Could An Injection Help Treat My Foot Pain?

When rest and over-the-counter medications aren’t enough, but you don’t want to jump to a surgical procedure just yet, you may find a treatment middle ground in the form of a steroid injection. These injections contain medicine made from a group of drugs called corticosteroids, and they can help deliver concentrated treatment directly to the source of discomfort. But how do these injections help, and what foot conditions can they help treat? We take a closer look at how foot injections can help treat a variety of issues in today’s blog.

Corticosteroid Injections For Foot Pain

A corticosteroid injection can be a great option for your body because the shot mimics a number of the things that your body is attempting to do on its own to resolve the foot issue. The drugs act like natural hormones in your body that are designed to help reduce swelling and inflammation in an area. As this inflammation subsides, you may notice that pain decreases and your effective range of motion increases.

As you might imagine, pinpointing the source of your discomfort is imperative in ensuring that the injection is delivered to the right location. Once your doctor has identified the affected area with a physical exam or imaging tests, they can administer the injection, which will provide almost immediate relief.

Steroid injections can be a great compliment to a treatment plan for a number of different foot conditions, including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Ankle osteoarthritis
• Plantar fasciitis
• Posterior tibial tendonitis
• Achilles tendinopathy
• Tarsal tunnel syndrome

As we mentioned above, a corticosteroid injection can be a great compliment to a treatment plan, because it’s not a great stand-alone option. The injection can help to reduce swelling and dull pain sensations, but it’s a passive technique that will not fully address your underlying issue. For the greatest effect, you need to pair a corticosteroid injection with active treatments like physical therapy or exercise. This is especially true if your initial discomfort made it difficult to pursue these active treatments.

Corticosteroid injections should also be paired with physical therapy and targeted exercise techniques because the effects of the injection are not permanent. You may experience relief for weeks or months at a time, but the effects will eventually fade, and if you haven’t taken any additional steps to treat your discomfort during this time, you may actually find that you’re in more discomfort once the injection runs its course. You may be able to receive additional injections, but as our bodies start to get used to the presence of the steroid, the effectiveness of the injection will fade, so you can’t just keep going back in for a never-ending supply of pain injections. You need to proactively treat your underlying problem while symptoms are at bay thanks to the injection.

So if you are finding that your current treatment methods aren’t providing the relief you sought, consider reaching out to a foot specialist to see if a corticosteroid injection can provide that extra boost you need to put an end to your foot discomfort. But remember, injections are a passive treatment technique that need to be paired with active intervention and effort on your end for maximum effectiveness. For more information about corticosteroid injections or other ways to treat a foot issue, reach out to the team at The Centers for Advanced Orthopaedics today at (703) 584-2040.