Musculo-skeletal
Assessment Service
Steroid injection
information
Steroid injections
Some answers to
common questions
How is the injection
carried out?
What is a steroid injection for?
An antiseptic is sprayed or
rubbed onto the skin, and then
the injection is carried out, and
a plaster or piece of gauze is put
on the skin. You may take this off
after a few hours or the next day.
A steroid injection is given to
reduce inflammation (pain,
swelling, redness and heat) in a
specific part of you e.g. a joint.
Often your clinician will inject a
local anaesthetic as well as the
steroid for immediate pain relief.
What parts of my body can
have the injection?
A part which is inflamed or
painful, for example an inflamed
knee, or near a nerve, or the heel.
How quickly will the steroid
injection take to work, and
how long will it last?
This varies between people, but
usually an improvement starts in
one to two days. If the injection
does help reduce the pain, the
benefit can last from a few weeks
to several months.
Are there any side effects?
People frequently notice a flare
up or increase in their pain within
the first 48 hours after a steroid
injection. This usually then settles
spontaneously over the next
couple of days. Side effects are
very unlikely.
Very rarely, infection might be
introduced at the time of the
injection and so if the part of you
becomes more painful and more
inflamed, and does not settle
down, then you should consult
your clinician or GP as you may
need antibiotics.
Occasionally some thinning of
the skin or atrophy of in the fatty
tissue may occur at the injection
site e.g. over a joint. Very rarely
tendon rupture can happen
post injection.
There may also be some
connective tissue weakening and
therefore relative rest from the
aggravating activities is advised for
two weeks for certain injections.
Other minor side effects may
include a rise in blood sugar
among diabetic patients,
facial flushing in the first two
or three days, and possible
menstrual disturbance including
postmenopausal bleeding.
Possible side effects of the local
anaesthetic include feelings of
light- headedness, restlessness,
hypotension and allergic reactions
usually dermatitis and rarely
anaphylaxis.
Do I need to rest after
the injection?
Who should not have a
steroid injection?
If you have an injection into a joint
you should rest as much as possible
for the first two days and relative
rest from sport or aggravating
activities for two weeks. Your
clinician will advise you.
Your clinician will discuss this
with you and help you decide
if you should have a steroid
injection. But it would generally be
considered inappropriate to have a
steroid injection if you:
We recommend that you do not
drive after you have had your
injection for the rest of that
day and that you ask someone
to accompany you to your
appointment to drive you home.
•Have had an allergic reaction to
a previous steroid injection, or to
a local anaesthetic.
Where can I obtain further
information?
If you would like any further
information about steroid
injections, or if you have any
concerns about your treatment,
please discuss it with your clinician
or your GP.
Or
•Have an untreated systemic
infection which is not being
treated e.g. you are not yet
on antibiotics.
•Finally, if you have diabetes, are
on Warfarin, are breastfeeding,
are or may be pregnant, have
liver or kidney failure, high
blood pressure or heart failure,
then your clinician may wish to
discuss with you the suitability
of having a steroid injection.
Any problems
please contact:
Contact us
�����������������������������������������������������
Bletchley Therapy Unit
Whalley Drive
Bletchley
Milton Keynes MK3 6EN
�����������������������������������������������������
Tel: 01908 650440
Date of injection:
Opening times:
Monday to Friday
08.30 – 17.00
Clinician name:
�����������������������������������������������������
Area of body:
�����������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
Volume and solution used:
�����������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
�����������������������������������������������������
We are not an emergency service.
If there is an emergency please
contact your GP or dial 111 for
help.
Tell us, we’re listening
Our staff want to know how they
are doing. Tell us what you think
at www.cnwl.nhs.uk/feedback
and then we’ll know what we
have to do.
This document is also available in other languages, large print, Braille, and audio
format upon request. Please email [email protected]
We are now able to communicate with deaf or hard of hearing people via Text Relay. If
you are making a call from a text phone dial 18001 + 01908 243568
Dokument ten jest na życzenie udostępniany także w innych wersjach
językowych, w dużym druku, w alfabecie Braille’a lub w formacie audio.
Polish
Tamil
Urdu
Farsi
Šį dokumentą paprašius taip pat galima gauti kitomis kalbomis, dideliu šriftu,
Brailio raštu ir garso juostoje. Prašome kreiptis el.
Lithuanian
Mediante solicitação, este documento encontra-se também disponível noutras
línguas, num formato de impressão maior, em Braille e em áudio.
Portuguese
Este documento también está disponible y puede solicitarse en otros idiomas,
letra grande, braille y formato de audio.
Spanish
Bengali
Dokumentigaan waxaa xitaa lagu heli karaa luqado kale, daabacad far waa-wayn,
farta indhoolaha (Braille) iyo hab dhegaysi ah markii la soo codsado.
Somali
Russian
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust,
Stephenson House, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL.
Tel: 020 3214 5700 www.cnwl.nhs.uk
©
Central and North West London
NHS Foundation Trust
Ref: 0368_FEB2016
| February 2016