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Basic Facts
Use of injections dates back to 1930s as a way to treat joint pain
Joint injections appear to work via the anti-inflammatory properties of steroids
Local injections rarely elicit systemic side effects
Often used in combination with a local anesthetic (lidocaine or marcaine) to (1) offer immediate pain relief and thereby (2) assuring the accurate placement of the needle into the joint space
Clinical Uses
Joint and soft tissue injections are used to relieve pain symptoms
Also used for diagnostic purposes:
Assists with pinpointing the origin of pain. For example, if a patient with shoulder weakness has no improvement in strength shortly after an injection, then you can feel more certain that the symptom is due to a rotator cuff tear rather than impingement
Diagnosis of a septic joint or crystal arthropathy through microscopic analysis of the synovial fluid
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