If you’re dealing with stubborn joint pain, your doctor may recommend an injection—whether that’s a corticosteroid, hyaluronic acid, or another option—to help calm down inflammation and provide relief.
But one of the most common questions we hear in the clinic is: “Should I stop physical therapy if I get an injection?”
The short answer: No.
In fact, continuing PT after an injection is often the best way to maximize the benefits of both treatments. The only exception is if pain is so high that you simply can’t tolerate therapy for a short period of time—in which case, a brief pause may make sense.
Let’s unpack why.
Why Injections Alone Aren’t Enough
Injections can reduce pain and inflammation, but they don’t address the root cause of dysfunction. The primary purpose of an injection is to decrease inflammation, which is often what makes an injured or irritated area so painful. When tissue has been damaged, the body mounts an inflammatory response—swelling, heat, and chemical mediators—that can become prolonged if irritation persists. While injections help calm that inflammation and quiet pain, it’s important to remember two things: how the damage was caused in the first place, and what happens to the tissue once the pain subsides.
Pain relief doesn’t automatically mean the underlying dysfunction has been corrected. The joint or tissue may still be weak, stiff, or poorly supported, and if normal movement patterns aren’t restored, the cycle of irritation and damage can continue.
Joint pain often stems from:
- Weakness in surrounding muscles
- Poor movement mechanics
- Reduced joint mobility or stiffness
- Postural strain
- Overuse patterns
Physical therapy tackles these problems directly. By working on strength, flexibility, and movement retraining, PT ensures that pain relief from an injection actually translates into improved function. Without that follow-up, injections risk being only a short-term fix.
How PT and Injections Work Together
Think of an injection as turning down the volume on pain, and PT as retraining your system to move better.
- Injections can make exercise more tolerable by quieting pain signals and reducing inflammation.
- Physical Therapy uses that “window of relief” to safely load the joint, restore motion, and build resilience.
This is why physical therapists often prefer to see patients within 24 hours of receiving a local anti-inflammatory injection. In that short period, the pain experience is typically at its lowest and tolerance for movement is at its highest. By taking advantage of this window, therapists can address the most provocative structures—the tissues that are usually too painful to load or stretch—and make the most meaningful mechanical changes. Restoring motion, re-educating movement patterns, and beginning strength work right after inflammation is calmed allows the injection and therapy to work synergistically.
When PT is layered on top of this initial pain relief, the body adapts more quickly, the improvements last longer, and the need for repeat injections is often reduced.
Arthritis, Biomechanics, and Why It Matters
Arthritis isn’t just about “wear and tear.” More often, it’s the result of impaired biomechanics—how your body moves and distributes load across a joint. When the muscles that support a joint are weak, when flexibility is limited, or when posture and alignment are off, excess force accumulates in one area of the joint. Over time, this uneven stress can accelerate cartilage breakdown, irritate surrounding tissues, and lead to chronic inflammation.
In some cases, arthritis develops because of repeated injury to the same joint. Without correcting the underlying movement problem, every step, lift, or twist continues to overload the same structures, fueling a cycle of damage and pain.
This is why injections alone don’t change the long-term trajectory of arthritis. They may reduce inflammation and pain temporarily, but unless the mechanics of movement are improved, the forces driving the arthritis remain unchanged. Physical therapy helps break this cycle by restoring balance to how the joint moves and how forces are distributed, protecting against further irritation and slowing progression of symptoms.
Adapting at Home: Simple Tools That Can Help
For those who struggle with advanced arthritis, even the best of PT, injections and meds will only mute pain. Hopefully, when pain is addressed closer to onset, this won’t be the case for you but often it’s self-managed until it intolerable. That’s where simple tools and strategies can help bridge the gap.
Here are a few practical ideas:
For Hand or Grip Pain
- Larger-handled tools (like pens, toothbrushes, or utensils with padded grips) reduce strain on smaller joints.
- Jar openers, automatic can openers, or pump soap dispensers can make daily life easier if grip strength is limited.
- Grip pads can be added to doorknobs or utensils to improve control without extra effort.
For Spine, Knee, or Hip Pain
- Bar stools let you work in the kitchen or garage without standing for long periods.
- Lightweight step stools can help unload a limb during standing chores or yardwork.
- Frequent short breaks reduce prolonged stress on painful joints.
For the Office
- Ergonomic setups (chair, desk, screen height, and pull-out keyboard trays) protect your spine and shoulders.
- Ergonomic mice reduce strain on wrists and hands, lowering risk of carpal tunnel or hand dysfunction.
Why We Recommend Against Bracing (Most of the Time)
It’s tempting to grab a brace as a quick solution for pain—but in most cases, bracing is not the answer. Braces can actually weaken muscles and increase fear of movement, which accelerates arthritis progression.
Instead, strengthening and movement retraining through PT—and using the adaptive strategies above—build resilience without fostering dependence.
The Bottom Line
If you get an injection, you don’t need to stop PT. In fact, injections and PT work best as partners: one reduces pain, the other builds long-term strength and function.
And while you’re building strength, using simple home and office adaptations can make daily life easier without relying on braces or immobilization.
So unless your pain is too severe to tolerate PT, keep moving forward with therapy—it’s the best way to ensure your injection is more than just a temporary fix.