Videos of Professor Mohamed Imam

How long does a steroid injection last?

Description:

The steroid lasts 24 hours before it is gone from the system. It is simply a very strong anti-inflammatory to reduce the inflammation and allow healing of the tissues. The duration of pain relief therefore depends on the amount of healing and the effect of any aggravating activities (which is difficult to predict) Therefore, the injection may 'last' anywhere between a few days and forever. Overall 80% of people do not require further treatment and make a good recovery. This is why we review patients at 4-6 weeks after the injection, because if the injection does not work we usually know in that time period.