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5 side-effects of steroid injections you did not know about

5 side-effects of steroid injections you did not know about
In addition, mortality after hip fractures can be 3-4 times higher than in the general population. All this means that timely treatment of knee arthritis can go a long way in mitigating this risk.

According to a new study, a common treatment to relieve arthritis pain may be detrimental to health. Steroid injections that help numerous patients deal with their pain may damage bones and cartilages.

Written by Jahnavi Sarma |Published : October 17, 2019 7:57 PM IST

Arthritis is a debilitating condition that causes swelling and tenderness in your joints. It is a progressive condition that makes the joints stiff and painful. Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the most common types of arthritis though there are a few other rare types too. In osteoarthritis, the cartilage breaks down and, in rheumatoid arthritis, the immune system begins to attack the joints. Many physicians use steroid injections to provide relief to patients suffering from this painful condition. But it cannot treat the underlying causes or cure the disease itself.

According to a new study at the Boston University School of Medicine, steroid intra-articular injections given at the hip and knee, may be harmful for patients already at risk of complications. It may also come with its own set of complications.

STEROID INJECTIONS MAY DAMAGE JOINT CARTILAGE: RESEARCHERS

Researchers say that they have witnessed accelerated arthritis and joint destruction as an unintended result of intra-articular corticosteroid injections. This is a normal treatment for osteoarthritis and other joint-related pain syndromes. But, so far, there is a controversy raging about the potential benefits of this treatment procedure.

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For the purpose of the study, researchers conducted a search on patients they had injected during (2018) in the hips and knees. They found that 8 per cent of these patients suffered from some complications. Ten per cent of these patients exhibited complications in the hips and four per cent in the knees.

Researchers say that these injections can be very harmful to the joints with serious complications such as osteonecrosis, subchondral insufficiency fracture and rapid progressive osteoarthritis. They also add that intra-articular corticosteroid injection should be seriously discussed for pros and cons. There was unanimous opinion among the researchers that critical considerations about the complications should be part of the patient consent, which is currently not the case. They also say that the radiologic community should actively engage in high-quality research about this topic to better understand potential at-risk conditions prior to intervention and to better understand potential adverse joint events following these procedures to avoid possible complications.

The study is published online in the journal Radiology.

SIDE-EFFECTS OF STEROID INJECTIONS

Steroid injections can reduce pain caused by arthritis, but it cannot cure the condition. It is usually given directly to an inflamed joint like the knees or the hips. It is a short-term solution to your pain. A doctor will avoid administering steroid injections if you have any infections or are a diabetic or suffer from haemophilia. This arthritis treatment has a few side-effects which we list here.

It can cause tissue damage

Too many steroid injections at the same place can damage the tissue inside your body. By too many, we mean more than three in a year. Also, exercising too soon after an injection can cause damage to the tendons. Try to take it easy for about two weeks after you get a steroid injection.

It can lead to a ruptured tendon

This arthritis treatment procedure is one of the most effective ways to decrease pain and improve function. But sometimes, it may cause allergic reactions and cause localised bleeding. It may also lead to a ruptured tendon besides causing an infection. At times, you may also notice skin discoloration. It you take these injections more than the recommended number of times, it can lead to weakness in the bones, ligaments and tendons.

Steroid injection in the hip may cause bone collapse

According to a study at the Radiological Society of North America, osteoarthritis patients who received a steroid injection in the hip had a significantly greater incidence of bone death and collapse compared with control groups. They noted that patients receiving hip injections have symptoms of hip pain severe enough to require the injection and may be prone to faster progression of bony changes compared to the control groups. These considerations may be important as some orthopaedists are requesting higher steroid doses and injections in younger patients. They, therefore, concluded that it is also important to determine what exactly is causing the changes that occur in some patients after steroid injections.

It can increase the risk of infections

Steroid injections received in the months prior to total knee or total hip replacement surgery may increase the risk for infection and related complications. This is according to researchers at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). According to them, these injections suppress the body's immune system, and this puts patients at a higher risk of severe, post-operative infections that are difficult to control. It can lead to further surgery, prolonged antibiotic use and even death.

Steroid injections may cause bone density loss in post-menopausal women

According to a study at Henry Ford Hospital, post-menopausal women may suffer from bone density loss in their hip after getting steroid injection for back pain relief. Researchers say that bone density loss after six months was six times greater when compared to the typical bone density loss seen in a year in a post-menopausal woman who did not receive steroid injection. Researchers, hence, caution that physicians must be careful when prescribing steroid injections as it may compromise bone strength. This study was published in Spine.