Joint Injections in Scottsdale, AZ

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What are joint injections?

If you have a swollen or painful peripheral joint (such as the hip shoulder, elbow, knee, wrist, foot, and ankle) your symptoms can be relieved by injecting a steroid medication into the affected joint to help relieve pain, reduce the inflammation and improve the joint movement. Pain relief after an injection may last for several weeks to many months. The injections may be also repeated if our doctor deems them necessary, as the more long-term benefit may be obtained after subsequent injections.

Peripheral joint injections are performed as an outpatient procedure in our state-of-the-art facilities, with local anesthesia, and require no special preparation. A small needle is placed into the area using fluoroscopic guidance and confirmed with a small amount of radiographic contrast. The precise placement of the needle with imaging guidance allows our doctors at Southwest Spine & Sports in Scottsdale, AZ, to administer a small dose of steroid to the affected joint with minimal side effects.

What are the benefits of joint injections?

At Southwest Spine & Sports, joint injections offer numerous benefits to our patients in Scottsdale, AZ, including:

  • Quick pain relief that can last several months
  • Promoting joint healing by reducing inflammation
  • Helping to alleviate joint pain and stiffness
  • Treatment is minimally invasive, so no surgery is involved
  • Boosting range of motion and overall joint function
  • No special preparation or general anesthesia is needed
  • Fast treatment, taking about 15 minutes per joint
  • Injections can target numerous body areas based on your needs

Am I a Candidate for Joint Injections?

You may be a candidate for joint injections if:

  • You have been diagnosed with arthritis
  • Your disease hasn't progressed too far

Additionally, these injections can be provided for various areas of the body, including:

  • Neck
  • Shoulder
  • Elbow
  • Wrist
  • Hip
  • Knee
  • Ankle

How are Joint Injections done?

You will be asked to lie nearly flat on your stomach. Under local anesthesia, using x-ray guidance, a small needle is positioned into the facet joint or along the facet joint nerves. A small injection of dye may be used to check the positioning. Medication is then injected (usually a mixture of anti-inflammatory steroids and long-acting anesthetic). Each injection takes about 15 minutes. Multiple levels on either one or both sides may be performed in the same session, depending upon your symptoms.



Facet Joint

Facet injection is performed to help diagnose and/or treat pain related to disease or injury of the posterior joints of the spine. Injection of these joints is an accurate and definitive way to diagnose facet joint pain syndrome because certain joints may appear abnormal but not cause pain, and conversely, the problem joints may appear nearly normal.

Learn more about Joint Injections therapy with this informative brochure.

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What Should I Expect After Joint Injections?

You may experience numbness and/or relief from your pain for up to six hours after the injection. This is due to the long-acting local anesthetic that was used to numb the treatment area. Because of this numbness, you may want to have someone drive you home from your appointment. While there is typically little to no downtime after a joint injection, your usual symptoms may return and feel briefly worse than usual for a day or two as the joint reacts to the steroid. Some may experience bruising and/or soreness at the injection site. The beneficial effects of the steroid injected usually require 2 – 3 days to begin, and it may take as long as a week to reach optimal effectiveness. If the injection blocked your pain effectively, but only for a short time, we may suggest additional injections or a procedure that offers more permanent relief, such as radiofrequency thermocoagulation.



Get Relief For Joint pain

This injection is often the first step in treating stubborn joint pain. It can be used to alleviate pain in the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, or wrist joints. Learn more by contacting Southwest Spine & Sports in Scottsdale, AZ, to schedule your initial consultation with our skilled team.

Videos

Fluoroscopic Guided Steroid Injection for Knee Pain

Facet Joint Injections

Sacroiliac Joint Steroid Injection

Ultrasound-Guided Injections for Shoulder Pain

What are facet joints?
Facet joints are located on the back of the spine on each side where one vertebra slightly overlaps the adjacent vertebrae. They guide and allow the complicated movements of the spine.
What is facet joint syndrome?
Facet joint syndrome involves a constellation of symptoms resulting in diffuse pains that do not fit a clear nerve root pattern. These pains are typically worsened with cold, damp weather and movement of the spine, such as standing, walking, and turning in bed.
Do facet joint injections hurt?
While you may feel slight pressure or discomfort, most patients don't find the procedure painful. The doctor will be interested in how this discomfort compares to your usual pain symptoms and monitor you to ensure you stay comfortable.
What are the risks of facet joint injections?
As with any procedure, there are some inherent risks, although most of these are minimal. Common risks include but are not limited to bruising, bleeding, headaches, and irritation of a nerve or nerve injury, including paralysis, numbness, and weakness. Risks also include infection or reactions to the medications, which may cause breathing difficulties and cardiac difficulties, which may lead to death. Serious risks and complications are extremely rare, however.
How soon will I get pain relief after my joint injections?
It depends on the cause of your joint pain, your health, and your body's response to the injections. On average, most patients can expect the beneficial effects of the steroid injection to take about 2 – 3 days to begin, and it may take as long as a week.
About Us

SW Sports and Spine is a great practice. The staff are friendly, caring, and competent. Dr. Wolff asks questions and listens to your answers. He is able to find the source of your pain, explain what he can do to alleviate it, and then stop the pain. He also looks for other related problems and refers you to another specialist if needed. The surgical center that he does procedures in is also a five star facility. Dr Wolff has improved my life, and my wife's life, tremendously.

Anonymous Healthgrades

Dear Dr. Wolff, I wanted to thank you for taking care of my frozen shoulder. It has been almost 4 weeks since my injection and I have experienced significant improvement. My day-to-day comfort has improved a lot. Thank you very much again

DT Patient Feedback

Dr Wolff is great. Explains everything very well

D.W. Google

Dr Wolfe has been amazing for the last 8 years of my journey with back and neck pain.

M.S. Google

Dr Wolff is amazing, understanding and knowledgeable of your needs, he is so very helpful to patients. He gives you a thorough exam and he explains everything to you which is really important.The nurses again they explain everything in detail. They are very good Dr Wolff’s lucky to have them.. thanksThe staff that works there they are the best, they make your appointments, good.

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*Individual results are not guaranteed and may vary from person to person. Images may contain models.