Steroid Injection Specialist Q&A

Steroid injections are used to treat several conditions in joints throughout the body. As a result, several factors will have an impact on the effectiveness of the injection, including the condition treated, the joint affected, and the patient’s overall health. Generally, a steroid injection can suppress pain for anywhere from six weeks to six months.

Steroid injections provide pain relief by reducing inflammation. If you have pain caused by inflammation, steroid injections can help relieve your pain. Because these shots do not heal the underlying problem, the relief they provide is usually temporary.

Although there is no medical limit on the number of injections a person can receive, there are real concerns about repeated steroid injections in specific areas of the body. Individual response to steroid injections varies, as some patients do not experience pain relief with steroid treatments. If the first injection does not provide relief for your pain, the medical professional administering the injections may try a second injection about four to six weeks later. If no improvement in pain is seen after the second injection, a third injection is not recommended.

These injections are used broadly and effectively for a wide range of orthopedic conditions and there are no medical restrictions regarding the types of conditions that can be treated with steroid injections. However, because these injections act to suppress inflammation, conditions that cause acute inflammation are most likely to respond well to treatment.

Cortisone is a type of steroid used to treat pain caused by inflammation. Therefore, when someone refers to steroid injections, they may very well be referring to a cortisone injection. However, cortisone is very different from the anabolic steroids that are commonly abused by weight lifters or competitive athletes. Although both are synthetic hormones, they have vastly different effects on the body, with anabolic steroids having similar effects to testosterone and cortisone having anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties.

Steroid injections are a safe and effective treatment for the reduction of pain caused by inflammation. Most people who receive steroid injections do not experience any side effects. Although they cause slight discomfort at the time of the injection, many people report the actual pain was not as bad as they feared it would be. Occasionally, within the first 24 hours after injection, some people notice a flare-up in their joint pain. This usually clears up on its own within a couple of days and taking simple painkillers as acetaminophen will help. The risk of side effects increases with the stronger injections — methylprednisolone and triamcinolone. Injections may also occasionally cause some thinning or changes in the color of the skin at the injection site, particularly with the stronger steroids. Extremely rare complications include infection at the site of injection. If your joint becomes more painful and feels hot to the touch, visit your doctor immediately.

If you or someone you know is experiencing pain caused by inflammation, come to Modern Pain Management to find relief today! Our kind and compassionate professionals are experienced in administering steroid injections and can help reduce or eliminate your pain! For more information on our steroid injections, visit our website or contact our clinic today. To book an appointment with one of our pain management specialists, you can schedule one online or over the phone. We serve patients from Houston TX, Sugar Land TX, Stafford TX, Pearland TX, Missouri City TX, Jersey Village TX, and Richmond TX.