Injections

Has anyone had injections in there joints if so please let me know if it helped?

I had them in my knees it helped a little but it was temporary relief. If you get them dont look at the needle!! ;)

I've known a few people who've had steroid injections in their lower back and had good results. My SI joint is killing me--if this keeps up I will have to consider an injection or something more drastic than the ibuprofen, Tylenol, salonpas patches and ice packs I am using at this moment and at this moment they aren't helping. Let us know where that pain is for which you are considering injections and how that turns out for you.

Thanks. I heard it was temporary so I'm not sure that I want to do it yet. My appointment is tomorrow to discuss how to move forward from here. Dermatologist on Wednesday, I'll what they say.

Some people have a really good response to cortisone shots, others, not so much. I have had one cortisone shot work well, ever. Yet I keep trying them. My mom on the other hand has had Mapuche better success.

It’s likely worth a try.

I had several in my foot. They hurt like hell at first but they did help it to “heal up”. I still have periodic pain but I can walk on it now i, and not hobble (most days). It does not stop PsA from causing damage tho. Only the biologics do that, from what I’ve read. Hope that helps some.

I haven't had good experiences. Tried it twice, once in a finger, once in an elbow. Both times I developed unspeakable pain a few hours after that lasted for 24 hours or so. After that subsided things were better for a few weeks, but both times the original problem returned with a vengeance, worse than before the cortisone.

I'm probably an outlier, and I know plenty of folks who swear by them. Like anything else, though, outcomes will vary.

I have had cortisone shots in my hip and in my shoulder and both were successful. My Dr. does not like giving me them as they weaken the tendons and I try to manage with as little possible unless I completely lose the function of a body part and the pain is off the charts for more then a few days....then I will request a shot...or a short course of prednisone.

I've had quite a few - toe/MTP joint, shoulder/subacromial bursa, both knees - with varying degrees of relief and benefit period. Having them done under ultrasound guidance gets the steroid right where it's most needed but my docs have had varying views on whether this is actually any more beneficial ..... personally I think those with u/s have actually been less painful procedures.

Depending on how effective the local anaesthetic spray is on your skin you may/may not feel the needle but once it's in position all you feel as the steroid is injected is a slight pressure. Anaesthetic is included with the steroid so immediately afterwards I've had good pain relief for most that day but once it wears off it can be uncomfy to painful for 24-48 hours but OTC pain relief is adequate.

My best result was with my shoulder, a good month with no pain at all and even after that period it hasn't flared as badly. Knees, it's taken the edge off but that's all .... it's now two months or so I guess. Toe, didn't help at all.

Would I have it again. YES! I think it's a useful option in the arsenal of treatments we need to help us manage with PsA.

Jules,

I remember my doctor saying it was going to hurt but I was in so much pain I felt nothing! I had one shot at my doctors office (shoulder) and the other was in the emergency room at the hospital (hip). I felt nothing both times, again the pain was so intense I didn't even feel the needle. I agree with you, I would have another one if needed as it did provide relief and after a few days I regained my mobility.



Jules said:

I've had quite a few - toe/MTP joint, shoulder/subacromial bursa, both knees - with varying degrees of relief and benefit period. Having them done under ultrasound guidance gets the steroid right where it's most needed but my docs have had varying views on whether this is actually any more beneficial ..... personally I think those with u/s have actually been less painful procedures.

Depending on how effective the local anaesthetic spray is on your skin you may/may not feel the needle but once it's in position all you feel as the steroid is injected is a slight pressure. Anaesthetic is included with the steroid so immediately afterwards I've had good pain relief for most that day but once it wears off it can be uncomfy to painful for 24-48 hours but OTC pain relief is adequate.

My best result was with my shoulder, a good month with no pain at all and even after that period it hasn't flared as badly. Knees, it's taken the edge off but that's all .... it's now two months or so I guess. Toe, didn't help at all.

Would I have it again. YES! I think it's a useful option in the arsenal of treatments we need to help us manage with PsA.

Has anyone had that injection into the top of their butt? I guess that's the sacrailiac joint..? That's what my PT tells me. That's where my main pain is and it shoots through my hip and down my leg. I've also had bulging discs pain in the past that felt the same. Where do they do the injection for this kind of pain? I don't know if the PT I've been getting is going to help this.

TaraLynn said:

Jules,

I remember my doctor saying it was going to hurt but I was in so much pain I felt nothing! I had one shot at my doctors office (shoulder) and the other was in the emergency room at the hospital (hip). I felt nothing both times, again the pain was so intense I didn't even feel the needle. I agree with you, I would have another one if needed as it did provide relief and after a few days I regained my mobility.



Jules said:

I've had quite a few - toe/MTP joint, shoulder/subacromial bursa, both knees - with varying degrees of relief and benefit period. Having them done under ultrasound guidance gets the steroid right where it's most needed but my docs have had varying views on whether this is actually any more beneficial ..... personally I think those with u/s have actually been less painful procedures.

Depending on how effective the local anaesthetic spray is on your skin you may/may not feel the needle but once it's in position all you feel as the steroid is injected is a slight pressure. Anaesthetic is included with the steroid so immediately afterwards I've had good pain relief for most that day but once it wears off it can be uncomfy to painful for 24-48 hours but OTC pain relief is adequate.

My best result was with my shoulder, a good month with no pain at all and even after that period it hasn't flared as badly. Knees, it's taken the edge off but that's all .... it's now two months or so I guess. Toe, didn't help at all.

Would I have it again. YES! I think it's a useful option in the arsenal of treatments we need to help us manage with PsA.

If you're talking about the inter-muscular injection into the fleshy/fatty/muscle bit of your butt, then yes, I've had a couple of those too. They work more systemically wherever the inflammation is. Didn't help me at all but I think quite a few people find them effective, especially to tide them over in between other treatments.

Grandma J said:

Has anyone had that injection into the top of their butt? I guess that's the sacrailiac joint..? That's what my PT tells me. That's where my main pain is and it shoots through my hip and down my leg. I've also had bulging discs pain in the past that felt the same. Where do they do the injection for this kind of pain? I don't know if the PT I've been getting is going to help this.

Yup, had the knee injections, I believe I had both steroid and viscosupplementation. Both contained the anaesthetic, so were wonderfully soothing immediately. Then a bit of discomfort for a few days, but helpful in the longer run. I knew it was time for the surgery when they quit helping.

Ambrosia is right: don’t look unless you have an unnatural interest in medical procedures. LOL

I have had injections in my hands. The trigger finger injections helped and did not hurt too much to get them. The finger joint that was very swollen and getting "mushy" it did not help and hurt terribly and I was unable to use it at all for 3 days. My hip we injected as the damage was visible on MRI and it hurt like hell. The injection did not hurt but did not help either. My hip has a labral tear and a tangle in the tendons. Then we tried injecting my spine (just like an epidural!) to help my hip and it really helped but only lasted about 6 weeks. My spine is so damaged that some of the pain in my hip is referred pain from my spine. The spinal surgeon said I could either get epidurals every 6 weeks or have surgery. I am still mulling that over. I have also had the bursas in my hip injected and that helped too but did not last very long. I am unsure I want to start having surgeries. As my Rheumatologist likes to say I may be a very precarious house of cards that may start to tumble!

Omg all this talk about injections is scary!!!! I got brave to take Enbrel injections-which do make me flinch even though they're the sureclick injectors! Long needles straight into me-joints, muscles, fat butt, whatever-yikes!!! You can draw as much blood as you want out of my arm and it doesn't bother me one iota, but other shots are terrifying!!!

That’s why I said not to look, Grandma J! ROFL

UGH, Michael, the procedure dilemma. Do it and gamble that you will get better, or you might be worse off. Tough decision. And there’s no such thing as the right answer – only the answer that seems right to you at the time. A tough one, and one that a lot of us have had to grapple with.



michael in vermont said:

I have had injections in my hands. The trigger finger injections helped and did not hurt too much to get them. The finger joint that was very swollen and getting “mushy” it did not help and hurt terribly and I was unable to use it at all for 3 days. My hip we injected as the damage was visible on MRI and it hurt like hell. The injection did not hurt but did not help either. My hip has a labral tear and a tangle in the tendons. Then we tried injecting my spine (just like an epidural!) to help my hip and it really helped but only lasted about 6 weeks. My spine is so damaged that some of the pain in my hip is referred pain from my spine. The spinal surgeon said I could either get epidurals every 6 weeks or have surgery. I am still mulling that over. I have also had the bursas in my hip injected and that helped too but did not last very long. I am unsure I want to start having surgeries. As my Rheumatologist likes to say I may be a very precarious house of cards that may start to tumble!

I know it's a bitch isn't it Seenie? I have been "mulling" it for it a few years! No point in rushing into something!

Yes, you are right in being cautious! I hate to say this, but its the truth...everybody I know that's had surgery in our local hospital got mrsa.

michael in vermont said:

I know it's a bitch isn't it Seenie? I have been "mulling" it for it a few years! No point in rushing into something!

I have done shoulder, lumbar spine and SI joint injections. My Pain Management doc did my SI one's after discovering my sypmtoms where confused for some slightly buldging dics (which are there but now

t bad enough to cause issues). SI joints are very mysterious to a lot of doctors and the symptoms are similar too low back problems. I spent years and 3 rounds of injections, countless rounds of PT and assorted other treatments on the wrong spot! My SI joints are shot now I have both at PsA factor and a mechanical factor in both. I got injections in both a little over a month ago. Im not going to lie, it was the worst of all I have had. One side was hard to get placed so that didn't help. They have to pop through something to get to the joint, also the joint space is long and narrow and the surface is not the same foreveryone (bumpy), so getting the spot right so the med can flow to all of it can be hard.

Injections aren't fun, but they can help so much!