Joint Injections for Spine-Related and Orthopedic Pain
Joint injections are a non-surgical way to reduce pain and inflammation in irritated joints, including those that support your spine and major weight-bearing areas like the hips, knees, and shoulders. As part of a comprehensive spine and orthopedic care plan, Jeffrey A. Moore, MD may recommend joint injections himself or in collaboration with a pain management specialist to help you move with less pain.
- Image-guided joint injections
- Hip, knee, shoulder & more
- Helps confirm pain source
- Non-surgical pain relief option
Joint injections can be used on their own, or alongside physical therapy and other treatments, to help you stay active while your underlying condition is being managed.
What Are Joint Injections?
Joint injections deliver medication directly into a painful joint to calm inflammation and reduce pain. Depending on your situation, the injection may contain:
- A local anesthetic to provide quick, temporary numbing.
- A corticosteroid to reduce inflammation and swelling.
- Other medications tailored to your specific condition.
Because the medication is placed right where the problem is, joint injections can provide more targeted relief than pills that circulate through your whole body.
Who May Benefit from Joint Injections?
Joint injections are usually considered after basic measures such as rest, activity modification, oral medications, or physical therapy have not provided enough relief. You may be a candidate if your joint pain is related to:
- Osteoarthritis or age-related joint wear and tear.
- Post-injury irritation of a hip, knee, shoulder, or other joint.
- Mechanical stress and overuse from work or sports.
- Inflammation around joints that support the spine and pelvis.
During your visit, Dr. Moore will review your symptoms, examine the involved area, and go over imaging (such as X-rays or MRI) to see whether a joint injection fits into your treatment plan.
What Happens During a Joint Injection?
While the details vary by joint and location, most procedures follow a similar pattern:
- The skin over the joint is cleaned and numbed with a local anesthetic.
- Using imaging guidance (such as X-ray or ultrasound), a thin needle is directed into the joint space.
- Medication is injected directly into the joint.
Many patients notice some immediate relief from the numbing medicine, followed by longer-acting benefit as the anti-inflammatory medication begins to work over the next several days.
Benefits and Limitations of Joint Injections
Joint injections can be a valuable tool, but it’s important to understand what they can and cannot do:
By calming inflammation inside the joint, many patients experience meaningful pain relief and improved mobility for weeks or months.
Joint injections are minimally invasive and done on an outpatient basis, with no large incisions or hospital stay required.
If an injection significantly reduces your pain, it helps confirm that the targeted joint is a major source of your symptoms.
Injections are usually one piece of a full treatment plan that may also include exercise therapy, medications, bracing, or surgery when needed.
Injections do not reverse arthritis; they help manage symptoms while the underlying wear-and-tear or injury is being addressed in other ways.
The degree and duration of pain relief can differ from person to person. Some patients may need periodic repeat injections within safe limits.
Wondering If a Joint Injection Could Help You?
If joint pain is limiting your ability to walk, work, or enjoy daily activities, a consultation with Dr. Moore can help you understand whether a joint injection — along with other spine or orthopedic treatments — is a good option.
- Review of your symptoms, exam, and imaging.
- Discussion of injections, therapy, and other non-surgical options.
- When appropriate, review of surgical solutions for long-term relief.