream on your skin, so you don’t feel the needle as it goes in. Otherwise, you shouldn’t feel too much discomfort. The AZ Ortho team uses imaging techniques such as fluoroscopy (moving X-ray) to ensure they deliver your medication into the precise location needed without damaging the surrounding tissues, nerves, and blood vessels. After your joint injection, you can carry on with your day. However, it’s important to follow any aftercare advice your provider gives you.

To learn how joint injections can relieve your pain and improve function, call AZ Ortho or book an appointment online today.