Joint injections are an office-based treatment that can provide months of pain relief. If medication and other treatments you’ve tried aren’t helping, Rashida Bokhari, MD, and the medical team may recommend joint injections at North Natomas Medical Center, Inc. The practice provides personalized high-quality medical care for adults in the Sacramento, California, area. Book your appointment online or call the office today.
Joint injections are a treatment for chronic joint pain. When joint pain doesn’t respond to medication, physical therapy, and other conservative treatments, joint injections can be a good treatment option.
Joint injections commonly include corticosteroids, which rapidly reduce inflammation, and local anesthetics, which numb sensation.
Another joint injection option is hyaluronic acid, a gel-like substance that lubricates joints to allow for smoother movement.
Many joints can cause serious pain, and joint injections can treat almost all of them. Some of the most common areas for joint injections are:
Less commonly, joint injections even treat the small joints in the fingers and toes.
The joint injection process can vary based on the treatment area and type of medication. Generally, the team starts with cleaning the skin above the joint. They’ll typically spray an anesthetic to numb the treatment area.
You’ll remain still as your specialist inserts a thin needle into the joint. They may use imaging guidance (ultrasound or fluoroscopy) to pinpoint the ideal treatment area.
You may feel firm pressure during the needle insertion. Once in the joint space, your specialist releases the medication and withdraws the needle. You may receive a small bandage over the needle site, but you won’t need stitches because there’s no incision.
Most joint injections include a blend of anesthetic and corticosteroid medications.
The anesthetic medication takes effect immediately, numbing the joint. The corticosteroid takes effect gradually, usually in about a week.
With hyaluronic acid injections, it may take several weeks to experience an improvement. You may need to continue taking over-the-counter pain relievers or a prescription medication to manage pain until your joint injections take full effect.
Joint injections can provide pain relief for up to a few months. If joint injections are effective for you, you can have repeat treatments a few times a year based on the medical team’s recommendations.
Joint injections at North Natomas Medical Center, Inc. provide pain relief and improved joint movement, so they can greatly increase your quality of life. To learn more about joint injections, call the office or book your appointment using the online scheduler now.