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Steroid injections in knees

(108 Posts)
Cardamom Thu 07-May-26 11:10:07

I've recently attended a hospital appointment regarding osteoarthritis in both knees. X rays and MRI scans show that there is no bone on bone friction and so knee replacement is unnecessary and an arthroscopy is apparently no longer an option. The only treatment offered to me was steroid injection into the knees. I've been advised that there's only a 50/50 chance that it would offer any relief and the duration of any pain relief is "subjective; every patient is different".

Has anyone had steroid injections into their knee and, if you have, did you get any significant pain relief from it and for how long?

MayBee70 Thu 14-May-26 17:41:58

My surgery can’t even get people’s prescriptions ready on time so I don’t have much faith in them orchestrating something as complicated as that. I’ll give it a go though….

Cardamom Thu 14-May-26 17:50:25

I know that every NHS Trust is different but the consultant at my hospital said that, if I decided to proceed with the steroid injections to my knee, it couldn't be done at my GP practice; it had to be done by him because he has the x rays and MRI scans and is able to see precisely where the injections should be made. I wonder if that might be something worth pursuing MayBee70?

Mollygo Thu 14-May-26 18:01:14

Cardamom

I know that every NHS Trust is different but the consultant at my hospital said that, if I decided to proceed with the steroid injections to my knee, it couldn't be done at my GP practice; it had to be done by him because he has the x rays and MRI scans and is able to see precisely where the injections should be made. I wonder if that might be something worth pursuing MayBee70?

The most effective one I had was carried out as you describe Cardamom.
The consultant told me to come back to him if I had any further problems.
He had no idea how difficult that would be.
I posted earlier about the doctor who put it in the wrong knee, assuring me that the cortisone would get to where it was needed.

Cardamom Thu 14-May-26 18:08:34

Whaaaat? The wrong knee MollyGo? FFS he had a 50/50 chance of getting it in just one knee and screwed it up? Beggars belief.

MayBee70 Thu 14-May-26 18:17:50

I read that the injection needs to be directed to the right part of the knee but my injection was in the knee opposite to where the pain is. The consultant told me to get it done at my doctors. I sometimes wish I could sit down and talk with someone that can tell me exactly what is happening inside my knee. The consultant I saw was very good but I wish I could go back and ask his questions I didn’t think about at the time. Can’t help but feel that I would be treated differently if I was paying privately.

Mollygo Thu 14-May-26 19:50:39

Cardamom

Whaaaat? The wrong knee MollyGo? FFS he had a 50/50 chance of getting it in just one knee and screwed it up? Beggars belief.

It was a she. I did object, but you can’t make too much of a fuss or you end up being labelled argumentative, abusive and then you have to find a new doctor.

MayBee70 Sun 17-May-26 23:51:20

Several weeks on from the injection and I’m still not sure if it has helped. Because you don’t remember pain once it’s gone. What has happened is that my good knee has starting hurting more than my bad knee. I think it takes longer for my bad knee to get sore when I’ve been on my feet for a certain amount of time so I notice what used to be a mild pain in my good knee more. I’ve always said if I put my twenty year old body straight into my body now I wouldn’t think that I could live with it because you get used to the pain to a certain extent. I assume that, if the injection has helped I’ll soon realise it had when the effect wears off confused?