Knee stiff after injection

[erijon]

I have severe OA in my left knee and went in today for my normal cortisone shot, I have had several over the years. For some reason, my knee has been particularly bad the past few months and after the shot today it has become very stiff, feels like it's full of luid. Anyone else ever feel this way after getting a knee shot up? This is a first for me, never had any feelings like this before, maybe they just are not effective anymore.

Jon

[msteacher777]

This is my second synvisc injection in my right knee (I have also had 3 in my left knee) but this is the first time I have experiences anything like this. I have had to take off from work 3 days due to the stiffness and uncomfortable walking.  My nurse practitioner said my doctor could prescribe a stronger pain pill and for me to keep icing it every 20 minutes. THIS DID NOT WORK for me.  I started putting hot towels and a heating pad on it so I could at least get some sleep.  This did ease my discomfort somewhat. I am still doing the heating thing but today I'm also going to try icing it as well. I don't need a stronger pain pill, I need to be able to walk comfortably. I continue to take my usual medicine of Meloxicam 7.5 MG once a day.


I got my shot on a Monday was able to go to work on Tuesday but by Wednesday morning it had tighten up and left me unable to adequately walk. I must also state that after my shot I did spend hours walking around shopping in a couple of stores.  Also, I feel asleep on Tuesday evening in my recliner with my leg elevated in one position for several hours. Not sure if these factors affected the healing process.

[soso72]

hi
I have been diagnosed with moderate chondropathy to the femora patella,
light tendinopathy of the quadriceps and rotary tendon and also a possible discrete radial meniscus tear of the posterior horn junction of the internal meniscus.
I got a cortisone injection today. I was wondering if it would be effective and would I need surgery for a possible discrete radial tear?

[jujub61]

Hi I had my first injection of Synvisc one on thurday today is sunday and I can not bend my knee and I have pain in my calf and left side of my knee cap plus my knee is three times the size it was

[wellness4him]

I had three synvisc shots 2 months after arthroscopic surgery. Within 24-36 hours of each shot, I was in INTENSE pain and agony. The doctor said there is no relationship. After the third, I couldn't walk for 2 weeks without a crutch. I had a NAET treatment for my allergic reactions which reduced the pain intensity greatly. The NAET testing showed that it affected my skeletal muscles, joint tissues and body fluids. No wonder it felt like he shot battery acid into my knee and lower leg. I lost an inch of muscle mass around my calf in less than 2 weeks.

FIRST, I would QUESTION your physician on HIS/HER protocal if you have an adverse reaction to this. I have been MUCH worse off since before my surgery and the doctor "can't see" the connection. I was progressing along really well before the shots. I do not recommend them, especially if you go to a doctor who refuses to see that allergic reactions are a reality.

[JainMD]

Hi Jon,
This is excellent line of management.
Initially it should be managed conservatively with help of analgesics, if it does not help, then you can plan for Inj Cortisone to be given in the joint.
If this does not work further line of management would be to give Synvisc and followed by surgery as the last resort.
I think you should do what your surgeon has to say.
Did he prescribe any physical therapy? If yes, what physical therapy are you doing now?
Keep me informed.
Bye.

[erijon]

Saw my Rheumatologist today, when I called about the knee reaction he wanted to take a look. He also feels it was a flare and it is better today. Also, in case I confused the issues, he does not feel there is any connection to the OA in the knee and the RA I am experiencing elswhere.

My last MRI shows that my joint is down to bone on bone on the medial portion of the joint. He is concerned that I have worn through the articular cartilage and starting to affect the subchodral bone beneath on that side of my joint. He wants to try to add some additional lubrication to prevent any further damage. We have also discussed the possibility of wedge removal if necessary to repair the joint.

It's all confusing to me, but he feels the course of action should be for now is cortisone while it still is effective, them move on to Sinvisc and if that does not provide releif have my Ortopedic Surgeon do a wedge removal procedure.

Your thoughts?

Jon

[JainMD]

Hi Jon,
Steroid injections can be taken 3-4 times in a year. Most center practice giving steroids only twice a year.
There is no convincing evidence that corticosteroids modify rheumatic joint destruction, and steroid injections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis should be considered ancillary to rest, physical therapy, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs.
Intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (Synvisc), known as visco-supplementation, are a recently available option.
The exact mechanism of action of visco-supplementation is not clear.
Although restoration of the elasto-viscous properties of synovial fluid seems to be the most logical explanation, but other mechanisms do exist.
The actual period of benefit of the injected hyaluronic acid is on the order of months.
If all conservative management fails, the option left is surgery.
What the doctor has to say? What does he feel will Synvisc help?
Keep me informed.
Bye.

[erijon]

Feeling better this afternoon, but yesterday, last night and this morning were rough. I am a 49 year old male and was diagnosed with early onset degenerative OA 7 years ago. I started getting injected about three years ago and only take 2 per year. In the past they have been effective and take the majority of the pain away for 4 or 5 months, enough so I can continue to exercise and not impact my life too much. I do have some swelling of the knee both before and after the injection, this was the first time I've had this swelling.

These injection have been done by a Rheumatologist to whom I was refered by my Orthopaedician 2 years ago, but he's the one that will do the replacement if it comes down to it. My Rheumatologist says the next step will be a series of injections of an artificial lubricant, I believe he called it Simvic. I have not seen him again as I had it done on Monday and today his office is closed for New Years. As far as medications go, he has me on Plaquenil twice a day as he also believes I have sero-negative RA due to swelling and pain in the joints of my hands, wrists and feet. I also have a prescription for Celebrex 100mg twice a day as needed ( which I don't like to take as I work hard to keep my blood pressure controlled) and Hydrocodone 5mg twice a day as needed. I only take one at night to take the pain away enough to get to sleep, then I'm ok for the night.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Jon

[JainMD]

Hi Jon,
How are you feeling? How old are you?
Since how long have you been taking these injections in knee joint?
What benefit did you appreciate after cortisone therapy?
Knee joint aspiration and injection are performed to aid in diagnosis and treatment of knee joint diseases.
Do you have swelling in and around knee joint?
Corticosteroids therapy changes the vascular inflammatory response to injury, stalls destructive enzymes, and inhibits/restricts the action of inflammatory cells.
How many steroid injections are you taking per year?
I think what you are experiencing is the post-injection flare. In post-injection flare the patient can present with swelling, tenderness, and warmth over the joint that persists for hours or days.
Have you seen your orthopaedician again? What he has to say about this? Has he started you on any medications?
I would be interested to know.
Keep me informed.
Bye.