Should I get corticosteroid injections to relieve knee pain?

My knee arthritis is getting worse. Will a corticosteroid injection help relieve the pain? How long does each injection last and when do I need to have another injection? (Hoang Mai, 54 years old, Can Tho)

Reply:

Arthritis patients who cannot take oral medications due to diseases such as stomach ulcers, other internal medical conditions, or have used them but they are not effective, are prescribed corticosteroid injections.

This method helps relieve pain by reducing inflammation in and around the joint. Depending on the patient's health condition and the severity of symptoms, the effects of corticosteroid injections vary, and can last from 1-2 weeks to several months.

After the drug wears off, if symptoms of inflammation and joint stiffness reappear, the patient can be injected with corticosteroids again. However, frequent injections of corticosteroids can lead to some side effects, so the patient should follow the doctor's instructions. In some cases, the patient may feel pain and arthritis immediately after the injection, but these symptoms gradually subside within 48 hours.

Although less common, corticosteroid injections can lead to complications such as nerve damage, joint infection, damage to nearby tendons, and thinning of cartilage and bone near the injection site. Over time, frequent corticosteroid injections can cause degeneration of joint cartilage, leading to permanent joint damage.

Normally, the minimum interval between injections is 6 weeks and no more than three injections per year. If you are taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs to treat diseases such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, arrhythmia, you must inform your doctor to consider whether the injection is contraindicated. Women who are breastfeeding, after local corticosteroid injection, are at risk of temporary loss of milk for 24-48 hours.

MSc.MD.CKI Dinh Pham Thi Thuy Van
Orthopedic Trauma Center, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City

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