What kind of medication is a corticosteroid injection?
Disease description:
Recently, I have been experiencing severe pain in a certain area. After visiting the hospital, the doctor suggested that I could consider receiving a nerve block injection. I became quite curious about what exactly is in this injection. Right now, the pain is really bothering me and affecting my mobility. I'm also wondering if there might be any side effects after receiving the nerve block injection?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Chen Jian
Corticosteroid injection, commonly referred to as a "block injection," typically involves the injection of a mixture of local anesthetics and corticosteroids. This treatment method achieves rapid symptom relief by directly injecting the medication into the area experiencing pain or inflammation.
The main components of a block injection generally include two types:
1. Local anesthetics: Such as lidocaine or bupivacaine, these drugs block nerve conduction, preventing pain signals from reaching the brain, thereby quickly alleviating pain. These medications have a relatively short duration of action but produce noticeable effects.
2. Glucocorticoids: Such as triamcinolone acetonide or compound betamethasone, these agents have multiple functions including anti-inflammatory effects, reduction of edema, and pain relief. They can suppress local inflammatory responses and reduce tissue exudation, thus alleviating swelling and pain. Additionally, corticosteroids can promote repair and regeneration of the affected tissues.
Block injections also carry risks. Common side effects include pain at the injection site, infection, skin pigmentation, and local tissue atrophy. Moreover, frequent or excessive use of glucocorticoids may lead to systemic side effects such as osteoporosis, elevated blood glucose levels, and hypertension.
