The Value of Standardized Respiratory Rate Monitoring Exercises During Rheumatological Injection Procedures

This randomized, controlled, single-blind, single-center non-inferiority study aims to evaluate the impact of local anesthesia and breathing exercises on pain and anxiety management during joint or periarticular injections. Participants are patients referred to a rheumatology consultation or referred by an outside physician for injections requiring local anesthesia, such as those performed on the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip, or ankle.

Patients will be kept blind to their randomization group. In both groups, continuous heart rate recording will be performed during the procedure using the EmWave PRO device (to assess cardiorespiratory variability and calculate a cardiac coherence score).

In the "anesthesia" group, local anesthesia with 5 cc of lidocaine will be administered before the infiltration procedure, and the patient will receive breathing instructions as part of "SHAM" management, which will prevent them from achieving cardiac coherence.

In the "breathing" group, patients will perform 5-minute breathing exercises before the procedure (10-second cycles: 5 seconds of inhalation and 5 seconds of exhalation) to enable them to achieve the expected analgesic cardiac coherence. The practitioner performing the procedure will use 5 cc of saline solution instead of the usual anesthesia.

After infiltration, participants' pain, anxiety, and satisfaction will be measured using EVA scale.

Inclusion criteria

• Patient scheduled to undergo therapeutic ultrasound-guided joint or periarticular injection.
• Patient able to sign an informed consent form to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

• Patient able to sign an informed consent form to participate in the study - - Allergy to the injection product or anesthetic.
• Injection not allowing the use of a local anesthetic due to insufficient joint volume (e.g., fingers/toes).
• Epidural injection via the sacrococcygeal hiatus.
• Pregnant women