Shots in the Knee for Arthritis Pain

Osteoarthritis is a condition where the cartilage, or tissue that insulates your joints, begins to break down, eventually causing joint damage. The knee joint is one of the most common sites of osteoarthritis, reports the Mayo Clinic, and the pain is sometimes treated with injections.

Identification

• Doctors inject corticosteroid directly into the knee to alleviate arthritis pain. The most commonly used drug for these injections is hydrocortisone, reports the Mayo Clinic.

Function

• Corticosteroid injections work by suppressing the functioning of your immune system. This suppression relieves the inflammation in your knee joint, reducing pain.

Time Frame

• Most corticosteroid injections remain effective for one to two weeks. Occasionally the shots provide relief from arthritic knee pain for up to six months, reports the British Medical Journal.

Risks

• The most common side effects of corticosteroid shots in the knee for arthritis pain is inflammation or redness at the injection site, reports the American Family Physician. More serious risks associated with shots in the knee for arthritis pain include a chance for tendon ruptures, increased blood sugar levels and suppression of your adrenal glands.

Considerations

• The risks associated with shots in the knee for arthritis pain are most common when the injections are used frequently, reports the Mayo Clinic. For this reason, doctors restrict the use of the injections for relief of short episodes of severe pain and avoid using the shots more than once or twice per year for the treatment of arthrtiis.