# What has recent research said about joint soreness? *Joint injections Scottsdale — Useful Research From 2022 to 2025* > Joint injections Scottsdale research from 2022 to 2025, explained simply for short-term relief, repeat care, and safer choices. We’ll tell you what newer joint studies found and what those findings mean for relief. Their results don’t point to one clear winner for everyone. Some studies looked at relief after a few weeks, while others waited several months. The different check-in dates can change which option appears helpful. ## What did viscosupplementation research find about knee gel? Viscosupplementation means placing a thick gel into the knee to act like joint fluid. Research suggests its added relief is quite small for many people. A 2022 review joined 169 trials with 21,163 people, compared knee gel with a procedure using no treatment, and asked whether the difference would matter in daily life for most people. Gel lowered soreness by about 2 points on a 100-point scale. Most people wouldn’t feel a change that small. Still, one person may improve even when the added relief for the whole group is slight. A 2025 review of large trials found no pain relief from gel beyond the comparison procedure. It also found more people stopped because of unwanted effects. ## How long did cortisone help? Cortisone calms an irritated joint lining, which can reduce warmth, swelling, and soreness. Its clearest benefit appeared during the early weeks after care. One review found the most relief during the first one to six weeks. The benefit had become smaller by thirteen weeks. By twenty-six weeks, the review found no clear relief from cortisone. A 2025 review also placed one cortisone medicine highest at two and six weeks. That doesn’t settle the question of repeat use over years. During a long study, repeated cortisone led to more cartilage loss without better pain relief. Cortisone can raise blood sugar for a time after the shot, especially with diabetes. Your doctor can help plan the right time to check it. ## What did the blood and marrow studies find? PRP uses your blood, spun so more platelets gather in a small amount of liquid. Those platelets carry natural growth factors already found in your blood. A 2024 review ranked PRP highest for soreness and movement at six months or later. That result offers some reason for cautious hope. Yet a large blinded trial found PRP no better than saline at twelve months. Cartilage volume was much the same as well. Bone marrow concentrate is marrow drawn from the pelvis and spun before joint care. You’d go through a second needle procedure at the pelvis. A 2024 review found improvement, but not an advantage large enough for most people to feel. We’re left with some encouraging results and honest doubt. ## Sources 1. A 2022 BMJ systematic review and meta-analysis of 169 trials (21,163 participants) found viscosupplementation produced only a small pain reduction versus placebo (SMD -0.08, 95% CI -0.15 to -0.02; about -2.0 mm on a 100 mm VAS), below the minimal clinically important difference, and trial sequential analysis indicated conclusive evidence of clinical equivalence with placebo since 2009. Pereira TV, et al. — [Viscosupplementation for knee osteoarthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36333100/). *BMJ*, 2022. DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2022-069722. 2. A 2024 network meta-analysis of 48 studies (9,338 knees) at minimum 6-month follow-up ranked PRP first for pain and function (SUCRA 91.5), then BMAC (76.5) and hyaluronic acid (53.1), with corticosteroid (15.2) barely above placebo (13.7) at that time point. Jawanda H, et al. — [Platelet-Rich Plasma, Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate, and Hyaluronic Acid Injections Outperform Corticosteroids in Pain and Function Scores at a Minimum of 6 Months as Intra-Articular Injections for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38331363/). *Arthroscopy*, 2024. DOI: 10.1016/j.arthro.2024.01.037. 3. A 2024 systematic review of eight randomized trials (937 patients) found BMAC improved pain and function from baseline and beat hyaluronic acid on pain at 6 and 12 months, but the differences did NOT exceed the minimal clinically important difference, and no significant differences emerged against other injectables. Han JH, et al. — [Bone Marrow Aspirate Concentrate Injections for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39640186/). *Orthop J Sports Med*, 2024. DOI: 10.1177/23259671241296555. 4. A 2025 network meta-analysis restricted to LARGE randomized trials (57 RCTs, 22,795 participants, 18 intra-articular interventions) found treatment effects were larger in the 35 high-risk-of-bias trials than in the 22 low/unclear-risk trials; excluding high-risk trials, triamcinolone had the highest probability of exceeding the minimal important difference at weeks 2 and 6, while hyaluronic acid had no effect on pain (SMD -0.04, 95% CrI -0.19 to 0.11) and higher odds of dropouts due to adverse events (OR 2.01) and serious adverse events (OR 1.86) than placebo. Pereira TV, et al. — [Effectiveness and safety of intra-articular interventions for knee and hip osteoarthritis based on large randomized trials: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39265924/). *Osteoarthritis Cartilage*, 2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.joca.2024.08.014. 5. The 2025 Cochrane living review of stem cell injections for knee OA (25 trials, 1,341 participants) found stem cell injection MAY slightly improve pain and function up to six months versus placebo (pain 1.2 points better on a 0-10 scale; function 14.2 points better on 0-100), but rated the evidence LOW certainty for both, downgraded for indirectness and suspected publication bias, with up to three larger RCTs withdrawn before reporting results. Whittle SL, et al. — [Stem cell injections for osteoarthritis of the knee.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40169165/). *Cochrane Database Syst Rev*, 2025. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD013342.pub2. 6. A 2025 EFORT Open Reviews synthesis of evidence-based orthobiologics guidance notes that meta-analyses report PRP improving patient-reported outcomes in knee osteoarthritis, lateral epicondylitis and plantar fasciitis, but that the underlying RCTs frequently carry a high risk of bias driven by heterogeneous preparation protocols and inconsistent trial quality. Winkler T, et al. — [Evidence-based guidelines on orthobiologics.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40459170/). *EFORT Open Rev*, 2025. DOI: 10.1530/EOR-2025-0069. 7. The RUbICOn mixed-methods HTA study, commissioned specifically to address uncertainty about recurrent injections, combined a UK primary-care cohort (2005-2020) linked to hospital data with a safety analysis, patient and clinician interviews, and a three-round Delphi to set research priorities - the current formal acknowledgement that the long-term risks and benefits of repeat injections remain unresolved. Whitehouse MR, et al. — [RecUrrent Intra-articular Corticosteroid injections in Osteoarthritis: the RUbICOn mixed-methods study.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41217479/). *Health Technol Assess*, 2025. DOI: 10.3310/LFAJ9337. 8. An analysis of 37 randomized PRP trials found no significant difference in qualitative conclusions or outcome scores between industry-affiliated and non-industry-affiliated studies; overall, 19 of 37 (51.4%) reported PRP as favourable and 18 (48.6%) found no difference from comparators. Ta CN, et al. — [The Influence of Industry Affiliation on Randomized Controlled Trials of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Knee Osteoarthritis.](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36594496/). *Am J Sports Med*, 2023. DOI: 10.1177/03635465221140917. ## What if it does not settle? The Scottsdale office provides regenerative treatment options, meaning office care made from material drawn from your body. You’ll begin with a consultation. Medical providers, the people who examine your joint and health, can discuss PRP and non-surgical care. Your first visit has no charge. PRP uses a blood sample spun so more platelets gather in a small amount of its liquid part. You’re welcome to ask what that may mean for you. Book a free consultation: --- A calm answer for the ache. Find out why one joint nags, which simple steps may settle it, when to call, and where Scottsdale care is found. Plain help with joint soreness, safer next steps, and Scottsdale care. This site is operated by the owners of the QC Kinetix Phoenix-area clinics, including the Scottsdale location, and those owners may benefit when a reader books a consultation. © 2026 Scottsdale Joint Field Notes. General education only; it does not replace medical advice, diagnosis or urgent assessment.