Athletes expect their bodies to deliver during the time of need. As such, their bodies require special attention and care to maintain optimum levels to perform their various sports. These athletes inevitably get injured from time to time, either when doing the sport or when training or doing physical exercises. These injuries mainly affect areas of excellent mobility, that is, joint areas. Pain and discomfort may be alleviated through joint injections by a Little Silver sports medicine specialist. More information about the injections and their advantages is discussed below.
What are Joint Injections?
These injections are in the form of cortisone shots that assist in the relief of pain and swelling in some regions of your body. These areas are with joints and include the elbow, ankle, knee, hip, spine, shoulder, or wrist. The small joints in your hands or feet can also get these shots.
The injection involves a mixture of a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid medication. These shots can be administered at your physician’s office. However, the number of shots you can be given in a particular year is limited due to the potential for side effects.
Cortisone shots are mainly used to deal with inflamed arthritis like rheumatoid arthritis. They may, however, be used to deal with other conditions such as:
- Gout
- Back pain
- Osteoarthritis
- Bursitis
- Reactive arthritis
- Tendinitis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Psoriatic arthritis
Repeated use and an increase in dosage amount may increase the risk of side effects. These side effects are as follows:
- Nerve damage
- Death of a nearby bone
- Cartilage damage
- Joint infection
- Temporary inflammation and pain flares in the joint
- Temporary facial flushing
- Tendon rupture or weakening
- Temporary increase in blood sugar
- Thinning of soft tissue or the skin around the injection area
- Osteoporosis is characterized by thinning of bones close by
- Whitening of the skin areas surrounding the injection site
The cartilage found within a joint may become damaged when cortisone shots are repeatedly injected into one joint. This limits the number of shots you can get, with doctors recommending you not to get injections more than once within six weeks while avoiding more than three injections in a year.
Preparation for injection may require avoiding certain supplements and medications as advised by your doctor. Supplements and medications that cause blood thinning should be avoided for several days before the injection. This is done to alleviate the risk of bruising and bleeding following the procedure. High levels of temperature recorded should be communicated to your physician before getting the shots.
After getting your cortisone shot, your physician may recommend the following to ensure the success of the procedure:
- Application of ice to the injection area to relieve pain
- Protection of the injection site for a few days by avoiding strenuous activities
- Watch for infection signs
- Avoid the use of bathtubs or hot tubs
Your joints are among the most mobile parts of your body. Since you require minimum pain and discomfort to go about your daily activities, these injections, found on our website or by visiting our offices in Little Silver, NJ, can be pretty crucial.
Johnson