Peripheral Joint Injections

Peripheral joints are any of the joints located outside of the central spine. This includes major joints like the hips, knees, shoulders, and elbows, as well as smaller joints in the hands and feet. These joints are highly susceptible to wear-and-tear arthritis (osteoarthritis), sports injuries, and tendonitis.

A Corticosteroid Injection (CSI) is generally used to quickly suppress severe inflammation and provide rapid pain relief for arthritic flare-ups. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a regenerative therapy that uses your own concentrated blood platelets to stimulate the repair of damaged cartilage, tendons, and ligaments for long-term healing. Your doctor will discuss which is best for your specific condition.

Patients suffering from chronic joint pain, osteoarthritis, bursitis, or tendon injuries who have not found relief through physical therapy or oral medications are excellent candidates. These injections are often used to delay or entirely prevent the need for invasive joint replacement surgeries.

The doctor will numb the area around the painful joint. To ensure the medication reaches the exact source of your pain, the physician uses ultrasound or fluoroscopic imaging to guide the needle perfectly into the joint capsule before releasing the PRP or steroid solution.

It is a quick outpatient procedure. For CSI, you can usually return to light activities the next day. If you receive PRP, your doctor will likely ask you to rest the joint for a few days and avoid anti-inflammatory medications (like Ibuprofen) so that the natural healing and inflammatory response can do its job.