There are many causes of joint pain, some of the more common ones include:

• Adult Still’s disease
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Avascular necrosis
• Bone cancer
• Broken bone
• Bursitis (joint inflammation)
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• Dislocation
• Fibromyalgia
• Gonococcal arthritis
• Gout (arthritis related to excess uric acid)
• Hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid)
• Juvenile idiopathic arthritis
• Leukemia
• Lupus
• Lyme disease
• Osteoarthritis (disease-causing the breakdown of joints)
• Osteomyelitis (a bone infection)
• Paget’s disease of bone
• Polymyalgia rheumatica
• Pseudogout
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Reactive arthritis
• Rheumatic fever
• Rheumatoid arthritis (inflammatory joint disease)
• Rickets
• Sarcoidosis (collections of inflammatory cells in the body)
• Septic arthritis
• Sprains
• Tendinitis

The different types of joint injections include:

• Corticosteroid Injections — Traditional injections, such as corticosteroids (also known as cortisone), can be effective as a way to quickly reduce levels of pain and delay the need for surgery.

• Hyaluronic Acid Injections — Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections often are used when corticosteroid injections are not effective, however, they usually are approved only for use in the knee. In some instances, doctors may consider HA injections first if there are no obvious signs of inflammation. Because corticosteroids have the potential to raise blood sugar levels, HA is often a better option for people with diabetes. HA acts as a cushion or a buffer against inflammatory cells in the joint, and in some cases, it can stimulate the knee to start naturally producing more HA. Some pain management doctors also believe that HA helps reduce pain by coating nerve endings within the joint, although this claim lacks clinical evidence. One treatment of HA injections (often one to three injections) usually offers symptom relief for four to five months; however, it can also provide relief for up to one year.

Joint injections have a wide number of uses, from treating pain to reducing inflammation. Typical uses include:

• To treat knee pain
• To treat elbow pain
• To treat shoulder pain
• To treat arthritis
• To alleviate pain caused by an injury

This list is not all-inclusive; there may be other uses for joint injections that are not listed here. For more information about the potential uses of joint injections, call Cape Fear Physical Medicine and Rehab today.

Joint injections are typically not painful when they include a local anesthetic and corticosteroids, however, some patients report feeling pain at the site of injection when receiving injections of other compositions.

At Cape Fear Physical Medicine and Rehab, our medical professionals are experienced at helping people find relief from their pain with joint injections. Contact us today or book an appointment and learn how joint injections can help alleviate your chronic pain. We are conveniently located at 1540 Purdue Dr, Ste. 200, Fayetteville, NC 28303. We serve patients from Fayetteville NC, Woodfield NC, Hope Mills NC, Fort Bragg NC, Eastover NC, and surrounding areas.