Joint, Bursa, and Other Local Corticosteroid Injections

Corticosteroid injections are used selectively to reduce inflammation and pain in a specifically diagnosed joint, bursa, tendon sheath, or other appropriate local structure. They are not a single treatment for every painful joint and are different from epidural steroid injections used for selected spinal nerve-root pain.

When May a Local Corticosteroid Injection Be Considered?

Examples include selected osteoarthritis-related joint pain, bursitis, and other diagnosis-specific inflammatory conditions when the history, examination, imaging when appropriate, and prior treatment support an injection. Major osteoarthritis guidelines support short-term benefit from intra-articular glucocorticoid injections for selected knee and hip osteoarthritis patients.

Image Guidance

Ultrasound or fluoroscopy may be used when accuracy is important. Image guidance is particularly important for deeper targets such as the hip joint and may be used for other joints or periarticular structures depending on anatomy and the planned injection.

How Long Does Relief Last?

Benefit varies substantially by diagnosis and patient. A local corticosteroid injection should not be promised to provide a fixed 3–6 months of relief, and injections do not restore cartilage or reverse structural arthritis.

Risks and Repeated Injections

Potential risks include temporary post-injection flare, bruising or bleeding, infection, skin pigment change or local fat atrophy, tendon injury when injecting near tendons, transient blood-glucose elevation, other systemic steroid effects, and failure to improve symptoms. The decision to repeat an injection is individualized according to prior benefit, diagnosis, cumulative steroid exposure, medical conditions, and alternatives rather than a universal fixed schedule.

Steroid injections are very similar to cortisol, a hormone your body makes in your adrenal glands. “Steroid” is short for corticosteroid, which is different from the hormone-related steroid compounds that some athletes use. You may hear them called cortisone injections, cortisone shots, steroid shots, or corticosteroid injections.

The steroid medication provides an anti-inflammatory effect to reduce pain, nerve swelling, and irritation, helping your body to regain functionality for a a variable period depending on the diagnosis and individual response. They can treat many kinds of inflammatory conditions like joint pain due to osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sciatic pain, tendonitis, bursitis, and joint pain.

Local steroid injections are less likely to cause serious side effects than systemic forms (oral or IV) of steroid medications and are repeated only after individualized review of prior benefit, risks, cumulative exposure, and alternatives.

Depending on your case, your doctor may give you steroid injections along with pain medications, anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy, occupational therapy, or devices such as braces.