Steroid injections are very useful for rapid relief of symptoms especially knee joint pain and many soft tissue problems such as trochanteric bursitis.
Some people refer to these as “cortisone” injections, but the most common steroid used is triamcinolone (aka Kenalog) and it is given in conjunction with local anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic works very quickly and the steroid tends to kick in after a day or two.
They usually give rapid relief – either immediately or at least within a few days. However it is difficult to predict how long they will last which may be anything from a few weeks to a year or more.
Mr Waters often arranges for these injections to be performed by a radiologist under ultrasound or x-ray guidance.
Side effects are not common but may include;
- throbbing or aching for a few days – painkillers such as paracetamol can help with this
- temporary bruising or a collection of blood under the skin
- flushing of the face for a few hours
- loss of fat at the injection site – this can cause dimples in the skin and may be permanent
- paler skin around the site of the injection – this may be permanent
- if you are diabetic it may raise your blood sugar level for a few days – so it is advisable to monitor this closely
- if you suffer from high blood pressure, it may go up for a few days
- infection is rare but any redness, swelling and associated pain should be reported immediately.
Conditions for which we may use local anaesthetic and steroid injections include joint problems: arthritis, sprains, inflammatory conditions, trochanteric bursitis and some types of tendinitis.
How many can I have?
This is a very common question and patients are often told they can only have 3 injections. This is not entirely true but these injections become less effective by the third one. However, if the injections keep working for many months or more then they can be continue to be repeated more often.
