Your Treatment: What to expect afterwards

Your Doctor may have asked for you to have ultrasound or x-ray guided treatment. This will be carried out at the same time as your examination. Most procedures are carried out quickly and are made relatively painless by the use of local anaesthetic.

In most cases you can return to work immediately should you wish, although a short period of rest so that you can recover from the injection is wise. It is prudent not to drive on the day of you injection. Some procedures preclude driving and we will ask you to be accompanied by a family member or friend to drive you home.

Many injections involve the use of cortisone, also called steroid, mixed with local anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic numbs the joint or area injected for several hours and changes in your symptoms provide useful information to your referring doctor.

Cortisone takes longer to work and you may not begin to see benefit for a week or 10 days. In the short term, you may notice some side effects. These are usually light and can include facial flushing and feelings of warmth, less commonly hiccups, visual effects and mood swings. If they occur, they generally last less than 3 days but individual differences occur.

Occasionally, corticosteroids can cause the pain to get worse for 2 - 3 days, this is called Steroid Flare. Diabetics may find that their blood sugar goes up for a few days. Patients on blood thinning medication need to let us know in advance as there may be an increased risk of bruising.