If you suffer from shoulder pain, you may be wondering how joint injections can help manage your discomfort. The most common type of shoulder injection therapy uses corticosteroids, or steroids, to reduce inflammation. Steroid injections can treat a variety of shoulder conditions, including tendinitis, bursitis, inflammatory arthritis and rotator cuff tears.

To determine if a therapeutic injection is the best option for treating your pain, contact a pain management specialist to discuss your options. In the meantime, here are the ways that joint injections can relieve shoulder discomfort.

Benefits of Shoulder Joint Injections

Therapeutic joint injections are comprised of a corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic. Most of the time, these injections can be delivered in a doctor’s office with very little side effects. A small amount of numbing spray is applied to the site, and no general anesthesia is required. Ultrasound imaging may be used to guide the injection and ensure it hits the right spot.

Cortisone injections help shoulder pain in the following ways:

• Reduces inflammation. The shots themselves are not pain relievers. Cortisone is known for reducing inflammation, which in turn reduces pain. Usually, this pain relief is only temporary, though some clients have had long-term relief from a single cortisone shot.
• Offers immediate relief. When cortisone is injected into the shoulder, it acts much faster than taking oral medication like aspirin. The cortisone works immediately, and inflammation is reduced within a few days.
• Has fewer side effects. Therapeutic injections have fewer side effects than oral medications. They are localized and do not reach the rest of the body as aspirin and acetaminophen do. To ensure the injections are safe, your pain management doctor will recommend a limited amount over the year.
• Treats various conditions. Joint injections can treat many different shoulder conditions, though they are most commonly used for bursitis and tendonitis. Because these conditions involve inflamed bursa or tendons, the cortisone is highly effective.

When treating shoulder pain, cortisone injections work within 3 to 5 days. Most clients have pain relief for several months, though each person is different. Cortisone injections are not for everyone, but they may be right for you. Even if the shots do work for you, it’s important to continue physical therapy and other recommended treatments to manage pain and inflammation and speed up healing times.

Jersey Rehab and Pain Management offers steroid injections for shoulder pain. To learn more about our treatments and if they are right for you, contact us today at one of our four locations or schedule an appointment online.