How Long Does It Take to Get Relief After Joint Injections?

Joint injections significantly relieve arthritis and other joint problems — but how soon will you feel less pain? Take a moment to learn about joint injections and when to expect relief from discomfort and swelling.

Joint pain affects tens of millions of Americans and sometimes leads to severe disability. Physical therapy and over-the-counter medications help but don't always provide long-term relief.

If you're still living with joint pain and are looking for a nonsurgical option for pain relief, joint injections are an excellent option. Various types of joint injections can help, depending on the cause of your joint pain.

It can take days to weeks to feel relief after a joint injection, but that time varies greatly. At Prudent Medical Providers, we provide all of the information you need to know about joint injections.

Our team consists of three nurse practitioners who offer joint injections for long-term relief and hopefully prevent the need for surgery.

Common joint injections

Joint injections help relieve painful inflammation in one or more of your joints. You can have a joint injection in just about any joint, but common ones are:

Knees
Shoulders
Hips
Ankles
Neck
Back

We provide various types of injections depending on what’s causing your joint pain. Arthritis is a main culprit behind joint pain and is often hard to control. Whether you have arthritis or another condition that causes joint discomfort, we offer various injections, including:

Hyaluronic acid
Corticosteroids
Platelet-rich plasma
Stem cells

Our injections typically include an anesthetic medication that provides immediate relief while the other components go to work on joint pain. These injections often bring months to years of pain relief related to joint dysfunction.

Who needs a joint injection?

You may need a joint injection if you have joint pain that you haven't been able to control with home care, physical therapy, or oral medications.

Arthritis is one of the conditions we treat with joint injections. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are prevalent forms of the disease that respond well to joint injections. You can also benefit from joint injections if you're living with any of the following:

Gout
Bursitis
Tendonitis
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Trigger finger
Hammertoe
Back or neck pain

Joint injections are minimally invasive, meaning they require only a needle stick. Although more invasive than conservative measures, joint injections offer long-term relief without surgery.

They're also same-day procedures, meaning you can go home and do your normal activities. Joint injections are an excellent option for minor to moderate joint pain.

How long until I get relief?

After a joint injection, it's common to get immediate relief from the anesthetic medication in the shot. Still, the natural relief from medications like cortisone or hyaluronic acid takes time.

The amount of time until you get relief after a joint injection depends on various factors, including the severity of the issue and how your body reacts to the medications.

Hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid injections usually work more quickly than platelet-rich plasma injections because they’re medications. PRP takes longer because it uses your cells, which take time to work and rebuild tissues within the joint.

You can expect to feel some relief within a few days after a corticosteroid injection, although it might take up to a week. If you don't get relief within two weeks, contact the team for another treatment option.

Hyaluronic acid injections require multiple shots over a few weeks, so it may take several months to experience complete relief. The results of all injections vary from person to person, so it's best to discuss your expectations with the team before your injection.

To find out what joint injections can help you, call Prudent Medical Providers today at one of our offices in Tacoma or Federal Way, Washington, or request a telehealth appointment on the website.