Skip to main content

Musculoskeletal Injection

Eastside Family Health Center -  - Internal Medicine

Eastside Family Health Center

Internal Medicine & Sports Medicine located in Kirkland, WA

When conditions like arthritis, tendinitis, and bursitis don’t improve after your initial treatment, the next step might be a musculoskeletal injection. Frank Marinkovich, MD, of Eastside Family Health Center in Kirkland, Washington, uses hyaluronic acid injections to lubricate arthritic joints and steroid injections to relieve pain throughout the body. To find out which type of musculoskeletal injection could reduce your pain, call Eastside Family Health Center today or book an appointment online.

Musculoskeletal Injection Q & A

What are musculoskeletal injections?

image of test tubesMusculoskeletal injections are effective treatments for disorders that aren’t responding to frontline approaches like medication and physical therapy. There are several types of musculoskeletal injections, including:

Hyaluronic acid (HA) injections

Hyaluronic acid is a natural fluid produced by the human body. Hyaluronic acid injections (also known as viscosupplementation) help patients with osteoarthritis by lubricating the joints. 

The resulting improvement in mobility and reduction in pain is typically superior to the effects of painkilling medication, with the added benefit that hyaluronic acid injections are much safer.

Steroid injections

Steroid injections into your joints or spine contain a local anesthetic that gives you a few hours of relief by numbing the painful area. Their main benefit is easing inflammation over the longer term with slow-release steroid medication, typically cortisone.

Trigger point injections

Trigger points are areas in your muscles where the fibers become knotted and painful. Trigger point injections also contain steroids and a local anesthetic to relieve inflammation and pain.

What happens when I have a musculoskeletal injection?

To deliver your musculoskeletal injection, Dr. Marinkovich numbs the area with a local anesthetic, then inserts a needle. He uses ultrasound guidance to ensure the needle reaches the right location, then injects the hyaluronic acid or steroid mixture.  

Dr. Marinkovich removes the needle, and the procedure is complete. You can go home after your musculoskeletal injection.

To find out if you could benefit from a musculoskeletal injection, call Eastside Family Health Center today or book an appointment online.