Steroids (also called cortisone) are very powerful anti-inflammatories, and so can be very useful for treating conditions where there is inflammation. The steroid is normally mixed with a bit of local anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic works very quickly and gives rapid pain relief but also wears off quickly, after several hours. Steroid, however, can take 24 or even 48 hours to kick in and start working. For the first couple of days after a steroid injection the area may be uncomfortable, with a burning feeling, but this nearly always then disappears.
Articular cartilage has got no blood supply and therefore doesn’t heal up on its own or repair itself. There are a number of surgical techniques available for cartilage repair/replacement, and each has its own specific indications.
People are sometimes concerned about the possible side effects of a steroid injection, associating it with the concept of being ‘on steroids’. The significant potential side effects that are sometimes associated with steroid, such as water retention, thinning of the bones, problems with hormones and so on actually relate to patients being given very high doses of steroids or being put on long courses of steroid tablets, and this does NOT apply to being given a local steroid/cortisone injection, which is something that is given very frequently in association with sports injuries or repetitive strain injuries.
The conditions that may respond very well to steroid injections are:-
Hylans are molecules that are found within the normal fluid within a joint. They are very long chain molecules, so when provided in a liquid form they are very viscous. There are some people who think that by injecting hyaluronic acid into a knee you are ‘lubricating’ the joint – like changing the oil. There are others who believe that injecting hylans into a joint has a chemical/drug effect. Whatever the actual underlying processes might be, it has been shown that injecting hyaluronic acid into an arthritic joint gives significant symptomatic improvement in over 75% of patients, with decreased pain and increased mobility. Some patients feel symptom improvement straight away after an injection, but in many it can take a few weeks before the full benefit is felt. The degree and length of symptom improvement does vary considerably between patients, but some people gain significant benefit for up to 12 months after an injection.
Some insurance companies will fund hyaluronic acid injections but others won’t, and the injection can cost a fair amount of money. So, if you are covered my medical insurance then it is important that you do check with your insurer that your particular policy does cover this, otherwise you will end up having to cover the hospital bill for the injection yourself.
For further information about the different non-surgical treatment options for managing knee arthritis, click here: http://kneereplacements.co.uk/non-surgical-treatments/
For important information about the dangers of the dodgy ‘stem cell’ clinics marketing dangerous unproven sham ‘treatments’, click here: http://kneereplacements.co.uk/stem-cell-injections/
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