Why might someone need this treatment?
Cortisone is a naturally occurring steroid in the body. By injecting it directly into soft tissues or joints it reduces inflammation which helps reduce pain and restore normal function.
What conditions can be treated?
A wide range of conditions can be treated often with a 1 off injection:
Longer term conditions can be controlled with repeat injections including:
How is it administered?
Patients should book a consultation with one of our practitioners to discuss the best options available to them. This may involve using an ultrasound scan to confirm the diagnosis. Patients may also be referred to us by an osteopath, physiotherapist, GP or surgeon.
The majority of cortisone injections are done under ultrasound guidance to ensure accuracy of placement and effectiveness. This also helps reduce any potential discomfort during the short procedure (often less than 10 seconds).
How often can someone have this treatment?
Cortisone lasts about 2 weeks in the area it has been injected into but that is often enough to reduce the inflammation and calm the area concerned. This effect can then last for between 6 weeks and forever depending on the condition and its severity.
Cortisone injections into joints can be done up to three times in a 2-3 year period. In certain severe cases, such as when surgical intervention is looming, it may be possible to have more. Your practitioner will be able to advise you.
Are there any possible side effects?
There is a lot of misconception about side effects and corticosteroid injections. There are actually very few. The most likely one is pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site which usually gets better after a few days.
If the same soft tissue or joint is injected multiple times over a short period, the tissue can start to reduce its strength, but that is due to poor practice and should never be the case.
