How Cortisone Injections Can Relieve Your Pain from Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people all over the world. It can make doing daily tasks difficult and also decrease your quality of life. While osteoarthritis can affect any of your joints, it most often appears in your hands, hips, and knees.

There are many ways to manage symptoms that come along with having osteoarthritis. One of those treatment methods that Don Enty, MD, and our team at Genesis Pain & Regenerative Medicine offer is cortisone injections, which can help alleviate your pain.

Explaining osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in your joints starts to wear away. The slippery cartilage gives your joints ease when they move around, so when it starts to deteriorate, your bones rub against each other and cause pain and inflammation. Other common symptoms of osteoarthritis include stiffness, tenderness, loss of flexibility, and swelling.

Risk factors that increase your chance of developing osteoarthritis are age, sex, obesity, joint injuries, genetics, and overuse of the joints.

Osteoarthritis is also known as degenerative joint disease or “wear-and-tear” arthritis because it develops very slowly over time. It may eventually get to the point of causing the inability to perform tasks in your normal routine or not being able to sleep well. It can even lead to depression.

How cortisone injections work

Cortisone shots are just one treatment method that works to relieve pain from osteoarthritis. These injections are made from a steroid called corticosteroid and are used to treat a variety of conditions that cause pain and inflammation.

Cortisone shots work a lot like over-the-counter pain medications, but they work much quicker and more efficiently. They also only work in the injection site and won’t cause other side effects like stomach pain.

When you receive cortisone injections, Dr. Enty numbs the area before providing the shot. The relief that you feel should be almost immediate as it’s mixed with a painkiller. The cortisone works to reduce the swelling around the joint, and you should see results that last from several weeks to several months.

You can receive cortisone shots in any joint areas where you have osteoarthritis that cause you pain.

If you have osteoarthritis, and you’d like to learn more about how cortisone injections can get you some much-needed pain relief, call our friendly office staff in Colleyville, Texas, at 817-482-0188 or use our convenient online scheduler to request an appointment with us today.