A steroid injection is a medication that is made out of drugs known as corticosteroids. It can also be referred to as a cortisone shot because of this. What does it do? Well, it effectively reduces inflammation, stiffness, and pain that you may be experiencing in your ankle and foot area. The steroid works by mimicking the natural hormones found in your body to stop inflammation in its tracks. It’s commonly used among athletes because it’s both non-invasive and non-surgical.

When You Might Need a steroid Injection

There are several reasons you may need an injection like this. Your doctor may recommend getting a steroid injection because you aren’t getting relief from physical therapy. They may even recommend it to limit the pain you are experiencing. To rehab effectively though, you would combine the shots with more therapy.

It is typically used as one of the options before you start to consider surgery. Many athletes will get them before they go the surgical route to see if it helps. Any steroids taken orally are much more likely to come with harsh side effects.

There are some risks that you will need to be aware of when you are considering getting an injection. However, it comes with fewer than oral steroids. Some of the risks you may encounter include:

• Infection
• A punctured vein
• A weakened tendon
• The bones getting thin
• Bones deteriorating

As a result of these risks, it’s unlikely your doctor will have you getting too many shots. They will typically limit you to only getting a few every year.

What You Should Expect When Getting Shots

These things are very simple. A steroid injection will only take a couple of minutes to administer. The doctor will do it right in their office. While it will depend on where exactly you are getting it, you will typically either get it standing or sitting. When it’s being administered, the doctor or nurse will numb the area. The injection site will be numbed or the numbing agent will be blended with the shot itself. This means that you are likely not going to feel any pain. If so, it’ll be a pinching sensation that is likely to go away very quickly. You may have the area get sore for a couple of days or so. You will want to try to rest after getting the injection for a couple of days.

Some of the more common ankle and foot injuries that could result in you needing an injection include:

• Gout
• Arthritis
• Plantar Fascitis
• Achilles tendinopathy
• Osteoarthritis in the foot and ankle

A shot like this is more likely to help when you have a lot of inflammation, swelling, or popping going on in your ankle.

Once you’ve got the injection, you will typically experience relief from it within hours of getting it administered. If not, you can expect relief within a day or two. A lot will depend on what kind of medication you receive. It’s a good option to consider before surgical alternatives even with the risks.
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