Steroid Injection Question

LynseyT1

Hi, this is my first post and recently been diagnosed with OA in my right knee and feel my left knee starting.

My question is - I have an appointment for a steroid injection in my right knee tomorrow, should I be able to walk afterwords?

Does anybody have any experience of this treatment?

All replies appreciated,

Lynsey

dreamdaisy

I have had these done quite a few times after an aspiration (I have an auto-immune arthritis which meant my knees were full of fluid) and my nurse always told me to rest for at least 48 hours afterwards, preferably in bed, so that the steroid would have time to properly sink in to the joint. This would give the optimum circumstance for success.

Don't expect immediate results, sometimes it can take up to a fortnight for any benefit to be felt, and sometimes no benefit occurs - we all react differently to these things but I hope you are one of the lucky ones. DD

stickywicket

Hello I've had good results from steroid injections. It's certainly possible to walk after (I once walked home from the hospital :roll: ) but much better if you can keep leg movement to a minimum for 48 hours. This helps to keep the steroids in the knee joint where they are needed rather than having them disperse about the body.

They're a bit hit and miss in whether or not they work. Some of us have great results for weeks. Others find little or no relief. I hope you fall into the former group

DebraKelly

I have had several steriod injections into the knee over the years.
The most recent in July.

My advice, get your steriod injection done, and rest your knee as much as you can for at least 2 days afterwards.
You should start to notice to a difference after this.

However, don't over do it!

Also, beaware that after the intial injection about 4 hours later, you start to be in a lot of pain for a short period of time, this is normal as the injection starts to work in your knee. It will wear off.
But you can take normal painkillers to cope with this.

Please message me if you are unsure as I have had a few of these done and they have really benefited me.

LynseyT1

Thank you for your replies, I will let you know how I get on, my appointment is 2.30pm tomorrow but I will have to walk about a quarter of a mile home afterwards, saves my husband having to pick me up xx

dreamdaisy

I suggest you either take a taxi or inconvenience your husband - that walk, albeit a reasonably short one, will reduce the chance for success. DD

stickywicket

Please do as DD suggests. Don't 'spoil the ship for a 'aporth 'o tar. It's not worth the risk.

dreamdaisy

I hope all went well and that you are now resting after not walking home from the hospital. DD

Boomer13

I agree, do rest afterwards and not walk. The idea is to rest and keep the steroid in the joint space to do it's job on inflammation. If you walk, it increases circulation and will decrease the length of time the steroid stays in the joint.

Hope it works for you.

barbara12

Hello LynseyT1 and welcome to the forum
I have had the injections in my knee ..sadly it didn't do much for me..I have had others in my hips done under xray ..but the ones that did work were in my hands..so you never know but I do wish you well with them..let us know how it goes

LynseyT1

Hi all, I am 48 hours in, man it did hurt a little I have to be honest.

Friday night was ok after the local bit wore off, yesterday slightly sore, today it really is quite tender and I have mobility issues with it, I am back in work tomorrow and work in the 1st floor, I haven't attempted stairs properly yet, just getting a lot of clunking.

Anybody else have spiking of the Tibia?????

dreamdaisy

I've no idea what spiking of the tibia is, I have extra bone growths on both knees and ankles thanks to my OA so I guess I'm spiking differently. I have done stairs like a three year old for years now, the mantra is good leg to heaven (for going up) bad leg to hell (for going down). Descending can be done backwards to be like an adult but if you try that at work I can imagine the H&S bods having heart failure.

I hope you have been resting the knee as much as possible, it remains the only procedure that has me running for the hills (except I can no longer run so swig copious amounts of oromorph before it's done). Our joints were never designed for the 'pressure-washing' of an injection so it's little wonder that things stay sore for a while. DD

dreamdaisy

Hello, we're a few days on now - how are things going? DD

LynseyT1

Well it's been over a week now since I had my injection and I have to say, once the pain and immediate after effects of the injection had subsided, I am back to square one, my knee feels no different.

The crackles and grinds that my knee goes through while I am trying to go up and down stairs knocks me physically sick.

My question is, how long should I leave it before going back to the doctors, I know it can take upto 2 weeks to take effect so am willing to give it a month or so, what do you think?

I want to get back into my swimming and exercising my horses, I can feel the lb's creeping on, so need to make a decision what to do.

dreamdaisy

I am sorry it appears not to have helped, I never had any long-lasting effects from steroid injections of any sort so I empathise, it's not fun is it? I know what you mean about the creaks and grinds, both my knees and ankles are very noisy, especially first thing in the morning!

It may be time to alter how you approach stairs, the mantra is 'good leg to heaven, bad leg to hell' and make sure you don't proceed to the next step until you have both feet on the tread. What pain relief do you have? I see no reason why you can't go swimming again but don 't do breast stroke legs because that won't help.

I don't think there's any point in going back to the doctors yet, another steroid won't be given until at least three months have passed because they thin all body tissues, not just the inflamed ones. When arthritis hits we find ourselves on a steep learning curve and it's not pleasant. DD

stickywicket

Unfortunately, steroid jabs don't work for everyone. You can go back to your GP and ask for more or different pain relief but you won't get another lot of steroids for reasons DD has outlined.

Swimming will be good for you if you take it gently at first. Cycling is also recommended for OA in the knees. Exercising horses? I did RDA and found it very beneficial for overall muscle strength but, if you have to chase and tack up your own, it might put undue pressure on the knee.

LynseyT1

I am going back swimming tomorrow but only doing 20 lengths and not my usual mile (64) but going to try to manage that 3-4 times a week at first, breast stroke is the only stroke I know and have perfected the art of using one leg for the majority of it.

Exercising the horses will be riding my old boy 2-3 times a week and taking my baby girl for a walk a couple of times a week.

I already use that method for going up and down the stairs at home, at work I try to make the effort to do them normally as I quite often have the mick taken out of me.

I am 31 and struggling to accept the funny looks and cynical comments.

dreamdaisy

You don't have to accept the funny looks or cynical comments, stick out your tongue or come up with some witty replies. It is tempting to think that everyone is staring at us but usually people are too busy being wrapped up in themselves. Think back to your social behaviour in the past; have you looked a tad too long at someone in a wheelchair (or spoken to the person with them but not the person in the chair) or someone who doesn't move fluently? You might not like the answer but I bet it's a yes - it's human nature to assess and categorise and it begins in childhood; now you are on the other side of the fence and it ain't fun.

Like many of the younger ones on here you are learning about the process of ageing far too young. Arthritis demands changes to our lives and in how we lead them but it does not require complete surrender. You will find different ways to do the things you enjoy and find new things to enjoy. DD

LynseyT1

I also struggle with my weight so when I try to explain to people about my condition they just look at me as if to say, we what do you expect being the size you are, I just have a battle with how much I can realistically push myself to do exercise.

If the injection does not work I am facing keyhole surgery and that stops me exercising even more and on creep the lb's, how does everyone else cope with their weight????

dreamdaisy

The recovery from the keyhole will stop you exercising - briefly - but after that there is no reason why you cannot continue as now. I had a keyhole synovectomy in 2007 (I think) to clear my right knee of solidified effusion but now I have two kinds of arthritis life is tricky. I am overweight but my mobility is too compromised now for me to burn off any extra - my answer has to be eat less of the bad stuff and more of the good: luckily I love salads and vegetables, fish and chicken but my downfall is white wine, that's where I go wrong. :oops:

We have a member on here who lost five stone despite being wheelchair bound; if she can do it then everyone can, it needs determination and re-education of eating habits but it can be done. I need to alter my mental processes and not view it as a negative but a positive - I know, however, that my pain levels won't diminish which is disappointing. If you have only one or two affected joints then it may well be a very different situation for you and you will be avoiding further damage. DD

stickywicket

I've never had a serious weight problem but I refuse to allow myself to weigh over 10 stone. If I find myself nearing it I just stop buying biscuits, crisps, cake etc. (I don't normally eat sweets or chocolate anyway.) I work on the principle that what I don't have I can't eat. Like DD I like my glass of wine so I make a rule that it's either that or 'afters' for our evening meal but not both.

In a recent news item on here, research indicates that those who lose weight feel less pain. There's motivation http://www.arthritiscare.org.uk/NewsRoom/Latestnewsstories/obesity-risk-for-arthritis