Injection Therapy

An injection of cortisone into the joint or around a soft tissue such as a muscle or tendon can give temporary relief from painful symptoms.

Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication. When injected into the joint itself or around the inflamed muscle or tendon, cortisone can help relieve the pain. The pain relief felt from a cortisone injection is usually temporary and affects everyone differently; for some, it lasts weeks, and for others, it only lasts a couple of months. It treats the symptoms but not the cause of the inflammation for tendon and muscle problems. Identifying the cause of the problem is the most important part of the treatment.

There is a small risk of infection with any injection into a joint, and cortisone injections are no exception.

There are also new injectable medications that lubricate the arthritic joint. These medications have been studied mainly in the knee. These injectable medications are trying to replace synovial fluid, which may have been lost from the joint space.

What can be used for injection therapy?

A fair number of soft tissue injuries that remain chronic can respond to soft tissue injections. Therapeutic materials used for injection include:

Steroids
Traumeel (a homoeopathic preparation)
Local anaesthetics
Saline
Ostenil (Is a hyaluronic acid)
Platelet-rich plasma (Not performed at Footfix)
blood (Not Performed at the Footfix)

The last two products mentioned are taken from the patient being treated, so no other source of plasma or blood is used. The evidence for this form of treatment is emerging from studies performed in Scandinavia and Australia.

What are the risks of injection therapy?

There are always risks involved with any form of treatment. The more common side effects after injections include bruising and tenderness for a few days.

After a steroid injection, some patients complain of a mild increase in their symptoms for 24 - 48hrs followed by a gradual improvement. The benefits can continue to develop over six weeks post-injection. There is a rare risk of infection after any kind of needle is put into the body, be this for injection therapy or even a simple blood test with your GP or nurse. We pay close attention to any increase in pain after the injection as well as swelling or redness. Immediate contact with the clinic or your GP is advised if this occurs.