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iPS provide cortisone steroid injections in Cardiff, Carmarthen, Bridgend, Newport and Porthcawl for a range of soft tissue, tendon, ligament and joint pain related conditions. Our cortisone injections are adminstered by qualified and experienced physiotherapists and are ultrasound guided to improve the precision and effectiveness of the treatment.
* Please book an Initial Injection Consultation / Follow-Up Injection Consultation (as appropriate) if you are considering an injection to treat your injury / condition. We will only charge the consultation fee at the time of booking. Injections will only be administered if clinically appropriate. You will be required to pay the additional cost of any injection(s) administered during the consultation.
A cortisone injection is a very powerful anti-inflammatory steroid injection and can be very effective in relieving pain, swelling and inflammation associated with a wide range of Musculoskeletal (MSK) Injuries / Conditions. Used appropriately, cortisone injections are safe and result in less side effects than taking regular anti-inflammatory tablets and strong painkillers for painful joints and soft tissues.
Research shows that Cortisone Injections are extremely effective in providing rapid and significant pain relief in a wide variety of joint and soft tissue injuries. The pain relief experienced following a Cortisone Injection provides a window of opportunity for you to perform rehabilitation exercises to make the injured area stronger and more flexible.
Our specialist physiotherapist Gareth Tremain completed a Masters degree qualifications in 'Joint & Soft Tissue Injections' at Keele University in 2013 and has undertaken extensive training with specialist doctors, sonographers and consultant physiotherapists to hone his skills in Ultrasound-Guided Injections. He offers a range of Ultrasound-Guided Injections, including Cortisone, Hyaluronic Acid (Ostenil Plus & Durolane), Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), Shoulder Hydrodilitation, Shoulder Barbotage and High-volume injections to treat a wide range of persistent injuries and chronic pain. Gareth will also advise you regarding the most appropriate exercise programme to complement your injection.
Cortisone is usually combined with local anaesthetic (LA) to make the injection more comfortable. As a result, the patient often experiences an immediate reduction in pain. The numbing effect of the local anaesthetic wears off after 2-3 hours.
It is extremely variable how long it takes for the cortisone to have its full effect - from a few hours to 3 weeks. Occasionally there is pain and stiffness in the injected joint/soft tissue for a few days following the injection. This is nothing to worry about and is known as 'post-injection flare'. If this occurs, it is best treated by applying ice to the painful area and taking analgesia.
Our Injection Specialist will only recommend proceeding with an Ultrasound-guided Cortisone Injection, if it is deemed appropriate for your injury/condition, based on his extensive experience and current research. However, it is very important for you to understand, that even though a Cortisone Injection is often highly effective in addressing pain and stiffness, it is not guaranteed to work.
This is dependent on the condition being treated. It is common to need regular injections to manage chronic conditions such as knee arthritis. For many conditions such as acute shoulder tendonitis, one injection will be enough to resolve the problem or reduce the pain to a manageable level, so that the patient is able to perform exercises to further reduce pain and disability. Our physio will advise you of the likelihood of you requiring a follow up injection at your appointment. It is common to try a second injection, even if the first provided no/limited relief or short-term relief. If there is minimal relief following the second injection, a third is unlikely to help and therefore our physiotherapist would advise against it and would discuss alternative treatment options.
Most doctors / physiotherapists use the rule of no more than 4 injections in the same area (e.g. Right knee) within one year. There is concern that more frequent injections than this in the same area of the body causes damage to cartilage, tendons and ligaments, so should be avoided.
It is possible to have a Cortisone Injection in 2 or more locations in the same consultations.
There is no universal agreement regarding the minimum period between injections in the same area. If you have limited benefit from the first injection and are still in severe pain, it is appropriate to have a second injection within 4 weeks. For chronic conditions such as knee arthritis, you should try to limit your repeat injections to every 3-4 months.
Cortisone injections are widely used in the treatment of joint and soft tissue conditions. Used appropriately, they are safe and effective. Most people have a cortisone injection without any side effects.
Significant side effects to cortisone or local anaesthetic are extremely rare. There are certain conditions that would increase the risk of side effects, so we need you to provide a full list of your medical conditions and medications prior to proceeding with the injection. Our physiotherapists will consider your medical history before performing an injection. If it is not appropriate to offer you a cortisone injection, other treatment options will be discussed.
You will be monitored for 10 minutes following your injection to ensure you do not have a reaction to the cortisone or local anaesthetic. Please rest assured that our physiotherapists are highly trained at administering the injections and in dealing with any side serious side effects if they were to arise, which is extremely unlikely. We hope you understand that it is our legal obligation to advise you regarding anything that could possibly go wrong, however unlikely. Cortisone and local anaesthetic injections are a safe and effective treatment for many painful conditions.
Research consistently shows that Ultrasound-Guided Cortisone Injections are highly effective in the management of pain related to a wide variety of chronic/persistent injuries and conditions. Even patients with pain related to severe joint arthritis can expect significant relief of symptoms. The research consistently shows that Cortisone Injections are the most effective injections in providing rapid and significant pain relief.
Ultrasound-Guided cortisone injections can be a highly effective treatment for a wide variety of persistent and painful conditions. Their use should be considered when conservative treatments have failed to provide adequate pain relief and the patient's function and quality of life is affected. I have spent many years training to be able to perform Ultrasound-Guided Cortisone Injections. This study has certainly been worth it. I see on a daily basis how these injections can provide significant pain relief and improve function, when all other treatments have failed.
I recommend ultrasound-guided cortisone over ultrasound-guided hyaluronic acid injections if the severity of pain is high and there appears to be a significant inflammatory element to the patient's symptoms.
Cortisone Injections have been used to treat Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and injuries for many years. Used appropriately, Cortisone Injections are a very safe treatment for many painful and debilitating conditions. The conditions that can be treated by Cortisone Injections is dependent on whether the clinician is qualified to perform Ultrasound-Guided Injections.
An Ultrasound-Guided Cortisone Injection involves the use of an ultrasound scanning machine to visualise the injured/painful area and accurately guide the placement of a needle, through which the cortisone is injected. Studies consistently show that cortisone injection administered by specialists with ultrasound guidance are more accurate, safer and more effective than unguided Cortisone Injections. At iPS we recommend Ultrasound-Guidance for all injections.
*Please Note: We do not perform Spinal Injections
We want to ensure that all of our patients receive the information they need to make an informed decision about their Treatment. If you have any questions or if you require assistance with anything, please let us know.
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