Injections
Injection therapy may be considered when arthritis symptoms remain limiting despite appropriate lifestyle adjustment, exercise, strengthening, weight management when appropriate, and medication when safe.
Injections can reduce pain and improve function for some patients, but they usually do not repair cartilage or cure arthritis. The best option depends on the joint, the severity of arthritis, previous treatment, medical risk factors, and the patient's goals.
Steroids
Corticosteroid, or cortisone, injections are anti-inflammatory injections placed into an arthritic joint. They can be useful for short-term pain relief, especially when the joint is swollen, inflamed, or flared up. The effect is variable and temporary. Repeated steroid injections should be used thoughtfully, especially in patients with diabetes, infection risk, or advanced arthritis where surgery may be approaching.
Hyaluronic acid (gel)
Hyaluronic acid injections are sometimes called gel injections or viscosupplementation. They are most commonly used for knee arthritis. The goal is to improve the environment inside the joint and reduce pain, but the scientific evidence is mixed and results vary from patient to patient. Gel injections do not rebuild cartilage or reverse arthritis, and they are not usually considered a routine first-line injection for hip arthritis.
PRP
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is prepared from the patient's own blood and injected into the arthritic joint. Current research suggests that PRP may help selected patients with mild to moderate knee arthritis, particularly when the goal is medium-term improvement in pain and function.
In my practice, I currently consider PRP the best injection option when an injection is appropriate for early knee arthritis. PRP is not a reliable method to regrow cartilage, reverse advanced arthritis, or avoid surgery in every patient.
For further details, go to the Injection Therapy section.