The idea of having foot injection may sound a bit scary for some. However, those who have experienced the procedure have experienced nothing but great relief after living with constant sharp pain.
Corticosteroid injections are also known as steroid injections. However, this steroid is not like the one the some male athletes may use. These helpful injections are made to reduce the inflammation in the area injected. Don’t be fooled!
When Are Foot Injections Needed?
Many times, clients complain about waking with pain in their foot that will worsen throughout the day, even more so if they are on their feet for most of it.
The pain may be caused by the buildup of scar tissue in the ankle joint or from the presence of bony spurs. Conditions such as arthritis, gout (a type of arthritis that occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood, causing inflammation) and other inflammatory diseases can also cause pain that is greatly reduced by cortisone injections. Similar to the foot injections, there are other types of procedures which are able to be injected into inflamed bursae or tendons in other parts of the body. These could be near the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, hand or wrist.
Unfortunately, a Cortisone injection is not a pain relieving medication, and only treats inflammation. With the inflammation diminished, the pain decreases as well. Usually, patients begin to see an effect within a few days, which can last up to several weeks.
See Our Blog on the inflammation of Bursae here
In other instances, doctors know when to not inject the foot or other parts of the body with steroid injections. They avoid this when there is an infection in the area being treated or elsewhere in the body. Unfortunately, injections do not work with tendons or joints that are severely damaged.
What to Expect When Receiving an Injection
Patients tend to worry about how much pain they will feel during the procedure. The doctors performing the procedure make the injection process less painful for the patient to the best of their abilities, but every patient has a different pain tolerance.
Usually, the cortisone injections are performed with a small needle that causing very little discomfort, but a larger needle may need to be used if the doctor is attempting to remove fluid from the area before the injection.
Patients have also experienced side effects, such as the “Cortisone Flare.” The condition occurs when the cortisone injected into the area crystallizes, causing more pain than the injection itself. Other rare, but serious side effects include allergic reactions or infections in the joint. If medical treatment is sought out early, these conditions are very treatable.
