What You Should Know about Shoulder Joint Injections for Shoulder Pain
While physical therapy and exercise are ideal for treating and managing shoulder pain, sometimes that’s not possible.
For instance, diseased tendons and arthritic joints may cause severe pain and limit the range of motion.
Shoulder joint injections can reduce inflammation and numb the pain — quickly.
Pain management specialists often recommend steroid injections for shoulder pain, provided the patient hasn’t had too many in the past.
Steroid injections for shoulder pain help in two critical ways:
- Relieve pain so that the patient can rest and function.
- Relieve pain so patients can do physical therapy to improve their shoulder condition.
Reducing or eliminating inflammation and pain increases mobility and range of motion.
How they help relieve pain.
Reduce Inflammation: They take some time to start reducing Inflammation, but the pain relief comes within hours or days.
Numb the pain: They anesthetize the target area, immediately reducing or eliminating pain.
What Shoulder Conditions Shoulder Joint Injections Treat
Before recommending shoulder joint injections for any of the following conditions, pain specialists may order an X-ray or an MRI to clarify the issue.
Also, shoulder joint injections aren’t the answer for all shoulder pain conditions.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
Rotator cuffs tears heal up on their own, except for the most severe tears.
Like rotator cuff tears, rotator cuff impingements, or rubbing or pressure put on a rotator cuff tendon by nearby structures will almost always heal naturally.
A pain-relieving injection can give you the mobility you need to kick start the healing process.
Bursitis
Bursitis is inflammation of a fluid-filled sac called the bursa sac, which has a pillow or cushioning effect that reduces friction between tissues and structures.
Shoulder joint injections are a routine procedure to reduce bursa sac inflammation and pain.
Tendinopathy
Shoulder joint injections are also a routine procedure and a fast treatment for Inflammation from swollen shoulder tendons.
Arthritis
Arthritis can cause inflammation and swelling in the structures of the shoulder. Steroid injections in the shoulder joint provide pain relief and help patients perform exercises and physical therapy to strengthen the joint and reduce arthritis pain.
The Shoulder Joint Injection Procedure
Shoulder joint injections are outpatient procedures pain specialists administer in non-hospital medical facilities.
The injections only take minutes, and patients can almost always leave and carry on with their schedules shortly after the procedure.
Side effects are generally limited to minor pain and swelling at the injection site.
Shoulder Pain Treatment and Management in Texas
At Texas Pain Physicians, we are experts in finding the source of shoulder pain and treating it.
Whether injection or other treatment procedure or therapy, you are in caring hands because we only recommend what’s suitable for your unique pain condition.
Please call us today at (972) 636-5727 or book an appointment online for more information.
