Cortisone injections for knee osteoarthritis

But my knee hurts-how can I exercise?
While it is okay to exercise with some muscle discomfort, one should not exercise through joint pain.  When osteoarthritis knee pain is significant enough to make exercise difficult, doctors have a variety of effective tools to take away the pain, including oral medications  and the other remedies I mentioned above. 

In addition to supervised, targeted exercise, it may also be worth considering pursuing an anti-inflammatory diet and taking a few supplements.  You can also read more about all this in my book The Arthritis Handbook: Improve your health and manage the pain of osteoarthritis (Diamedica, 2008). 

Things to Consider About Steroid Injections

There are a few additional points that you should know about steroid injections for knee osteoarthritis.  First, while the initial injection is often quite effective and may last for 3 to 4 months, subsequent injections tend to be less effective.  Most doctors will only inject a single joint 3 or 4 times over the course of a two-year period because steroids may cause further deterioration in the joint and surrounding structures. 

Although generally well tolerated, there are risks involved with a steroid injection. Infection and bleeding are risks with any injection.  Though rare, a "flare" of increased pain after the injection can also occur.  This flare generally subsides within 3 days. If this happens to you, call your doctor.  Steroid injections can also raise your blood glucose level for a few days so if you have diabetes, you should discuss this potential risk with your doctor.  There are other risks involved.  For example, if you are on a blood thinner like warfarin, you may need to discontinue it prior to the injection.

I urge you to use the information here as a springboard to a thorough discussion of all your therapeutic options, including their potential risks and benefits, with your doctor.  Naturally, only your personal doctor can know if a steroid injection or other treatment is right for you. 
   

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog.  I wish you the best of health, because with good health all things are possible.