Joint Injections For Pain Relief After An Accident or Injury
The pain management specialists at Metro Healthcare Partners, a state-of-the-art facility in Brooklyn, NY, use several different interventional pain procedures and injection therapy options to treat joint pain caused by an injury. In addition to relieving pain, the most common therapies for joint pain can support the healing process by preserving joint mobility after either acute trauma or repetitive motion injury. Here are a few different types of injection treatment options that patients have reported to be very effective and help improve their quality of life.
Corticosteroids
One of the most popular ways to treat injury to a joint with injection therapy is with the use of corticosteroids. This medicine has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect. When inflammation is reduced in an injured joint, it helps to improve how that joint functions.
In many cases, the damage to a joint is not what causes a patient to experience pain but rather the inflammation that results from an injury or improper function. Cartilage damage, for example, can cause extreme pain and inflammation in a person’s knee.
However, it is not the damage to the cartilage itself that causes a patient to experience pain. Cartilage does not have nerves or blood flowing through it. Instead, it is the inflammation that occurs in the joint due to its dysfunction that causes pain. Reducing this inflammation improves pain levels, and it also enables patients to use the joint more freely.
Back Pain
With better mobility, they can better complete physical therapy exercises and strengthen the muscles that support the joint. In this way, corticosteroids can play a key role in the healing process. Patients typically have reduced pain in between 24 and 48 hours after a doctor performs a corticosteroid injection. The medicine’s efficacy will last approximately 6 to 12 weeks.
Hyaluronic Acid
Patients experiencing joint dysfunction from an injury may benefit from an injection containing hyaluronic acid. This compound occurs naturally in the body and helps to lubricate joints. Directly injecting a joint with hyaluronic acid can make using the joint cause less inflammation and thereby improve patients’ pain levels.
This type of treatment is commonly used among patients who have joint pain from osteoarthritis, particularly knee pain. It may also be used to treat people who have not been responsive to corticosteroid therapies to treat an acute injury.
Nerve Blocks
In some cases, the primary source of pain in a joint is an aggravation of a bundle of nerves. Blocking the nerves from transmitting pain may provide substantial relief. For the most part, the effects of an anesthetic medication used to perform a nerve block last are often noticeable immediately. They generally tend to last for days or weeks.
A physician may recommend repeating the treatment over a series of months to get temporary relief during the healing process. The relief offered by nerve blocks allows patients to gradually return to normal activities and stay actively engaged in physical therapy in order to facilitate rehabilitation of an injury.
Injections After Surgery
After surgery on a joint that has sustained an injury, pain and stiffness are very common. Nevertheless, being able to resume motion as directed by a treating physician is essential to healing. If patients recovering from surgery did not undergo physical therapy and keep the joint moving, they might not heal properly.
As a result, they may experience limitations in their range of motion indefinitely. While it is uncommon to perform joint injections immediately following surgery, they may be beneficial in limited circumstances when performed months after surgery on a joint. They may also be beneficial to patients who are experiencing persisting mobility restrictions long after surgery.
What To Expect During Joint Injections
Normally, appointments with a physician to undergo a joint injection are less than one hour in duration. Depending on the type of treatment being administered, a medical specialist may use imaging equipment during the procedure to pinpoint the optimal injection site for medication.
Some joint injections may cause some minor discomfort, but patients usually do not experience severe pain. Some patients begin to feel the effects of a joint injection right away.
Interventional Pain Management Specialists in New York
If you are suffering from acute or chronic pain, contact experienced board-certified pain management specialists at Metro Healthcare Partners serving Brooklyn and other New York City boroughs. Our team is experienced in diagnosing and treating pain and using several injection therapies, such as trigger point injections, to help patients with moderate to severe joint pain.
A pain specialist will conduct a physical examination and review your imaging studies to determine which joint injection will work best for your injury and treating pain. Getting injection therapy for relief from ongoing joint pain can put you back on the path to being active and healthy. We accept most insurance plans, including workers’ compensation, no-fault, and medical liens. Call to schedule your appointment and get on the road to pain relief and recovery!