Joint Injection in Riverside, CA

Overview of Joint Injection

Our doctors are fully trained to give injections in many parts of the body. They often use ultrasound to place the needle more exactly.

What is done during a joint injection?

Joint injections and aspirations are done in our office. An aspiration means taking fluid out of a joint. First, the doctor numbs the area with a cold spray or another local numbing medicine. Then they clean the skin well. Next, they put a needle with a syringe into the joint. They can take out fluid to send for lab tests, or they can inject medicine into the joint. The same steps are used for shots into a bursa to treat bursitis, or into a tendon sheath to treat tendonitis.

What benefit is derived from a joint aspiration?

A joint aspiration is usually done to help find the problem or to treat it. The doctor can check the fluid or send it to a lab. Draining a lot of fluid from a large, swollen joint can ease pain and help it move better. Medicine injected into the joint may ease symptoms fully or for a short time.

What benefit is derived from a joint injection?

Joint injections may lower the amount of fluid that builds up in the joint. They may also ease pain and stiffness for a while. They can treat joint problems that involve swelling, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tendonitis, bursitis and osteoarthritis.

What is usually injected into the joint space?

Corticosteroids are used often. They calm inflammation. They slow the buildup of the cells that make the joint swell and hurt. Hyaluronic acid is a thick, slippery fluid that helps the joint glide. It may ease symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee for up to 6 to 12 months.

Related Pages

• Read About Osteoarthritis
• Read About Gout
• Read About Musculoskeletal Ultrasound