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For Diagnostic And Therapeutic Treatment of Arthritis

Joint Aspiration / Injection can be used as both a means of diagnosing arthritis, and a means of helping to relieve some pain and improve mobility of the affected joints. Only local anaesthetic is needed (or even a cold spray) for this procedure which can be performed in either a hospital or a doctors office. The procedure involves withdrawing fluid from the joint which is affected with arthritis . . . the benefits of which can be twofold . . . the withdrawn fluid can be sent off for analysis and laboratory testing, and medications can be injected into the space in the joint to help with pain relief.

Benefits of Joint Aspiration

This procedure can be helpful in both diagnosis and treatment of joint pain associated with arthritis. The fluid which is obtained cay be sent for laboratory analysis or even analysed by the physician for signs of arthritis . . . maybe the number of red and white blood cells or crystal analysis (to confirm gout). Draining away the fluid can also give a certain amount of relief in itself . . . even if it’s only temporary, and it does also allow for medication to injected into the joint to provide either short term or even complete pain relief. Joint injections can help to decrease the stiffness and relieve joint pain in many conditions including:

• rheumatoid arthritis
• gout
• tendinitis
• psoriatic arthritis
•  bursitis
• osteoarthritis

The medication generally used to inject into the joint space is some sort of anti-inflammatory which is injected to slow down new cells from accumulating which are responsible for the pain and inflammation in the joint in the first place. A lubricating substance may also be used in cases of osteoarthritis which can help with pain relief for up to 12 months.

Which Joints Can Be Treated with Injections

Joint injections can be used with great affect on many joints;

• knee
• ankle
• shoulder
• wrist
• elbow
• thumb
• smaller joints in fingers and toes
• hip (with the aid of an X-ray or ultrasound for guidance)

Possible Side Effects of Joint Aspiration

Joint aspiration is a pretty safe procedure, although some patients might possibly have an allergic reaction to the medication which is injected into the joints, or indeed to the solutions used to clean the skin. The risk of infection with joint injections is very rare, although if there is already infection in a joint then it must not be treated in this way. Repeated joint aspiration into the same joints is discouraged and can only be used periodically.