Steroid injections are commonly used to treat arthritic joints. But a study in the journal Radiology found that steroid injections for osteoarthritis contributed to and accelerated the rate of joint destruction.

Researchers studied 450 patients who received steroid injections into arthritic joints. Eight percent of the subjects who received the injections experienced an adverse joint event, most commonly progression of osteoarthritis. The second most-reported adverse event was a bone fracture. Osteonecrosis (lack of blood supply to the bone resulting in death of the bone) was the next most common adverse effect.

I was trained to inject steroids into arthritic joints. When I began practicing holistic medicine, I stopped. Although at that time there were no studies like the one reported above, I could tell that injecting steroids into a joint wasn’t good.

Steroids are known to break down tissue. The only reason to perform a steroid injection for arthritis is when a joint replacement is coming, and you are trying to buy some time.

There are much safer injections for arthritic joins, including stem cells, ozone, and human growth hormone. Each of these substances promotes a healing rather than injuring the tissues.

Ozone therapy is the most inexpensive. I have successfully used intra-articular ozone injections for many years.

More information about ozone can be found in my book, Ozone: The Miracle Therapy.