Injection Therapies
Borders Podiatry and Performance Clinic offer Steroid Injections, Hyaluronic Acid Injections and High Volume Local Anaesthetic for the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal conditions and joint pain.
Steroid Injections
Steroid injections are used in the field of Podiatric medicine to treat a wide range of musculoskeletal disorders. The most commonly used steroid is methylprednisolone, this is a corticosteroid medication used to relieve pain, swelling and inflammation. A steroid injection can be injected into or around a joint, tendon, or ligament, or used for clinical diagnostic purposes. Steroid injections can be used as part of a treatment plan to improve pain and reduce inflammation. Injections can be administered into joints, ligaments or tendons to reduce inflammation, pain and discomfort.
Steroid injections can be useful in the treatment of the following conditions:
👣 Plantar fasciitis / Heel pain
👣 Arthritis
👣 Morton’s Neuroma
👣 Bursitis
👣 Hallux rigidus/limitus
👣 Sinus Tarsi syndrome
👣 Ligament Injuries
The substance “cortisone” which is injected, is produced naturally by the adrenal gland and has a strong anti-inflammatory effect on the body. The steroid injection works by suppressing the immune system locally which reduces any inflammation in the area, this in turn provides pain relief.
The following are some of the benefits of using steroid injections in podiatry:
👣 Provides relief from pain and discomfort
👣 Helps to improve range of motion at the joint
👣 Allows you to return to normal activity
👣 Reduces swelling and inflammation
👣 Steroid injections have fewer side effects than oral steroids
👣 Injections work faster and more directly than creams or NSAIDS such as ibuprofen.
Hyaluronic Acid Injections
If you have Osteoarthritis, a painful joint from an injury or arthritis your Podiatrist may offer you a joint injection of a Hyaluronic acid injection. Hyaluronic acid is normally found in your joints and helps to lubricate them (keep them moving smoothly). Not everyone who tries these injections finds them helpful, but they may offer you some temporary pain relief and they have very few side-effects.
The pain relief Hyaluronic gives you can last for anything from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, or longer.
Hyaluronic acid (also known as sodium hyaluronate or hyaluronan) is a natural substance. It is present in the body wherever moisture is stored, acting as a lubricant between layers of tissue to stop friction.
Examples are inside the eyeball itself, the tear film, the joint cartilage, the synovial fluid in the joints, all the mucous membranes of the body, but also the basic substance of the skin which consists of up to 55% hyaluronic acid.
Hyaluronic Acid injections can be used to treat joint arthritis, heel pain and can be used to treat corns and areas of high pressure due to the loss of natural fat pad under the feet.
High Volume Local Anaesthetic (Achilles Tendonitis & Heel Pain)
A high volume ultrasound guided injection is a procedure performed to treat a tendon injury that occurs as a result of severe strain being placed on the tendon. During the healing process following a tendon injury, tiny blood vessels grow into the tendon bringing with them new nerves as well. These nerves are responsible for the sensation of pain related to the tendon injury or tendinopathy.
The procedure involves injecting a high volume of a solution of salt water (normal saline), small amount of steroid and a local anaesthetic into the space between the tendon sheath and tendon. The solution pushes the tendon sheath away from the tendon and strips off the new blood vessels and nerve endings that have grown into the tendon. The aim of high volume injections is to reduce pain and allow individuals to move and exercise the tendon comfortably.
There may be some complications following the procedure which may include numbness for a day or two, increased pain which occurs in about 2-10% of patients. There may also be a slight risk of bleeding and infection as with any other injection procedure.
You will feel better after the high volume injection due to the anaesthetic effect. You should allow your tendon to heal naturally and start rehabilitation under the guidance of a health care professional, such as a Podiatrist. You should be able to resume your normal activity level once the tendon is completely healed.
Get in Touch
45 Channel Street, Galashiels, Scottish Borders, TD1 1BJ.
Located in the heart of Galashiels with on street parking, our ground floor clinic is wheel chair accessible and is a 2 minute walk from the transport interchange and car parks. Our fully equipped clinic also has a treadmill and video gait analysis lab with space for MSK rehabilitation, gait retraining and strength and conditioning.
Call to Book a Home Visit