Joint pain frequently occurs because of acute or chronic inflammation, often with minor or major tussue damage within a joint. At Denver Sports Medicine and Spine, our medical team is anchored by Dr. Yani Zinis, a leader in the field of outpatient PM&R along with Raili Donnelly, PA-C. We provide joint injections to reduce inflammation and pain and promote recovery. To learn more about how cortisone the various types of joint injections can relieve your pain and help you get back to doing what you love, please call for a consult or register for an appointment online.
request an appointmentWhat are joint injections?
Joint injections involve administering medications or natural substances directly into an acute or chronically injured and painful joint. The main goal of joint injections is to decrease the inflammation that causes pain and stiffness. This can then facilitate strengthening and stabilization efforts and improve overall function.
Who needs joint injections?
Joint injections are usually an option for patients with acute or chronic joint pain that doesn’t always improve with initial non-invasive treatment. For the spine, the team refers to elite level interventional pain specialists when necessary.
The main joints in yourbody include the knees, hips, spine, wrists, ankles, and many other areas. Injections can target pain and stiffness stemming from small and large joints, giving you longer-lasting pain relief than oral medication.
These injections often are a promising treatment option to reduce joint pain and immobility. The team views these as a means to an end — to maximize the best functional improvement possible and to facilitate rehabilitation.
Many patients have pain-causing conditions but want to avoid surgery. Injections may ease your symptoms and allow your body to heal more naturally in an effort to prolong or avoid surgery and improve rehabilitation efforts.
What are the different options for joint injections?
Denver Sports Medicine and Spine offers several types of joint injections to meet the needs of a diverse array of patients, including:
Cortisone injections
Cortisone injections deliver inflammation-reducing steroids within joints while avoiding excessive doses so as to prevent joint deterioration. Injections often include a local anesthetic as well. The anesthetic provides immediate pain relief but fades, which is followed shortly by the anti-inflammatory benefit of cortisone.
The intent is that the anti-inflammatory effect and pain relief last several months or longer. These injections are judiciously given and typically are an initial option for both diagnostic and treatment purposes. They are always done in conjunction with a well-designed and thought out rehabilitation plan.
Viscosupplementation injections
Often considered for more chronic/arthritic issues, viscosupplementation injections deliverviscous gel type fluid (hyaluronic acid, a naturally-occurring substance) into the joints. Ilubricates smooth joint movement in stiff and painful knees (or other joints*).
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP)
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections are performed with the latest technology to separate and concentrate your own body’s strongest healing properties. PRP injections deliver your blood’s concentrated platelets and their powerful anti-inflammatory factors into your joints and injured tendons. The injections promote reduced inflammation, increased healing and pain relief.
Allograft tissue injections
Allograft tissue injections* used at Denver Sports Medicine and Spine are obtained only from FDA registered labs and come from donated umbilical cord tissue following scheduled C-sections.
The tissue contains collagen, cytokines, growth factors, hyaluronic acid, and other powerful healing substances. The tissue administration reduces inflammation and pain progressively over weeks to months, while drawing your body’s healing cells to facilitate tissue repair. Allograft tissue injections can take several weeks to take effect and as we track outcomes, we have many patients who progressively experience months to years of significant relief.
Patients are carefully evaluated in order to determine which joint injection is most appropriate. The longevity of all joint injections varies with the specific product and your body’s individual response to treatment, but many patients experience at least a few months of relief.
If you’re ready for a definitive diagnosis and evaluation to determine if these options are apaportiate for your condition, please call Denver Sports Medicine and Spine or book an appointment online today.
*Viscosupplementation is FDA-approved for treatment of knee osteoarthritis.
*Some tissue injections at this point are FDA-approved only for the treatment of certain cancers, blood disorders, and immune disorders. Research for orthopedic use is still an ongoing process.