A procedure to inject medication into an affected joint for the relief of inflammation, pain, and swelling. The corticosteroids, also known as glucocorticoids, which include cortisone, are often used for joint injections. The injections may be used to treat the joint pain caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis; bursitis of the shoulder, hip, or knee; frozen shoulder; tennis elbow; golfer’s elbow; plantar fasciitis; carpal tunnel syndrome; and some forms of backache. Joint injections may decrease the time it takes to recover from an injury and are a source of pain relief. But no more than three or four injections are generally given within a year in one area of the body.