The impact of peri-interventional factors on pain reduction in glenohumeral corticosteroid injections.

BACKGROUND: Glenohumeral corticosteroid injections are widely used to treat shoulder pain, yet the influence of physician-related factors and patient education on clinical outcome remains unclear. This study evaluated the impact of physician sex, physician experience, and the extent of patient education on pain reduction following image-guided injections. METHODS: In this prospective, single-centre observational cohort study, 193 patients undergoing fluoroscopy-guided glenohumeral corticosteroid injections were included. Pain intensity was assessed using a 10-point visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline, 30 min, one week, and one month after the intervention. Pain outcomes were analysed using a linear mixed-effects model. RESULTS: Pain scores decreased significantly at all follow-up time points compared with baseline (p < 0.001). No significant differences in pain reduction were observed with respect to patient education, physician sex, or physician experience (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Fluoroscopy-guided glenohumeral corticosteroid injections provide effective short- and mid-term pain relief. The findings suggest that provider characteristics and the extent of patient education appear to have limited influence on patient-reported pain outcomes within this standardised procedural setting.