Calm an Irritated Tendon Without Surgery
In-Office Corticosteroid Injections for Hand, Wrist, and Elbow
A five-minute office procedure that settles the inflammation behind catching, clicking, and tendon pain — and for many patients, the only treatment ever needed.
Tendon Injections at a Glance
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Overview
A corticosteroid is a strong anti-inflammatory medication. For tendon problems it is placed into the sheath or space around the irritated tendon, usually mixed with a numbing medicine. It calms the swelling that is crowding the tendon and causing the pain or the catching.
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Recovery
Effectively none. You drive yourself home and resume normal activity. Relief typically begins over the following days rather than immediately, and some patients notice a day or two of increased soreness first.
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Results
Effectiveness depends heavily on the condition being treated. Thumb-side wrist tendonitis responds particularly well, with most patients improving and benefits often holding for a year or more. Trigger finger responds well but recurs more variably.
Tendon Injections
Is an Injection the Right Next Step?
Injections are commonly used for trigger finger, for de Quervain's tenosynovitis — the thumb-side wrist pain that flares when lifting a child or a heavy pan — and for tennis elbow. They are usually offered after activity modification, splinting, and anti-inflammatories have been tried, and before any conversation about surgery.
An injection is often diagnostic as well as therapeutic. How your pain responds tells your surgeon something useful about where it is actually coming from.
- No incision, no anesthesia, no downtime.
- Performed in the office in a few minutes.
- Often avoids surgery entirely.
- Helps clarify the diagnosis when the source of pain is uncertain.
- Typically covered by insurance — please verify with your provider.
More Details About Tendon Injections
What Injections Do Well, and Where We'll Tell You to Be Cautious
Where Injections Genuinely Work Well
De Quervain’s tenosynovitis — pain on the thumb side of the wrist, worst when lifting or wringing — is the standout. Published success rates cluster in the high sixties to low eighties, and in patients who respond, the improvement in pain and function has been shown to hold at twelve months.
Trigger finger responds well too, and for many patients an injection is the end of the story. Durability is less predictable than in de Quervain’s, and patients with diabetes see a meaningfully lower rate of lasting relief than patients without.
Where We’ll Give You a Warning
Tennis elbow is the one we want you to think carefully about. A randomized controlled trial found that patients who received a cortisone injection did dramatically better at six weeks than those who did not — and meaningfully worse at six months. Early relief appeared to come at the cost of the longer-term result.
Most practices will not tell you that, and we would rather you hear it from us. If your elbow pain can be managed with therapy, bracing, and time, that is often the better path. If you need short-term relief for a specific reason, an injection is a reasonable tool as long as you understand the trade.
For Dupuytren’s disease, an injection may soften a painful nodule, but it will not keep the disease from progressing. It treats the symptom, not the condition.
Risks and Limits
Corticosteroid injections are low-risk but not risk-free. Reported risks include tendon weakening or rupture, lightening of the skin at the injection site, thinning of the fat beneath the skin, infection, and irritation of a nearby superficial nerve. These become more likely with repeated injections into the same spot, which is why there is a practical ceiling on how many times one location should be injected and how closely together.
If you have diabetes, tell us before the injection. It affects both what you should expect from the result and how to manage your blood sugar in the days afterward.
Tendon Injections
Tendon Injections Recovery & Results Timeline
Please remember this is just a guide for Tendon Injections recovery. Every individual and recovery is unique. Your surgeon will provide you with personalized instructions and recovery times after your procedure.
Same Day
You go home immediately and resume normal activity. No driving restriction and no bandage beyond a small adhesive strip.
Day 1 – 3
Some patients experience a short-lived increase in soreness before improvement begins. This settles on its own.
Week 1 – 2
Relief typically becomes apparent during this window and continues to build.
Beyond
Duration varies by condition. Your surgeon will discuss whether and when a repeat injection is appropriate, and what the ceiling should be.
Tendon Injections Pricing
We haven’t published a range for this one yet
Financing available through PatientFi →
We publish real price ranges rather than a “starting at” figure, because a starting price gets read as the price. This procedure’s range isn’t posted yet — call us at (360) 823-0860 or request a consultation and we’ll tell you the range before you come in.
Pricing
How much does a Tendon Injections cost?
The cost of Tendon Injections varies based on the complexity of the procedure, the technique used, and your individual goals. During your consultation, your surgeon will create a personalized treatment plan and provide a detailed quote.
Common Questions
Tendon Injections — Frequently Asked Questions
Does the injection hurt?
It is a brief needle stick and is usually mixed with numbing medicine. Some people notice a day or two of increased soreness before the improvement begins.
How long until it works, and how long will it last?
Relief usually starts within days rather than immediately. Duration varies by condition — for thumb-side wrist tendonitis benefit often holds for a year or more, while for trigger finger a meaningful share of patients see symptoms return within a year.
Can I have more than one injection?
Usually yes, up to a limit. Repeated injections into the same spot carry real risks including tendon weakening and thinning of the skin and fat, so there is a practical ceiling on how many and how close together.
I have diabetes — does that change anything?
Yes. Injections are less likely to give lasting relief for trigger finger in patients with diabetes, and blood sugar can run higher for a few days afterward. Tell us before the injection.
Your Surgeons
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Schedule a consultation to discuss Tendon Injections with our board-certified surgeons.