Corticosteroid Injections Ineffective for Knee Osteoarthritis
A 2017 AAFP POEM shows that corticosteroid injections are ineffective for knee osteoarthritis over a two year period but side effects of injection remain.
Am Fam Physician. 2017 Sep 15;96(6):406. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28925639
Corticosteroid Injections Provide only short-term improvements for most conditions
A 2015 AAFP article showed that corticosteroid injections only provide short-term improvements for the following:
- Adhesive capsulitis – short-term improvements in pain and range of motion.
- Subacromial impingement syndrome – short-term pain relief and improvement in function.
- Medial and lateral epicondylitis – short-term improvement of symptoms with a high rate of symptom recurrence.
- Hip or knee osteoarthritis may have short-term symptom relief with corticosteroid injections.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome – may help patients avoid or delay surgery.
Corticosteroid Injections effectively treat Trigger Finger and de Quervain tenosynovitis.
Corticosteroid injections for Trigger finger and de Quervain tenosynovitis may be treated effectively with corticosteroid injections.
***The hand (Carpal tunnel, trigger finger, and de Quervain tenosynovitis) seems to be the only place in the body that shows long-term or worthwhile improvement with steroid injection.
***For the shoulders, a good argument in adhesive capsulitis maybe to inject it, provide short-term relief that helps the patient start moving it again with physical therapy.