Injection Therapy

What are the benefits of a Steroid Injection?

Steroids are powerful anti-inflammatory medicines. While a steroid injection might not cure your condition, they will facilitate the body’s natural healing process to better manage the symptoms. They can help by breaking the cycle of pain and inflammation which in turn will allow for more freedom of movement and increase the ability to carry out appropriate rehabilitation exercises. A local injection allows a high dose to be delivered directly into the source of the problem, reducing the risk of more general side-effects.

What is Ostenil?

Ostenil Plus is a form of Hyaluronic Acid (HA). This is a substance found naturally in the body in a variety of locations, in this instance it is found in synovial joints of the body as a component of synovial fluid. Synovial joints are those which are surrounded by a strong fibrous tissue capsule. The inner aspect of the joint capsule is lined by the synovial membrane which produces synovial fluid. Example joints would be the knee, shoulder, hip, ankle, wrist and joints of the fingers.

The main functions of synovial fluid are to provide lubrication to allow the joint to move freely, and to provide shock absorption to protect the bony cartilage. Over time the HA is continually broken down and replaced creating a constant turnover and balance of ages. Failure of this process can lead to problems.

Is an Injection right for me?

All injections do not always have a beneficial response so an initial physiotherapy assessment is always recommended. Injections work best when used in conjunction with a rehabilitation program and are typically sought after when pain is a limiting factor or when conservative management is slow or has failed. They can be used to treat symptoms of a wide range of inflammatory conditions such as:

• Osteoarthritis
• Tendinopathy
• Bursitis
• Frozen Shoulder
• Tennis and Golfers elbow
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Plantar fasciitis

What is Ostenil used to treat?

Ostenil plus is a treatment for mild-moderate osteoarthritis (OA). In joints with OA the breakdown and turnover of HA is increased, leading to loss of the protective element in joints. This can lead to loss of joint function and damage to the bony cartilage causing further loss of function and pain. Over time as the cartilage degenerates, the joint can become more painful, stiff and swollen.
Ostenil injections directly into the joint has been shown to help to restore function, reduce pain and stiffness. These can also be repeated over time without risk to underlying cartilage damage.

Should I have a traditional cortico-steroid injection (CSI) or try Ostenil?

There are a variety of different reasons for choosing Ostenil. This is something which can be discussed with clinic staff to ensure the optimal treatment plan is followed. A summary is noted below:

How is the Steroid Injection performed?

Steroid injections at the Clinic at Hampden are performed by experienced, fully trained doctors, physiotherapists, and podiatrists. Your clinician will take a detailed history and perform a full objective, clinical examination of the affected area to establish the diagnosis and assess your suitability for a steroid injection.

In addition, the clinician will undertake a pre-injection screening process to identify any risk factors as well as go over potential side-effects and complications. You will be able to ask any questions and if you are happy to proceed then you will be asked to sign a consent form to go ahead.

The clinician will use a sterile technique to minimise risk of infection and perform the injection using landmark guidance (using the body’s own anatomical landmarks to guide the injection).

Ultrasound-guided Injections

We are pleased to offer a range of our injections under ultrasound guidance. This can be beneficial for a number of reasons, most notably:

• Ensuring accuracy of injection placement. The operator can visualise needle placement and observe fluid from injection being injected into the correct location.
• Limiting risk of irritation or damage to nearby structures. By observing the target site and surrounding structures, we can reduce the likelihood of trauma to the area around the joint.

To discuss whether an injection is suitable for you, please provide us with a contact telephone number to call you on and one of the clinical staff will call you to discuss the options available.