Major joint injections use several medications to ease pain and improve your ability to move and stay active. The experienced physicians at Pain Consultants of Atlanta may recommend major joint injections as one part of your overall pain management plan or a standalone therapy. Connect online or call the nearest office today to schedule an appointment and get relief for your joint pain. Pain Consultants of Atlanta have four offices located in Atlanta, Fayetteville, Stockbridge and Newnan, Georgia.
Your provider at Pain Consultants of Atlanta uses major joint injections to relieve pain in large joints, such as your knees, hips, and shoulders. You may need a joint injection to get relief from pain caused by many conditions, including:
Any joint problem that causes inflammation may benefit from a major joint injection.
The three most common medications used in joint injections include:
Steroids are potent anti-inflammatory medications that reduce swelling caused by nearly any underlying condition. The steroids typically take two to seven days to work, providing gradual pain relief as the inflammation improves.
Everyone has a different response to medications, so you won’t know how long your results will last until you get the shot. Your pain relief may last days, weeks, or months.
Major joint injections often include a local anesthetic, either alone or combined with steroids or another medication. Anesthetics typically provide rapid, short-lived pain relief, but combining them with certain medications may extend their results.
Hyaluronic acid is a joint injection for people with arthritis. Your joints naturally produce hyaluronic acid, a thick, lubricating substance that helps bones glide over one another without friction. A hyaluronic acid injection improves joint movement, eases pain, and may slow the progressive joint damage caused by arthritis.
The team at Pain Consultants of Atlanta has extensive experience performing major joint injections. If your provider needs to inject the medication into a specific part of the joint, they use imaging to guide the needle placement.
If you have a build-up of fluid in the joint, they may need to aspirate (withdraw) some from the joint before your injection. Otherwise, they inject your medication.
You can walk around and go home shortly after your major joint injection. However, your provider may advise against intensive activities for a few days, depending on the medication, joint treated, and the underlying condition.
You may have minor tenderness at the injection site for a few days. If you have a steroid shot, you should expect a temporary increase in your pain.
You can get safe, effective relief for joint pain. Book online or call the nearest Pain Consultants of Atlanta office to learn if a major joint injection might help you.