Arthritis of Knee-Steroid injections...maximum of 3?

[Dinger2]

Does anyone out there know is there any truth in the'old wives tale'/gossip that says "They only ever give you no more than 3 steroid injections"? I've today had my third one in my right knee and second in the left (age60) and they do me a power of good.I would'nt want them to refuse me any more.I beleive they are expensive but I paid 43 years of NHI contributions into the tank so I reckon I've covered the cost.

[bednobs]

the injections per se are cheap (about £1.50) for a 40 mg injection. Even adding ont he time for a doctor to inject it and the equipment used would only raise the cost to a very generous estimate of £150 (depending on the setting where you had it)
I have never heard about the 3 injection rule, but if it's true it's more likely to be because of the medication itself rather than the cost

[ethandron]

i don't think it's down to the cost, it's more the effect of long-term or over use of steroid injections that's the problem.
http://arthritis.webm...oid-injections?page=2

[Sqad]

I haven´t seen any good evidence that intra-articular injections of steroids are beneficial.

I have read the link given by ethandron.

The damage to tendons and ligaments following steroid injection is rare.

Injections my be given with safety up to 10 times as long as they are at least 3months apart.