Pain Injections Specialist

What are pain injections?

Pain injections are treatments to relieve chronic pain. Injections generally include an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory corticosteroid medicine, which provides a numbing effect while reducing swelling in and around your joints for additional pain relief. 

Hyaluronic acid injections, which add cushioning to your joints, are another option. 

Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, offers a wide range of joint pain injections, with a few common types being: 

Bursa injections

Bursa injections go directly into the bursae, the gel-filled sacs that minimize friction between your bones, muscles, and tendons. You have bursae all over your body, but they're most likely to grow inflamed and cause pain in the knees, hips, and shoulders.

Facet injections

Facet injections go into your facet joints, the pairs of tiny joints that link your vertebrae together. Facet joint pain is most likely to occur in the neck and lower back.

Viscosupplementation knee injections

Viscosupplementation injections add hyaluronic acid to your knee to restore smoother movement after cartilage loss. 

The team uses an advanced imaging technique, fluoroscopy, to place your joint injections in the optimal area. Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, can customize your treatment for the situation.

When might I need pain injections?

If you have treatment-resistant pain, stiffness, and other issues, pain injections may help. Some of the conditions that may require this type of treatment include: 

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Osteoarthritis
• Bursitis
• Traumatic injury
• Tendinitis

Pain injections are rarely the first treatment that you try. If physical therapy, oral medication, and other conservative approaches don't help, pain injections may be an option that helps you avoid surgery for the time being. 

How long do results from joint injections last?

Results can vary with the individual, but many people have excellent pain relief, ranging from a couple of days to several months. You can have repeat injections up to several times per year if needed.

What happens if pain injections aren't helpful?

If pain injections aren't helpful, or if they don't last long enough, the Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, team might recommend a longer-lasting option, such as a spinal cord stimulator, peripheral nerve stimulator, or radiofrequency ablation. 

In some spinal cases, the only way to get permanent pain relief is surgery. The Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC, team includes highly accomplished surgeons who use the most advanced equipment and technology to perform minimally invasive spine surgery and spinal fusion. 

To learn more about pain injections and how they can ease your pain, call Michigan Advanced Surgical Center, PLLC.