Major Joint Injections

Many of the major joints (i.e. hip, knee, shoulder, etc.) of the body are susceptible to arthritic pain due to aging, repetitive use, or injury. A joint injection is an injection of local anesthetic and steroid deposited into the joint space or capsule. The goal of a major joint injection is to provide pain relief by reducing inflammation due to arthritis of the involved joint. A joint injection will not cure the pre-existing medical problem (i.e. arthritis, abnormal alignment, etc.) but may improve the level of pain. It is not unusual for someone to need more than one injection to get long term benefit. Patients may require orthopedic surgery if more than two injections are needed. If the pain is significantly improved no further injection is needed unless the pain returns.