Drug treatment - injectable corticosteroids

Corticosteroids generally are not used for osteoarthritis. However, the direct injection of corticosteroids into an inflamed joint can markedly reduce the swelling of soft tissues and relieve pain.

• Unfortunately, corticosteroids can cause adverse side effects (such as joint degradation) when injected indiscriminately over long periods of time directly into a joint. Therefore, they should be used only to treat occasional bouts of joint pain and swelling in osteoarthritis, particularly in younger people.
• A single injection may be sufficient to relieve osteoarthritis for several months. The effect lasts for different amounts of time in different people.
• They don't work for everyone.

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