Steroid injection.

Appleblossom1981

Hello, I’m new here. I’ve recently been diagnosed with bilateral basal thumb arthritis which is causing a lot of pain. I also have arthritis in my feet and knees which was only diagnosed at the end of 2023.

I have an appointment booked next week to have steroid injections in both my hands. I was wondering what to expect and whether I will be able to return to my teaching job straight after the appointment? Thanks.

Naomi33

Hello @Appleblossom1981 and welcome to the online community.

I have had 3 steroid injections and was ok straight after the relief did not last long however but everyone varies with injections ??

The following link maybe of help......

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/steroid-injections/

Please keep posting I am sure people will connect with you soon.

Best wishes @Naomi33

IanS

I had a cortisone injection in my wrist and was able to work the next day. Previous injections have caused a cortisone flare for a day or so which meant I couldn't drive.

cedarrose

Hello @Appleblossom1981, I have been diagnosed with the same location OA and I have also been booked for steroid injections in both thumbs.

Concerned the pain of injection to the post relief that it will give me?

Appleblossom1981

Hi @cedarrose I was given a local anaesthetic before the steroid injections and only had one thumb done at a time. I had to wait two weeks before getting the next injection. The injection wasn’t actually that bad. The doctor felt my thumb joints and asked about the pain to make sure that the injection went in the right place. He told me I could return to work but not to use my hands to twist off jar lids or carry anything heavy for a day or two. I had some bruising and discomfort for a couple of days but that has outweighed the relief the injections have given me in the long run. I had them in Feb and I am still pain free.
Hope all goes well with you!

spondy1959

Hello all, I had a steroid injection in my hand yesterday. Although the pain seems worse from the base of the thumb I also get pain from the wrist so the injection was given in the top of the wrist. This was my second injection in my hand as the benefits of the previous one wore off after a few weeks. I just wondered how many times others have received an injection in the hand?

olivia_b

Hi @spondy1959,

While I cannot give you a medical opinion, I can share my personal experience with steroid injections in the hand.

I have had 4 steroid injections in my hand since being diagnosed in early 2023, I do agree that the benefits can wear off quite quickly, especially with the first injection. The benefits can also vary if you are on any treatment as well. My doctor often uses the injections to give my treatment a head start but of course, this varies from person to person.

As for the pain, I find that the injections hurt for a couple of days to a week after having them. Painkillers such as paracetamol often helped ease the pain if it became too uncomfortable.

If you are finding that the injections are not helping the way you think they should be then I would recommend contacting your doctor or bringing this up at your next appointment to discuss alternatives for you.

I hope that this helps you and please do keep us updated on how you get on with this new injection 😁

Marje

makes a big difference on how it’s done I have had 2 in shoulder first one done via back didn’t last longer than 3 weeks 2nd done differently via top of arm into joint painful to be done but lasted 3 months waiting now for another. Hip didn’t last but told it often doesn’t as it’s weight bearing joint