Injections

Recovering from certain sports injuries and orthopaedic conditions can seem like a journey that never ends. Traditional treatments such as medications may offer temporary relief, but the pain keeps coming back. At Allegheny Health Network (AHN), we use injections, such as cortisone, to put the brakes on stubborn pain right where it starts.

Nonsurgical pain relief at AHN: Why choose us?

Our commitment to helping you live a full, active life means doing everything possible to help you stay pain-free for the long haul. Injections (shots) provide lasting relief and may delay or avoid the need for surgery.

When you come to AHN, you have access to:

• Highly skilled team: You receive care from primary care sports medicine physicians who specialize in nonsurgical pain relief. Every year, we successfully treat a high number of patients. Many people safely return to their favorite activities shortly after treatment. Read more about primary care sports medicine.
• Spine expertise: If the problem is lower back pain, you can breathe a little easier knowing our team includes sports medicine physicians who specialize in spinal care. We carefully deliver injections directly into the spine (epidural nerve block) so you can get the relief you need. Find out more about lower back pain.

• Innovative care: We offer the latest treatments, including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This treatment uses your blood cells to speed up the healing process. Professional athletes including golfers and basketball players have been benefiting from this treatment for years.
  

Injections for pain relief at AHN

Injections take place during a brief in-office procedure. We apply numbing medication to the skin of the injection site to minimize discomfort.

We use ultrasound imaging technology to deliver injections with a high degree of accuracy. Ultrasound uses sound waves to help us see the injured tissue in detail. We then direct treatments to precisely the right spot so you can achieve excellent results.

Injections available at AHN include:

• Cortisone: This injection relieves pain with the help of a steroid (cortisone) that reduces swelling.

• Epidural nerve block: We relieve back pain by injecting a numbing medication into the pocket of tissue (dura) surrounding the nerves in your spine.

• Lubrication: Injecting substances such as hyaluronic acid into the joint tissue may relieve stiffness in people who have arthritis. These injections work in the same way a lubricant (grease) quiets a squeaky door.

• PRP therapy: We take a blood sample and extract the platelets, which are cells that promote healing. We combine the platelets with some of the liquid from your blood (plasma) and inject this solution into the site of the injury.

• IOVERA ® nerve block: This injection is administered before knee replacement surgery and reduces post-surgical pain so patients move their knees more freely, leading to a faster recovery.* AHN is one of the few systems in the region offering this procedure.

Conditions we treat with injections

Injections offer lasting relief for a broad range of sports injuries and orthopaedic conditions, including:

• Arthritis

• Bursitis, when inflammation occurs in fluid-filled pockets that cushion the joints

• Hip pain

• Knee pain

• Shoulder pain

• Soft tissue injuries, including Achilles tendonitis

• Sprains and strains

Contact us

Call (412) DOCTORS (412) 362-8677 or request an appointment to learn more about AHN Orthopaedic services.