CORTICOSTEROID INJECTION

WHAT IS A CORTICOSTEROID INJECTION?

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A corticosteroid (or ‘cortisone’) is an anti-inflammatory medicine, which can be injected directly into the tissues, structure, painful joints that are causing your symptoms. It is a safer alternative to taking anti-inflammatory medication by mouth. It acts directly in the area injected and is not the same as the steroids taken by bodybuilders or athletes.

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WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A CORTICOSTEROID INJECTION?

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The injection can help to relieve swelling, pain and stiffness caused by inflammation. This may in turn help you to start your rehabilitation and return to normal activities sooner by ‘breaking the cycle’ of pain and inflammation. It can also be helpful to aid in the diagnosis of your condition if it is not clear which structures are responsible for your pain.

You may also have a local anaesthetic injected at the same time, which allows for temporary pain relief.

Generally, corticosteroids are used to relieve acute conditions whereas chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis is normally treated with hyaluronic acid injections. For the better results they are often used in conjunction.

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WHICH CONDITIONS CAN CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS TREAT?

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Corticosteroid injections can be used to treat a variety of conditions, including the following.

 

Arthritis

Steroid injections can effectively treat the joint inflammation that is seen in people with rheumatoid arthritis. They can also be used to relieve the pain of osteoarthritis (the most common form of arthritis) and gout.

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Bursitis

Bursas are small, fluid-filled pads that allow tendons and muscles to slide easily over bones. The pain associated with inflammation of a bursa (bursitis) — a condition which usually affects the shoulders, elbows, hips and knees — can be treated with steroid injections.

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Tendinitis

Tendons are the thick bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones. Repeated motion and stress to a tendon can cause it to become inflamed — this is known as tendinitis. Rotator cuff injury of the shoulder is a common example of tendinitis that can be treated with corticosteroid injections.

 

Carpal tunnel syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is when the median nerve (which supplies sensation to your thumb and most of the first 3 fingers) is compressed within the narrow passageway in your wrist known as the carpal tunnel. This causes pain, numbness and tingling in the wrist and hand. By reducing inflammation in the carpal tunnel and relieving pressure on the median nerve, corticosteroid injections can ease the pain of carpal tunnel syndrome.

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Frozen Shoulder

Multiple studies show that corticosteroids significantly help with the early stages of frozen shoulder by reducing the pain for up to 4 weeks. It is a highly effective when coupled with physiotherapy.

 

HOW MUCH DOES A CORTICOSTEROID INJECTION COST?

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The injection costs £250 per injection (includes private prescription fee) for knee, shoulder, ankle and £300 for a hip injection. All injections are ultrasound guided for increased accuracy and efficacy.

 

Specialist Procedures:

• Piriformis Corticosteroid Injection £399

• Illiopsoas Bursa Injection - £399

• High Volume Tendon Injections - £399

• Sacroilliac Joint Injection - £399

• Intramuscular Spinal Injections - £399

• Capsule Hydrodilation (Frozen Shoulder) - £399

 

WHEN ARE CORTICOSTEROID INJECTIONS USED?

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Although steroid injections can often effectively relieve the pain associated with musculoskeletal conditions, they are usually not used as the initial treatment option. Less invasive treatments, such as rest, oral pain reliever medicines, hot and cold compresses and physiotherapy, are usually tried first.

Make sure you tell your physician about any other conditions you have and any medicines (including complementary medicines and dietary supplements) you are taking before having a steroid injection.

Do I need to restrict my activities after the injection?

After you have had a corticosteroid injection, you need to rest the affected area for 24 hours and avoid strenuous activity for several days.

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IS THE INJECTION PAINFUL?

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Cortisone injections will be performed in clinic ultrasound guided which improves the accuracy of the injection. This reduces the chances of hitting any unintended structures during the injection leading to less pain. The needle prick itself can be uncomfortable, so your physician may give you a local anaesthetic to numb the skin before the injection.

A local anaesthetic medicine such as lidocaine is also usually added to the corticosteroid injection. This anaesthetic can relieve your pain immediately, confirming the injection has hit the right spot. After a few hours, the anaesthetic will wear off, and you may feel some pain or discomfort until the anti-inflammatory effect of the steroid kicks in, which is usually after a couple of days.

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Putting ice on the area and taking a pain medicine (such as paracetamol) may help relieve any discomfort in the meantime.