KNEE ARTHRITIS - Injections into the joint :

Cortisone shot like a miracle - - Posted by Janet (Janet), 14 March 2004

Just wanted to share my experience with a cortisone injection.

Five years ago I tore my quad tendon. Before that time, I never had a knee problem of any kind. Since then, nothing has gone right and I've had four surgeries and spent the whole last five years rehabbing. Following my last surgery in June 2003 and finishing PT at the end of January 2004, I have had improvement. But I still can't walk with a normal gait and I have quite a bit of pain. I was concerned about taking a planned vacation to Spain (to see my daughter who is studying there this semester). My OS suggested a cortisone shot would help me very short-term and get me through the trip.

I had one injection of anesthetic, then the cortisone was injected under the patella. The anesthetic was great....until my knee was very painful when it wore off in a few hours! But when the cortisone started working, it was like a miracle. It took a full week for it to kick in, but then I could walk normally for the first time in five years. I no longer had any catching, and the burning tendon pain was gone. I walked all over on the trip, and only twice even thought about my knee (when we had walked miles at once).

If only it would last! It has now been three weeks since the injection and I can feel some of the pain returning. My OS had warned me that the relief would be very short lived. I have an appointment on April 20 to talk about Synvisc. If it works as well as the cortizone, I'll be a happy lady!

Janet
Posted by KatieWhy (KatieWhy), 6 June 2004

Have you had the syn-visc shot yet?  How did it work?  I'm kind of new to this--have degenerative arthritis--and have had two steroid shots.  The first worked GREAT!  Like you, painful at first, but then lots of relief.  I just had my second one about a week ago, but have gotten hardly any relief.  The doctor wants to do syn-visc.  I'm trying to find out more about it.  Looking forward to checking out this whole website and learning more....thanks!  Katie

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