The Best Physiotherapy Services Based in Birkenshaw, Gomersal and Cleckheaton, Leeds.
Steroid injections in Bradford, Leeds and Kirklees
Steroid Injections for Yorkshire folk; Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield.
Here at LB Physiotherapy and Fitness our ethos is to do what we can to make your pain easier for you. a steroid injection does just that. Liam needs to examine you first in order to determine if you need an injection first and foremost.
What Liam will look for is pain that is constantly present; there’s no let up. Inflammation causes a dull ache at rest and can intensify when loading the inflamed structure.
If pain is disturbing your sleep, get booked in for an assessment with Liam who can assess you first to ensure it is nothing sinister.
Liam has vast experience injecting the following conditions: Osteoarthritis of the knee, swollen and painful knees, Carpal Tunnel, DeQuervains Tenosynovitis, Carpal Tunnel, Osteoarthritis of the toes and fingers, Bursitis of many differing areas, Frozen Shoulders, Arthritis of the ankle, Impingement or Sub Acromial shoulder pain.
Benefits of receiving a steroid injection:
A steroid injection is an ANTI INFLAMMATORY drug.
If you have a condition where inflammation is driving the pain mechanism, steroids work like a magic bullet and ‘puts the fire out’ / eases your pain.
Do steroid injections work? Yes they do; however they have to be used at the right time and the right area has to be injected for them to be effective.
What to expect and does it hurt?
MYTH: Steroid injections are painful when administered.
FACT: Some injections can sting a little... ‘Sharp scratch on entry’ is often said.
The reality is, your injection could be a completely pain-free process. Some injections can sting. If the process is uncomfortable then I assure you, the process is over very quickly.
You may have a dull ache for upto 48 hours which is completely normal.
It can take up to 2 weeks for the treatment effects to occur. Liam doesn’t use any numbing agent so immediate relief won’t happen for you.
On rare occasions, an injection may not work. The reason for this may be that the area I have injected does not have any active inflammation that is driving your pain mechanism at the time I have injected.
Any questions? Book in to see Liam for an initial assessment below.
Why is lidocaine (local anesthetic) not used?
A few reasons… firstly and most importantly is the safety aspect.
THE biggest risk of injecting a new substance into the body is an allergic reaction which can be fatal. There’s less than one percent chance of an allergic reaction with steroid only.
Secondly, I would have to inject you in order to ‘numb’ the area… this prolongs the injection process and if you’re already anxious or nervous about it, the sooner it’s over, the better.
Lastly, it’s the steroid that’s the active ingredient that suppresses inflammation in the area - local anaesthesia only numbs the area for a few hours.
This can be good for diagnostic purposes for us clinicians however the risks outweigh the rewards in my professional opinion.
Your safety is THE MOST important thing when injecting steroids.
Liam is trained in managing allergic reactions. Liam has TWO epi pens on hand should he need to use them and will monitor you for ten minutes before you leave the clinic to make sure you won’t have an allergic reaction.
When Liam will not inject you:
If your HBA1c is above 70. If you have Diabetes, administering steroids can impair your bodies ability to make insulin. HBA1c above 70 is therefore not injected.
If you are currently running a temperature or have had a vaccination within the past 14 days. Steroid administration could induce a mild immunosuppressive effect. Therefore you won’t be injected as Liam seems it is unsafe to do so.
If you are on immunosuppressive treatment, Liam needs written confirmation from your consultant before he will inject you.
If you have had recent trauma to the area and Liam suspects a fracture - he will not inject you.
If your blood pressure is stage 2 / excessively high, Liam will not inject you. If you are unsure about your blood pressure, Liam is able to take a reading before you decide to go ahead.
Possible risks / adverse effects:
Allergic reaction, bleeding, bruising, facial flushing, fainting, infection, menstrual linegularity, post injection pain, rise in blood sugar in diabetes for a few days, rise in blood pressure for a few days if you have high blood pressure, soft tissue atrophy (permanent dimples) skin de-pigmentation, nerve injury, vascular damage, haemarthrosis (bleeding in to the joint), tendon rupture, no benefit, recurrence of problem, small risk of immunosuppressive effect to viral and bacterial infections.
If you have any worries then please ask Liam before proceeding.
