STERIOD INJECTIONS

What is a steroid injection?

A steroid injection is a mixture of medicines from a collection called corticosteroids. Having a steroid injection has the ability to reduce swelling and stiffness as well as general pain in your foot and ankle. The steroid behaves similarly to the natural hormones in your body to prevent inflammation. It's both a non-invasive and non-surgical form of treatment.

When would I need a steroid injection?

There are a couple of reasons to why you may need a steroid injection for the pain in your foot/ankle. It can be a massive help if other forms of treatment such as physical therapy or other medications haven't managed to ease the pain. Some forms of treatment recommend steroids alongside other forms of treatment to benefit your recovery. A steroid injection will only be given after an assessment to confirm this is the best treatment for the condition. Usually this would mean a biomechanical assesment initially.

It can also be used to treat:

What should I expect when receiving a steroid injection?

This procedure is very quick and simple. Once the Podiatrist has determined this is the best treatment for you the Steroid can be injected. Local anaesthetic can be used alongside the steroid injection. Depending on the area of your foot that the steroids need to target, you will be sat or lying down. 

Some of the most common conditions that steroids are used for are:

• Plantar fasciitis

• Gout

• Ankle osteoarthritis

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Achilles tendinopathy

• Osteoarthritis in ankle

• Tarsal tunnel syndrome

• Posterior tibial tendonitis

When receiving a steroid injection, you should typically feel pain relief within a couple of hours. The timing largely depends on the type of medication you have received.  However, it can take up to 2-4 weeks to feel relief.

How many times can I received a steroid injection?

As a general rule it is considered that 3 times a year for a steroid to be injected into the same area is the maximum. There are risks of atrophy of the tissues and if into joints studdies suggest it can damage the joint. If multiple steroid injections are required then it may be worth looking at the cause of the issue again. Other treatments should be sought to reduce the inflammation in the area if possible also.

Can I have a Steroid Injection?

It is worth knowing that steroid injections are not for everyone, however for most people they are fine to have. We will always assess you as to your suitability and ask you questions like

• Are you pregnant, breast feeding or trying to get pregnant

• Had any other injections recently and what type, including vaccinations and local anaesthetics

• Have any allergies

• What medication you take, and do you take Warfarin or anticoagulents

• Do you have any pre-exisiting health conditions

• Are you being treated for an infection or do you have an infection currently

• Other considerations, would be how good you circulation isor your general health and mobility and also what other treatments have you had for this condition?