The injections can temporarily relieve symptoms and improve pain and joint function.
A healthcare provider will give these injections directly into the affected joint.
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Steroid Injections
Steroid injections,also known as corticosteroid injections, are anti-inflammatory drugs used to treat various conditions.
Your provider inserts a small needle to inject medicine into the specified area.
you could go home the day of the procedure.
Get plenty of rest for a few days after getting a shot.
How Long Do Cortisone Shots Last?
Corticosteroid injections can help reduce pain for up to three months after the injection.
However, results may vary among people.
Knee-Gel Injections (Hyaluronic Acid)
Knee-gel injections are hyaluronic acid injections.
They can be used to treat arthritis if other treatments havent worked first.
It works to lubricate the joint and absorb shocks during movements.
It also increases synovial fluid viscosity and decreases the degradation of cartilage.
Your healthcare provider may inject hyaluronic acid into the joint to help increase lubrication and reduce pain.
Hyaluronic acid is also called artificial joint fluid or viscosupplementation.
Some people may have a more severe reaction called an injection flare.
It causes fluid accumulation with pain and swelling in the joint.
You may need an injection every week for three to five weeks to start feeling the improvement in symptoms.
The pain relief can last a few months, but this may vary.
In some people, the benefits of knee-gel injections last for six months.
Knee-gel injections are a low-risk treatment option.
It can help manage your symptoms for longer without needing surgery.
Why Is My Knee Pain Worse After a Gel Injection?
It’s normal to feel a bit of soreness or stiffness for a few days following the injection.
However, in some cases, a severe localized reaction can occur.
This can cause severe pain and swelling in the injected joint.
It can happen anywhere from a few hours after the injection to five or six days later.
Contact your provider if you have severe pain or swelling after receiving an injection.
Prolotherapy Injections
Prolotherapyis a regenerative medicine treatment used to relieve pain.
Experts suggest that prolotherapy may relieve pain by increasing the body’s natural healing abilities.
A local inflammatory response is initiated to trigger the release of growth factors and collagen.
Prolotherapy does not cure any condition and is used as an elective (nonurgent) treatment.
you’re free to go home immediately after the procedure.
Prolotherapy is a relatively low-risk treatment that usually doesn’t have any severe side effects.
The most common side effect is soreness and swelling at the injection site.
Other risks may include:
What Is the Success Rate of Prolotherapy Injections?
Prolotherapy is not recommended as a first-line treatment due to the lack of evidence.
Larger and longer clinical trials are necessary to determine the extent of its success in people with osteoarthritis.
PRP injections can treat a range of musculoskeletal conditions.
The mechanism behind PRP injections is not completely understood.
A healthcare provider injects the PRP solution into a knee or a tendon.
Sometimes, the provider uses an ultrasound to guide the injection.
PRP injections do not usually cause any severe side effects.
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are emerging as a potential treatment option for osteoarthritis.
Stem cell treatments help regrow cartilage, which is lost in osteoarthritis.
The cells travel to injury sites or inflamed body parts to release several natural regenerative and growth factors.
Stem cells can enhance the growth of cartilage and supporting tissue, thus improving tissue repair.
They can also decrease the intensity of inflammation and prevent a hyperactive immune response.
The FDA does not approve stem cell therapy to treat arthritis.
More research and trials are needed to prove the efficacy of this procedure.
Does Insurance Cover Stem Cell Injections for Knee Pain?
The FDA has not approved stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis.
Injections for Pain: When Should You Use Them?
The first line of treatment to manage the symptoms of osteoarthritis is a combination of medications with nondrug methods.
People with hip and knee osteoarthritis who do not respond to these drugs are prescribed knee injections.
These injectables can improve the lubrication between the joints to ease the symptoms.
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