Has anyone had intra-articular injections?

Hi hazha. Through the years I have had quite a number of intra-articular injections of Cortisone in multiple joints. I have also had drug treatment injections into my knees. My own experience of these has been the decrease of pain and swelling within the joint. The injections can be a bit painful so it is important that your rheumy/doctor applies a numbing agent first. Grasping my husband's hand is also helpful but if you are alone ask the nurse if you might hold his/her hand if the injection hurts. I can say that the pain is momentary but the positive outcomes were long lasting, often from six-nine months. I often went home and had to ice the joint and though relief might not have been instantaneous, by the next day I usually experienced great results. Here also is an article on the treatment and most commonly used medications, https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-an-intra-articular-injection-2552253 I hoped what I shared is helpful and has diminished your stress about these injections. Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. All my best, ~CynthiaV, Team Member

Thank you very much for your response, I really got benefit from it. My problem is that i have a nodule, it’s present for long time ago, there’s no benefit when i’m using systemic drugs, it’s not painful most of the times, but sometimes I experience sever pain and it’s very ugly cosmetically, i’m currently not seeing my rheumatologist because of lockdown, but if i did the injection, i will share the information for others benefit.

That sounds to be good, I really need to try.
Thank you!

Hello hazha! Thank you for your question. It really is a good one.
My fellow team members Richard and Cynthia have sent you a link to some great articles on this topic.
Yes, I have personally had my first intra-articular injection into my ankle joint. Total transparency here, I was really scared to do it. After much research I agreed to have it done in June 2020. I gripped the edge of the examining table really really hard, when I got the injection. My ankle felt worse for the first 48 hours. However, my physician did tell me to expect that it might feel worse before it feels better. I personally would recommend to have a driver for the day of the injection. In my experience, ice to the site that was injected works well. The third day my ankle felt good and most of the pain had diminished. I have not had another injection since. Again, how long an injection can last is different for everyone. Some people get these injections and do not feel any difference. The injection for me greatly reduced the amount of swelling I had and significantly improved my quality of life. Also, as a side note. It is important to make sure to wear supportive shoes and if your doctor deems it necessary orthotic insole supports. The injections can help, but providing proper support for you feet helps keep the rest of your body in proper alignment.
Thanks again for your post. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out. You are part of our Rheumatoidarthritis.net family and we would love an update on how you are coming along on your decision making process regarding the intra-articular shots.
Just Keep Swimming,
Lynn Marie (RheumatoidArthritis.Net Team)