How Joint Injections Are Revolutionizing Joint Pain Treatment

More than 50 million Americans suffer from arthritis-related joint pain, and millions more have joint pain caused by acute injuries and general wear and tear. Although pain affects everyone differently, many people find that traditional measures, like over-the-counter medication and stretching, don’t provide long-term relief. 

The good news is that options exist beyond at-home treatments. Minimally invasive therapies, including joint injections, can help ease pain and improve mobility within days or weeks of administration.

At The Center for Primary Care and Sports Medicine, primary care physician and sports medicine specialist Lawrence Kacmar, MD, and our team specialize in pain management with joint injections. Here, we explain how these injections work, who can benefit, and what to expect after treatment.

What are joint injections?

Administering healing substances, such as corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid, directly into your joints works to reduce inflammation, ease pain, and encourage the body’s healing process. Joint injections don’t cure the underlying cause of pain, but they minimize it so you can continue strengthening your joints and improving your mobility through physical and occupational therapy.

The pain relief these injections provide isn’t permanent, but for many people, symptoms ease for 3-6 months or more. After your first injection, we monitor your joint pain at routine checkups, providing maintenance injections every four months if necessary.

Understanding the types of joint injections

We provide several types of joint injections, including:

Corticosteroid shots

Also called steroid injections, these provide immediate relief for acute joint pain. They quickly reduce inflammation and ease discomfort, allowing the body to begin healing. We may recommend this joint injection if you hurt yourself at work or while playing sports. 

Hyaluronic acid injections

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a thick, gooey substance that mimics cartilage, the tissue that cushions the joints. Dr. Kacmar may recommend HA injections if you have joint pain due to mild or moderate arthritis. The procedure is quick and often provides relief for 6-12 months.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy injects sugar water (dextrose) into a painful joint. The sugar solution irritates the joint, stimulating the body’s healing process. It promotes healing by increasing circulation to the joint, reducing inflammation, and easing pain. Dr. Kacmar often prescribes prolotherapy for conditions such as tennis elbow and knee osteoarthritis.

Platelet-rich plasma 

Platelets are microscopic blood cells that promote clotting, but they also contain growth factors that promote healing. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a solution made from your blood, concentrated with platelets, that we inject into a painful joint. 

During PRP, we collect a sample of your blood and separate the blood components, creating a platelet-rich solution by adding a high volume of platelets to a small amount of blood plasma. We then transfer the solution into a syringe and inject it into the injured or painful joint to increase circulation and promote the growth of new, healthy cells and tissue.

Schedule a joint injection consultation

Joint pain can make daily activities like going upstairs or getting in and out of the car seem like Herculean tasks, but you don’t have to suffer. Many people with joint pain worry that surgery may be their only treatment option, but joint injections provide a safe, effective, and minimally invasive alternative. They’ve revolutionized joint pain treatment.

To learn more about how injections could help with your joint pain, contact The Center for Primary Care and Sports Medicine in Aurora, Illinois, today. Call the office or use the online booking feature to make an appointment.