INJECTIONS

What Is It?

Steroid is a steroid hormone. It is produced by the body in the form of cortisol and can also be made synthetically. Steroid has been found to be very effective at treating inflammation. It is typically injected into a joint and given in combination with a local anesthetic such as xylocaine.

Helpful For:

Inflammatory conditions such as the various kinds of arthritis, plantar fasciitis, bursitis, gout, and tendinitis.

Good Candidates:

If your pain stems from joint inflammation, you might benefit from steroid injections. Most people get referred to and recommended to try this therapy if other conservative treatments don’t seem to be helping. Women who are pregnant and those who have an infection or bleeding problems are not usually good candidates. Those who have diabetes, high blood pressure or glaucoma should discuss the procedure with the doctor.

Benefits:

Steroid injections may relieve pain and inflammation for periods lasting as long as a year.

HYALURONIC ACID INJECTIONS

What Is It?

The body actually creates hyaluronic acid (HA). It is one of the major components in joint fluid and helps keep joints lubricated. Once you have the injection or first round of injections, you can see results that last as long as a year. We offer several HA products: Orthovisc, Euflexxa, and Visco-3.

Helpful For:

HA is most often used for painful knee joints due to osteoarthritis, although it is also used in the hip and ankle.

Good Candidates:

People with osteoarthritis – the degenerative form of arthritis – are the most likely candidates for HA injections.

Benefits:

HA injections help cushion and support the joint. They also seem to decrease inflammation. The result is reduced pain. Research shows the injections may also stimulate your body to produce HA on its own.

TRIGGER POINT INJECTIONS

What are they?

Trigger point injections are used to treat tender points in muscles and myofascial pain.  The tender points, also known as trigger points, are muscle knots that form when the muscles do not relax. These knots can be felt under the skin by palpating the tender area.

Helpful For:

Muscle pain in your arms, legs, lower back and neck.

Good Candidates:

Any patient who has trigger points that are refractory to conservative treatments such as massage therapy, oral medications, stretching, and physical therapy.

How are they performed?

The skin is sterilely prepped and the area is anesthetized with lidocaine.  Once anesthesia is achieved, a needle is then inserted into the trigger point multiple times to relax the contracted muscle.

Benefits:

Provide pain relief for individuals who have not found relief using more conservative treatments, like pain medication or physical therapy.