It’s been just revealed that arthritis pain relief medication, corticosteroid injections, could trigger a devastating effect on one’s health. Check out the latest reports below.
New important study reveals mind-blowing results
One of the most common pain relief treatments for arthritis, corticosteroid injections, could do more harm than good, according to the latest reports. It seems that it may actually be associated with faster progression of the disease, according to new research.
Osteoarthritis, which is the most prevalent type of arthritis, occurs when the cartilage that cushions a joint breaks down over time, causing pain and stiffness.
As NBC News notes, more than 32 million U.S. adults suffer from the condition, which most often affects the hands, the hips and the knees.
There is no cure for this health issue, but the discomfort is sometimes treated with corticosteroid shots.
It’s also worth noting the fact that hyaluronic acid injections are also used, although they’re less likely to be covered by insurance.
Two small unpublished studies have recently revealed that, on average, knee arthritis advanced more quickly among patients who got corticosteroid injections than those who didn’t.
The latest discovery is beyond terrible news for patients who are struggling with such kinds of issues.
By contrast, hyaluronic acid injections were associated with slower progression of the disease relative to a control group.
“Our papers show that there should be much more awareness that corticosteroids could have possible progression of OA,” or osteoarthritis, said Azad Darbandi, a medical student at the Chicago Medical School who co-authored one of the studies.
Both studies assessed patients from the Osteoarthritis Initiative – an important program.
The scans revealed worse arthritis progression among participants injected with corticosteroids compared to the other two groups.
Experts checked out scans that were taken at the time of the injections, as well as two years before and after. There was more severe cartilage deterioration by the two-year follow-up mark among the steroid-taking group.
Experts concluded the fact that “Knowing that helps patients make a more informed choice about if they want an injection and, if they do, which injection they might prefer.”
Check out the complete article in order to learn more details.
