Intra-articular injections.

Intra-articular injections are one method that physicians may use to treat joint pain. This method offers direct access to the source of pain for the troubled patient. Substances ranging from steroids to hyaluronic acid have been injected successfully into the various joints of the body in an attempt to provide relief for chronic joint pain. Anesthesiologists and orthopedic surgeons have begun to use intra-articular injections of local anesthetics for postoperative analgesia. The history, agents, and methods of intra-articular injections are reviewed.