Steroid injection treatment for osteoarthritis is recommended - Steve Cardownie

This is “a degenerative joint disease, in which the tissues in the joint break down over time. It is the most common type of arthritis and is more common in older people. People with osteoarthritis usually have joint pain and, after rest or inactivity, stiffness for a short period of time.”

Although I would rather put my condition down to the wear and tear of playing my unique brand of silky football which graced the Edinburgh and Lothians amateur leagues, followed by several half-marathons, as well as five-a-sides and tennis, rather than the price paid for advancing years, it is what it is and I have to deal with it.

I mistakenly accessed a Facebook post on the subject and have since been bombarded with adverts offering all forms of gadgets that promise to alleviate discomfort and rebuild the damaged cartilage but I likened them to snake oil salesman and put my faith in the NHS. Hence my visit to the Leith Community Treatment Centre yesterday. After a short painless procedure which entailed the administering of a local anesthetic and the injection of the steroid, I was out the door within half-an-hour. It is too early yet to gauge what positive effect this has had but I have already noticed an improvement which I am assured will become even more pronounced.

I would recommend this treatment to fellow sufferers particularly if, like me, you are on a very long waiting list for joint replacement.