Also known as corticosteroid injections, steroid injections are anti-inflammatory medicines used for treating a wide range of conditions. One of the effective uses of steroid injections is relieving inflammation and painful conditions. The NJ Spine and Wellness team provides East Brunswick steroid injections to treat various illnesses and injuries. If you have any inflammation or a painful condition, the individualized steroid injections guarantee you faster recovery. For more information, call or schedule an appointment online today.
What Exactly Are Steroid Injections?
Steroids refer to solid anti-inflammatory medications. Also referred to as corticosteroid shots or cortisone injections, the steroid injections consist of a combination of numbing medicine and steroids. Pharmaceutical companies manufacture synthetic steroids to mimic the action of cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone naturally produced by the adrenal glands and plays the role of reducing inflammation.
What Conditions Do Steroid Injections Treat?
Steroid injections are effective in relieving pain from various degenerative conditions and injuries. The NJ Spine and Wellness team usually uses steroid injections is the treatment of neck pain, joint pain, back pain, tendonitis, osteoarthritis, sciatica, bursitis, spinal stenosis, herniated discs, plantar fasciitis, etc. Depending on your condition, the provider may use steroid injections together with other treatments including chiropractic, physical therapy, or acupuncture, to treat even the underlying condition.
What Should You Expect When Getting A Steroid Injection?
When you visit your provider for a steroid injection, the provider begins by reviewing your symptoms to determine the best treatments for relieving your pain. If the provider sees it perfect to use steroid injection for your condition, they may require you to stop taking particular medications before getting your injection.
Depending on the location of your injection, you might be asked to change into a hospital gown to get your injection. In some instances, the provider might have a local anesthetic to keep you comfortable during the treatment. They might also use fluoroscopy, a type of X-ray that helps in guiding the needle to the correct location. The steroid injection only takes a few seconds or minutes.
How Soon Will You Feel Better After Steroid Injection?
The steroid injection has a numbing medication that quickly takes effect and offers immediate relief. On the other hand, the steroid requires a bit of time to relieve the severe inflammation. Most patients get relief for the first twenty-four hours or more and then have a slight upsurge in pain before the full effects of the steroids become noticeable.
After the injection, the site may become tender for some days, but the discomfort should quickly ease with an ice pack. You don’t have to take any time off after the steroid injection for recovery, but you should maintain the site dry for a minimum of 24 hours.
To sum up, degenerative conditions and injuries can cause a lot of pain and inflammation. The NJ Spine and Wellness team is experienced in providing steroid injections to help relieve the painful inflammations caused by a range of conditions. For more information about the treatment, call or book an appointment online today.