Pharmacotherapy of joint and soft tissue injections

The most common medications used for office-based joint and soft tissue injection procedures include injectable corticosteroids and local anesthetics. In particular, the intra-articular administration of corticosteroids has been used for more than 50 years to help diagnose and/or treat various joint disorders [1]. Corticosteroids are also often injected into bursae, into tendon sheaths, at tendon insertion sites, and into muscular trigger points. Although corticosteroid injections (CSIs) may not cure the underlying disease process and can potentially worsen it, they can act rapidly and be extremely effective in relieving pain and inflammation [2]