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When to Consider Injections for Your Arthritis Pain
When daily tasks become a struggle and the pain keeps you from doing the things you love, it’s time to explore arthritis relief options. Let’s talk about arthritis injections and how they might help.
Arthritis has been estimated to affect more than 91 million Americans today. You may be one of the many people who assume arthritis symptoms are just a frustrating fact of life as you age — but the truth is that you can wrestle control back from this frustrating disease with advanced treatments such as joint injections.
At Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeons are the leading arthritis experts in the San Antonio, Texas, area. We understand the complexities of the disease in all of its forms, and it’s our mission to help patients reclaim active, happy lives.
To reach those goals, we offer full-spectrum arthritis care at our facilities in Schertz, Live Oak, and San Antonio: diagnostic testing, conservative care, joint injections, physical therapy, and joint replacement.
For many patients, injections are a good treatment to bridge the gap between conservative strategies and surgery. Here, we explain when it might be time to consider joint injections for your arthritis pain.
Arthritis injection options
We offer the most advanced pain relief options for patients with arthritis, including these joint injections:
Corticosteroid injections
Corticosteroids rapidly diminish inflammation, in turn easing pain and stiffness for weeks or months.
Viscosupplementation
Viscosupplementation is the process of injecting hyaluronic acid into a joint that lacks adequate cartilage. It’s often helpful for people struggling with bone-on-bone arthritis because the hyaluronic acid gel creates a layer between the bones that allows them to interact more smoothly. Viscosupplementation is common for knee osteoarthritis.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy
With PRP therapy, we create a healing solution using your own blood platelets, injected precisely where you need them. When concentrated, platelets are bursting with growth factors that help stimulate repair within damaged joints while also combating inflammation.
Signs that arthritis injections could help you
Our team considers many factors when planning your injection therapy, including the type of arthritis, its stage, the treatments you’ve tried before, and your personal goals.
If you’re unsure whether injections are right for you, ask yourself these questions.
- Does arthritis limit your daily activities?
- Have over-the-counter medications lost their effectiveness?
- Do you frequently experience swelling, pain, and stiffness?
- Are you looking for a nonsurgical option, or do you want to delay surgery?
If you can say “yes” to some — or all — of these questions, the next step is scheduling a consultation with our arthritis management experts. We can explain your options, discuss your treatment goals, and help you make plans to put arthritis pain, stiffness, and swelling behind you.
When every day is a challenge and you’ve nearly forgotten what it feels like to not be in pain, our Northeast Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine team is here to help. Call the office nearest you to schedule your consultation now.