A new study reveals a common treatment for some inflammatory pains joints It can lead to an exacerbation of the condition and an increase in pain, as researchers have indicated that corticosteroids used to treat arthritis pain can lead to an exacerbation of the condition over time, according to the American website “CNN”.
“OA is one of the world’s most chronic, degenerative, and progressive conditions, with an estimated 800,000 patients diagnosed each year in the United States alone,” said lead study author Dr. Upasana Bharadwaj.
Osteoarthritis is a common form of arthritis in which the cartilage within a joint breaks down over time and the bone around it changes, getting worse over time, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Bharadwaj, a postdoctoral researcher in the radiology department of the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, added that at least 10 percent of patients in the study used injections for pain management. Two of these injections for pain management are corticosteroids, which is the more common of the two, and hyaluronic acid. .
The studies, presented at the Radiological Society of North America’s annual meeting, used x-rays or MRI scans to monitor the progression of osteoarthritis in patients’ knees.
According to studies, some of these patients received no treatment and others were given injections of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid.
Both studies showed a statistically significant increase in the progression of degenerative changes in the knee cartilage over two years in people injected with corticosteroids compared with those who did or did not inject hyaluronic acid, according to the study authors.
The studies highlight a debate in the osteoarthritis scientific community about the role of changes in joint structure.
Corticosteroids should be given with caution for osteoarthritis pain
Corticosteroids are a quick way to relieve pain and control inflammation, but they may not be a good option for long-term treatment. But repeated injections can put patients at risk for other problems, such as infections, because the corticosteroids suppress the immune system.
