Chiropractors know how to address joint pain without drugs, but unfortunately, corticosteroid injections remain a popular choice for many medical providers treating patients suffering from osteoarthritis. According to new research: these injections may actually escalate the progression of OA. It can also increase the likelihood that a patient will require joint replacement surgery at some point.
An article was published in Radiology by A.J. Kompel, et al. They found a significant rate of complications among osteoarthritis patients who received intra-articular corticosteroid injections to the hips or knees. Complications appeared two to 15 months following the injections.
Findings came courtesy of analysis of two sources. The existing literature database on corticosteroid injections for osteoarthritis and data on 459 patients at Boston Medical Center. The data came from those who received 1-3 injections for hip or knee OA in 2018. There is a clear risk that steroid injections into a joint can cause destructive arthritis. The rapidly progressing loss of joint space in patients that have only mild to no arthritis at the initial presentation.
Therefore the authors recommend careful scrutinization of which patients are prescribed steroid injections. Furthermore, they emphasize that “practitioners should be alert for emerging evidence that clarifies or helps determine the balance between benefits and potential harm. Patient preference should have a lot of influence on the type of treatment selected.”
