Steroid jabs for joint pain ‘can make things worse’

injections meant to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis may do more harm than good, a study suggests.

Almost nine million Britons have osteoarthritis, caused as the cartilage that protects joints wears away.

thousands have steroid injections to relieve pain and make it easier to walk, but experts have now warned that the jabs may carry a significant risk.

Us researchers looked at 459 adults given injections last year for hip and knee osteoarthritis. ten per cent had complications in their hips and 4 per cent in their knees. eight per cent of those who had the treatment ended up worse off.

in the worst cases, the arthritis of people given jabs worsened and they needed a hip or knee replacement just months later. others destroyed their joints, broke their legs or lost bone density.

steroid injections reduce pain by tackling inflammation in joints. But they are also thought to break down proteins that make cartilage, slowing its production.

it is the loss of this cartilage, needed to cushion knee and hip joints, which is the source of the pain, meaning some people end up in more agony after an injection.

However, experts stress that the complications only affect a minority of people, and recommend that patients be made aware of the risks so they can weigh up the pros and cons themselves.

Dr Ali Guermazi, senior author of the study, published in the journal Radiology, and professor of radiology at Boston University school of Medicine, said: ‘We’ve been telling patients that even if these injections don’t relieve your pain, they’re not going to hurt you. But now we suspect that this is not necessarily the case.’

He added: ‘these injections are likely not as safe as we thought.’

osteoarthritis is on the rise as people live longer and are more overweight.