Joint injections offer longer-term relief from pain and inflammation in your shoulders, hips or knees

Aching joints can make everything from walking down the stairs to getting out of bed difficult. If you struggle with joint pain, swelling or stiffness, joint injections may be able to offer the relief you need to move comfortably again.

When you come in for your first appointment with a joint specialist at TRIA, we’ll examine your joint and guide you toward the best treatment option for you. Depending on your condition, our doctors may recommend a wide range of joint injections, including corticosteroid injections, hyaluronic acid injections and platelet-rich plasma injections. Plus, we have several locations throughout the Twin Cities and western Wisconsin, making it easy for you to care for your joints.

Joint injections are a type of treatment where medicine is injected into the joint. It’s a minimally invasive treatment that provides longer-lasting pain relief than oral medicines.

Unlike most oral medicines, which you need to take every day in order to feel the effects, the relief from joint injections could last from several days to several months. We use many different types of injections to treat joint conditions, including corticosteroids and orthobiologic injections.

If joint pain or swelling makes it difficult for you to do daily activities, and if other medicines haven’t helped, we might recommend joint injections. Joint injections can be a good option if your joint pain is caused by osteoarthritis or a chronic condition that impacts the soft tissues around your joint.

Injections aren’t typically the first course of treatment for joint conditions, but they can be an effective option for managing joint pain and improving function. While physical therapy is typically the best type of treatment for joint issues, joint injections may be recommended as a secondary treatment. Many of our patients find that joint injections give them the pain relief they need to complete physical therapy and help their joints heal.

While joint injections can provide long-term pain relief, the results are usually temporary. How long results last varies depending on your condition and the type of injection used. Your doctor will talk with you about what to expect and answer any questions you have.

Inflammation in the joint can be caused by injury, illness or other conditions. When the tissue around the joint is inflamed, it can cause painful swelling.

Corticosteroid (also called cortisone) is a steroid that can reduce inflammation, reducing pain along with it. Pain relief from corticosteroid injections can vary in effectiveness and how long it lasts. You may feel the effects for several days to a few months depending on your condition.

Your body makes hyaluronic acid to lubricate and cushion your joints, protecting them from bumps and jostles that happen when we move.

Hyaluronic acid injections (sometimes called gel injections or viscosupplementation) may boost your body’s natural supply of this substance and improve joint function. They can provide pain relief for up to six months.

In most cases, hyaluronic acid injections are only covered by insurance plans when used to treat knee issues. If your doctor recommends this type of treatment for a different joint, check with your insurance provider to see what’s covered.

Orthobiologics is an emerging field, and TRIA has been at the forefront with research, education and a dedicated orthobiologics team. This type of treatment is sometimes called “regenerative medicine” and uses substances found in the body to promote healing.

For joint conditions, we might recommend platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to relieve pain. We’ll draw blood from a healthy part of your body (usually the arm), isolate the plasma and inject it into the affected joint. It may take multiple rounds of PRP injections before you feel the maximum benefits, but pain relief often lasts for several months.

In general, the best candidates for PRP joint injections are younger patients with active lifestyles. Patients over 60 typically respond better to other types of treatment. Regardless of your age and lifestyle, our orthopedic specialists will guide you to the treatment option that is the best fit for you.

In addition to relieving joint pain and improving joint function, there are many other benefits to joint injections, including:

• Joint injections can help you delay or prevent joint replacement surgery
• Joint injections can help manage pain so you can successfully complete a course of physical therapy, often the best type of treatment for joint issues
• You’ll be able to return to the activities you love and move with more comfort and confidence