After an injection

An injection may be given for many different reasons, into many different structures, and with different materials. What is expected afterward — including how you should treat soreness and what you should avoid — depends on which injection you had.

This page covers only what is generally true across injections. For anything specific, follow the instructions your care team gave you at your visit.

Some soreness at the injection site for a day or two is common, and so is a feeling of fullness or pressure in a joint that was injected.

Occasionally an area that was already inflamed or irritated reacts to the injection with a temporary flare — increased pain, swelling, soreness, or more difficulty putting weight through the limb. A flare of this kind usually settles over the following days.

If you were told that your injection is expected to work gradually, give it the time your care team described. How quickly any injection helps, how much it helps, and how long that lasts vary from person to person, and your care team is the right source for what to expect from yours.

For the first day or two, it is sensible to avoid activities that put heavy or repeated strain on the area that was injected. Ordinary daily movement is usually fine unless you were told otherwise.

Whether to use ice, and which over-the-counter medicines are appropriate — or should specifically be avoided — depends on the type of injection you received. Some injections come with instructions to avoid particular medicines or treatments for a period afterward, because they can work against what the injection is intended to do.

For that reason this page does not recommend any medicine. Follow the instructions given to you for your injection, and check with your care team before taking anything new.

There is no single interval after which it is safe to return to sport or heavy activity — it depends on the reason for the injection, what was injected, the area treated, and how you respond.

If reduced pain after an injection tempts you to do more than usual, be deliberate about it. Ask your care team what level of activity is appropriate for you, and build back up rather than returning all at once.

Contact the office promptly if you have:

• A severe increase in pain, or pain that keeps worsening instead of settling.
• Redness around the injection site that is spreading or worsening.
• Pus or drainage from the injection site.
• Fever, chills, or night sweats.

If your symptoms are severe, or you feel seriously unwell, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department rather than waiting.

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