Knee Injection

What is a Knee Injection

Knee injection is a procedure to get medicine into your knee joint to relieve the pain, swelling, and stiffness of arthritis. Your health care provider uses a needle to inject medicine, which may also help to lubricate and cushion your knee joint. You may need more than one injection.

Tell a health care provider about:

  • Any allergies you have.
  • All medicines you are taking, including vitamins, herbs, eye drops, creams, and over-the-counter medicines.
  • Any problems you or family members have had with anesthetic medicines.
  • Any blood disorders you have.
  • Any surgeries you have had.
  • Any medical conditions you have.
  • Whether you are pregnant or may be pregnant.

What are the risks?

Generally, this is a safe procedure. However, problems may occur, including:

  • Infection.
  • Bleeding.
  • Symptoms that get worse.
  • Damage to the area around your knee.
  • Allergic reaction to any of the medicines.
  • Skin reactions from repeated injections.

What happens before the procedure?

  • Ask your health care provider about changing or stopping your regular medicines. This is especially important if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
  • Plan to have someone take you home from the hospital or clinic.

What happens during the procedure?

  • You will sit or lie down in a position for your knee to be treated.
  • The skin over your kneecap will be cleaned with a germ-killing soap.
  • You will be given a medicine that numbs the area (local anesthetic). You may feel some stinging.
  • The medicine will be injected into your knee. The needle is carefully placed between your kneecap and your knee. The medicine is injected into the joint space.
  • The needle will be removed at the end of the procedure.
  • A bandage (dressing) may be placed over the injection site.

The procedure may vary among health care providers and hospitals.

What can I expect after the procedure?

  • Your blood pressure, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood oxygen level will be monitored until you leave the hospital or clinic.
  • You may have to move your knee through its full range of motion. This helps to get all the medicine into your joint space.
  • You will be watched to make sure that you do not have a reaction to the injected medicine.
  • You may feel more pain, swelling, and warmth than you did before the injection. This reaction may last about 1–2 days.

Follow these instructions at home:

Medicines

  • Take over-the-counter and prescription medicines only as told by your doctor.
  • Do not drive or use heavy machinery while taking prescription pain medicine.
  • Do not take medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen unless your health care provider tells you to take them.

Injection site care

  • Follow instructions from your health care provider about:
    • How to take care of your puncture site.
    • When and how you should change your dressing.
    • When you should remove your dressing.
  • Check your injection area every day for signs of infection. Check for:
    • More redness, swelling, or pain after 2 days.
    • Fluid or blood.
    • Pus or a bad smell.
    • Warmth.

Managing pain, stiffness, and swelling

  • If directed, put ice on the injection area:
    • Put ice in a plastic bag.
    • Place a towel between your skin and the bag.
    • Leave the ice on for 20 minutes, 2–3 times per day.
  • Do not apply heat to your knee.
  • Raise (elevate) the injection area above the level of your heart while you are sitting or lying down.

General instructions

  • If you were given a dressing, keep it dry until your health care provider says it can be removed. Ask your health care provider when you can start showering or taking a bath.
  • Avoid strenuous activities for as long as directed by your health care provider. Ask your health care provider when you can return to your normal activities.
  • Keep all follow-up visits as told by your health care provider. This is important. You may need more injections.

Contact a health care provider if you have:

  • A fever.
  • Warmth in your injection area.
  • Fluid, blood, or pus coming from your injection site.
  • Symptoms at your injection site that last longer than 2 days after your procedure.

Get help right away if:

  • Your knee:
    • Turns very red.
    • Becomes very swollen.
    • Is in severe pain.

Summary

  • A knee injection is a procedure to get medicine into your knee joint to relieve the pain, swelling, and stiffness of arthritis.
  • A needle is carefully placed between your kneecap and your knee to inject medicine into the joint space.
  • Before the procedure, ask your health care provider about changing or stopping your regular medicines, especially if you are taking diabetes medicines or blood thinners.
  • Contact your health care provider if you have any problems or questions after your procedure.
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