Common Pain Conditions that Respond Well to Corticosteroid Injections

Some pain conditions wage a relentless war on your body, fighting you with frustration and sleepless nights. Fortunately, there’s a way to win this battle and quiet the storm of inflammation that fuels your pain — corticosteroid injections.

Like all good superheroes, corticosteroid injections swoop in and save the day, but they aren’t for everyone or every condition.

In this detailed exploration, our interventional pain experts at the Florida Pain Management Institute explain how corticosteroid injections work and which conditions they help. We hope this overview informs, empowers, and instills you with optimism and control in your pain management journey.

How corticosteroids work

Corticosteroids are a class of steroid hormones produced in your adrenal glands. They’re pivotal in regulating inflammation, immune response, and metabolism. 

When synthesized as medication, corticosteroids mimic the anti-inflammatory effects of their naturally occurring counterparts, helping to alleviate swelling, redness, itching, and allergic reactions. 

In chronic pain management, corticosteroids’ anti-inflammatory properties make them powerful allies in minimizing the underlying inflammation that contributes to the persistence and intensity of pain. Specifically, here’s what they do in your body:

Inhibit your immune response

Corticosteroids calm the immune alarm that exacerbates pain by limiting the accumulation of white blood cells and other inflammation-causing agents.

Control kinins

By reducing the release of kinins that signal damage, corticosteroids help hold back the flow of vasoactive peptides that scream “pain” to your nerve endings.

Disrupt enzymes

Corticosteroids disrupt the destructive enzymes that assault injured and healthy tissues, allowing your body’s repair processes to gain traction.

Suppress arachidonic acid 

Corticosteroids decrease arachidonic acid, which reduces the formation of prostaglandins, key players in inflammation.

Which pain conditions do corticosteroid injections help?

Because inflammation triggers painful musculoskeletal conditions, corticosteroid injections can be a game-changer. They are remarkable in quelling the swelling associated with multiple common chronic and acute pain issues, including low back, neck, shoulder, knee, and hip pain. Here are some examples.

Arthritis

Arthritis can make your joints feel like they’re caught in a vice, but corticosteroid injections release that iron grip, providing a reprieve from the swelling within.

Tendinitis

Tendons under inflammation’s siege — tendinitis — get relief from corticosteroids and often regain function post-corticosteroid injections as the tendon’s sheath heals.

Bursitis

When inflamed, the delicate, fluid-filled sacs around peripheral joints transform movement into misery. Corticosteroids channel their power into these areas and restore mobility.

Autoimmune diseases

The inflammatory onslaught characteristic of autoimmune conditions meets its match in corticosteroid injections. By tempering the immune system’s errant attacks, these injections relieve areas affected by systemic inflammation.

Tendinopathy

Beyond acute tendinitis, chronic tendon disorders benefit from corticosteroid injections' anti-inflammatory properties. These injections alleviate pain and improve tendon health over time.

Carpal tunnel syndrome

When swollen tissues press against your median nerve, corticosteroid injections offer pain relief and reduced swelling, easing the nerve compression that characterizes carpal tunnel syndrome.

Tennis elbow

Corticosteroids alleviate inflammation and make way for healing and functional recovery in this common affliction of the elbow’s tendons, which stems from repetitive strain in activities like tennis.

Cancer pain

If you’re battling cancer, you may be facing pain not only from the disease itself but also as a side effect of treatments. Corticosteroid injections can significantly alleviate cancer-related pain by reducing inflammation around tumors or in response to therapy, providing much-needed comfort during a difficult fight.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)

For those suffering from CRPS, a condition characterized by prolonged or excessive pain and changes in skin color, texture, or temperature, corticosteroid injections offer a ray of hope. By mitigating the inflammatory components of CRPS, these injections decrease pain and improve range of motion, making them a valuable tool in managing this challenging condition.

If you’re considering corticosteroid injections for your pain, don’t make the decision alone. Talk with our pain management experts, and make an informed choice that suits your unique circumstances.

You can schedule an appointment online or by calling the Florida Pain Management Institute in Delray Beach or Boynton Beach, Florida, today.