Injections for Joint Pain

Joint pain can affect your mobility and interfere with daily activities. Conservative treatments like activity modification, bracing, and medications can help to improve joint pain. However, if these treatments do not provide relief, joint injections may be an option.

Injections like viscosupplementation, PRP, and stem cells are offered to treat joint pain at various different types of clinics. However, we strongly urge patients with joint pain to seek the advice of a joint specialist, like an orthopedic surgeon, before moving forward with joint injections. Though these injections have the potential to be helpful for joint pain, injections alone will not help in all cases. An orthopedic specialist like our physicians at Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute can advise if these treatments are likely to help with your condition and can incorporate joint injections into a more holistic treatment plan for your joint pain, if indicated.

Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute has offered joint injections for over 40 years, since the practice first opened. All of our physicians are trained to administer joint injections. After an evaluation, your physician will advise whether or not joint injections may help with your condition and discuss your options.

Types of Joint Injections

We offer a few different types of joint injections at Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute. Though each has the potential to help with mild to moderate arthritis, different types of injections have different benefits. Your doctor will advise which injections are best for your individual condition.

Steroid Injections

Steroid injections can help to reduce inflammation in the joint. Steroid injections can be administered in the clinic by one of our highly–qualified physicians during an office visit. Patients often see improvement within 48 hours of receiving steroid injections, and the injection can be administered every 3–4 months. Steroid injections are usually recommended as a first option for patients who qualify for joint injections because they do not require pre–authorization with the patient’s insurance company. However, steroid injections may increase sugar levels for patients with diabetes, so it is important to communicate with your doctor about all of your medical conditions.

Viscosupplementation Injections

Viscosupplementation injections consist of a hyaluronic acid product that was originally harvested from chicken combs. This substance can serve as a lubricant in arthritic joints, which may help to reduce pain. Viscosupplementation injections can be administered as a one–time dose, or once every week for 3–5 weeks. The injections can be given again every 6 months. Patients may not see results from viscosupplementation for 3–5 weeks, but there are typically low side effects, and the results last longer than steroid injections. However, patients typically need pre–authorization from their insurance company to get these injections.

Platelet–Rich Plasma (PRP) Injections

PRP injections are prepared by drawing blood from the patient, then process it in a centrifuge that creates a substance with a high concentration of platelets. The platelets in our blood contain proteins called growth factors, which help with healing. This PRP substance is then injected into the patient’s arthritic joint to help reduce pain and inflammation and promote healing. The patient may have up to a day of downtime immediately following the injection, and the joint is usually sore for a few days after receiving the injection. Patients are typically advised to protect the joint for 1–6 weeks after receiving PRP injections. PRP injections are typically not covered by insurance, so they are often not recommended as the first option for joint injections.

Stem Cell Injections

Stem cells have the ability to form many different types of cells, including cartilage cells. For this reason, stem cell injections may be helpful in repairing damaged cartilage cells in the joint. Stem cell injections are prepared by harvesting stem cells from the patient during a surgical procedure. The stem cells are then injected into the joint to help replenish the damaged cartilage cells. This can be done in conjunction with another surgical procedure, like arthroscopy. Like PRP injections, patients may have up to a day of downtime and will be advised to protect the joint for approximately 1–6 weeks. Also, stem cell injections are typically not covered by insurance.

Candidates for Joint Injections

Most patients with mild to moderate arthritis are eligible for joint injections. Our doctors may recommend joint injections to patients if more conservative treatments like activity modification, bracing, NSAIDs, or pain medications have not provided significant pain relief. These injections may also be used to treat tendonitis and other tendon injuries.

Joint injections are typically not recommended for patients with severe arthritis. While joint injections would not produce any adverse effects for patients with severe arthritis, the injections are not likely to be as helpful in the later stages of arthritis. Patients with severe arthritis typically need joint replacement surgery to experience long–lasting relief from joint pain.

It is also important to communicate with your doctor about your allergies and other existing health conditions prior to receiving injections for your joint pain. As mentioned previously, steroid injections can increase sugar levels, and therefore may not be the best option for diabetic patients. Additionally, patients who are allergic to chicken may not be able to receive viscosupplementation injections. If the patient has an existing infection, they also may not be eligible for joint injections.

Joint Injections in Beaumont, TX

Beaumont Bone & Joint Institute has offered injections for joint pain for over 40 years. Our orthopedic specialists keep current on the latest research on joint injections in order to best advise patients about treatment options. By receiving injections from a joint care specialist, you can benefit from a comprehensive care plan for your arthritis. Whether or not you are a candidate for joint injections, our specialists will work with you to find the best course of action for joint pain relief so that you can get back to your favorite activities.

If you would like to learn more about joint injections or schedule a consultation with one of our specialists, please call our office at (409) 838–0346.