Intraarticular injections used for treatment of inflammatory joint diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, tendonitis, bursitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and occasionally osteoarthritis.
Today in Israel latest technology for treatments joints is orthokine therapy – a new non-surgical treatment of joints. Unlike drug injections, orthokine is a method of biological treatment. It represents the serum are made of the patient’s own blood which is centrifuged in a special device and is injected into the joint.
Since orthokine is 100% biological means of its own cells genetically identical to the patient, that does not cause side effects and promotes rapid tissue regeneration and pain killing, as well as discomfort and stiffness in the joint.
Injections are generally shown in the case of localized pain and swelling (located in joint). Most often this treatment is used in combination with other methods, which may include oral drugs, exercises, relaxation, warmth and ice tires as well as other procedures, depending on the type and severity of arthritis. If medication and other conservative treatments do not help, physician may recommend an injection treatment.
During the procedure the diseased joint with a needle inserted from a single dose of anti-inflammatory agents.
Orthokine injections prescribed by the doctor – orthopedist in each individual case, based on the physical examination of the patient and review pictures.
Corticosteroid injections
Corticosteroids are potent anti-inflammatory drugs that facilitate the pain and improve joint mobility.
When a joint is damaged, the body tries to heal and protect itself, thus increasing the blood flow to the affected area, and there delivering substances the immune system. These changes cause pain, swelling, redness and warmth – this is known symptoms of inflammation. Under normal circumstances inflammation of the joints helps to heal the affected area, but in people with diseased joints inflammatory process does not stop. Over time inflammation can cause pain and limit motion of the joint is normal. It can also severely damage the joint, weakening the muscles and tendons, cartilage and bones eroding, and make the joint less stable. Corticosteroids limiting dilation of small blood vessels, help reduce blood flow and reduce the accumulation of cells of the immune system associated with inflammation and joint damage.
Corticosteroid injections may provide short-term relief for rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis in the knee and hip joints. They are also used for the treatment of finger joints, with carpal tunnel syndrome, which causes pain in the wrist with capsules, widely known as “frozen shoulder.” Corticosteroids are used also for the treatment of gout and pseudogout.
Corticosteroid injections are not only used for the treatment of joints. They can also be used to treat soft tissue diseases such as bursitis and tendonitis. Bursitis – an inflammation of the bursa, a small bag, located in joint where the tendons and muscles are attached to bones. Fluid from Bursa lubricates the surface to prevent irritation of the joint. Sometimes Bursa itself becomes irritated, swollen and sore, and in such cases the use of corticosteroid injections helps to relieve inflammation. Such bags are elbow, shoulder, hip, knee joints, as well as heels.
Tendonitis is an inflammation of tendons, connective tissue, by which the muscles are attached to the bone. Tendon can become inflamed from overuse or misuse of foot movement, and in this case the use of corticosteroids may reduce the discomfort. To tendinitis include diseases such as tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow.
Corticosteroid injections are also used in the treatment of the spine. Body mainly responds well to epidural injections of corticosteroid in spinal stenosis, herniated discs, which are caused by inflammation of a nerve in the spine (usually in the lower part) that leads to back pain. By reducing inflammation and edema in the nerve roots and other parts of the spine, the pressure on the spinal nerves is reduced, which helps to alleviate pain and discomfort. Epidural injections can be very helpful for people who have pain in the back and legs, but not helped by conservative treatment, and the operation is contraindicated.
Epidural injections administered an experienced orthopedist under X-ray or CT control. Sometimes this treatment can last for three weeks (3 injections).
Our experts due to the large experience of such treatment, injection technique and own calculation correct dose at a high level that allows our patients to easily pass injection treatment.
Corticosteroids are contraindicated:
– With infectious lesions of the joints (septic arthritis)
– With thinning bones (osteoporosis) joints
– People with poorly controlled diabetes as corticosteroids increase the risk of the already high level of glucose in the blood
– Joints replacement
Hyaluronic acid
Another less common type is hyaluronic acid injections (Viscosupplementation) which due to high viscous, capable of replacing the fluid in the joint. This method is also used to remove excess liquid from the joint.
