Medication is one of the important steps in the treatment course of knee arthritis. Especially the Inflammation caused by arthritis can be treated using steroid injections which happen to be the most effective form of delivering the medication to the target location to reduce pain and swelling.

What are these Steroids?

The steroids used in these injections for treating arthritis are Corticosteroids that are an artificial version of the hormone called Cortisol produced by the adrenal glands near the kidney. The Cortisol in the human body alleviates the stress caused by the injury or illness by reducing the inflammation and immune system activity.

So naturally, the artificial Cortisol i.e. Corticosteroid injections when administered directly at the location, eases out the immune system and works as an anti-inflammatory agent to reduce pain and swelling.

Steroid injections for Knee Arthritis:

Due to their anti-inflammatory function, steroid injections are used in treatment courses of various types of immuno-related diseases, joint and muscle conditions. They are most commonly used in the treatment plans of Knee Arthritis (Rheumatoid & Osteoarthritis) by injecting in and around the joint or muscle tendon.

Steroids Injection and Recovery:

Before the injection is given, the patient sometimes may need to stop the medication (the Orthopaedic takes care of it for you). After the location of the injection is identified through imaging studies, the blend of steroid and numbing medication is given to the patient. Though the numbing medication takes care of you during injection, the site can be sore for few days after the operation, patients are advised to wait for at least 24 hours before placing heat at the injection site during regular activities.

In general, steroid injections can take from 24 to 48 hours to show the full effect. Giving a complete rest to the joint after the injection is shown to have improved the efficacy of the steroid. The injection may last from days to months depending upon the dosage and patient’s condition.

Monitoring, Side Effects & Precautions: 

Temporary pain, bruising, insomnia, hypertension, and increased appetite are some of the common side effects experienced by the patients in rare cases. However, your knee doctor takes care of your condition to help the injection work as planned. The patients with medical conditions like diabetes, hypertension, allergy to steroids or vaccinations or any other anomalies are advised to talk to your doctor before the procedure. To reduce the possibility of side effects patients are recommended to give complete rest to the joint for 24 to 48 hours after the injection and consult the knee doctor if the temporary pain and discomfort do not subside.

That said, Steroid injection plays a crucial role in relieving the debilitating pain experienced by knee arthritis patients. Since there benefits easily outweigh the temporary side-effects in most cases, steroid injections are carefully used as a part of our Knee Arthritis Treatment in Surat.

If you have suffered from knee pain due to arthritis and need immediate relief, Dr. Chirag Patel is the Best Knee Doctor in Surat who can help you! You can contact him here. Call@ +917574887777