When Is a Cortisone Injection Recommended for Hand Osteoarthritis?

Cortisone is placed near the affected joint to calm inflammation and reduce pain for a period of time. It does not rebuild worn cartilage or correct a joint deformity. A clinician may first check whether the pain is coming from the thumb base, a finger joint, a tendon, or another problem, because the injection site depends on the diagnosis. Hand injections require careful positioning around small joints and nearby nerves and tendons.

Tell the clinician about diabetes, blood-thinning medicine, skin infection, allergies, and previous injections. Afterward, follow the advised period of lighter hand use, then gradually return to prescribed movement. A splint for selected activities, ergonomic changes, heat, and hand therapy may help maintain the benefit. Do not use an injection to push through steadily worsening pain.

Arrange prompt assessment for a hot, very swollen, red joint, fever, sudden loss of movement, new numbness, or pain after an injury. These features can need a different evaluation before any injection is considered. Contact the treating clinician if redness spreads, drainage appears, or pain sharply worsens after the procedure.

Ask which joint is causing the pain, whether inflammation is present, what alternatives should be tried first, how the injection will be guided, and how it fits with hand therapy or splinting.