Image Guided Joint and Soft Tissue Injections
Image guided joint and soft tissue injections are used to diagnose or treat certain types of musculoskeletal conditions. They can help to relieve pain, inflammation and other symptoms. By using specialist imaging equipment, the radiologist can see precisely where to inject. This ensures accuracy and maximum effectiveness of the treatment.
Your doctor might refer you for an image guided joint or soft tissue injection if you are experiencing pain and inflammation due to injury or illness. Radiologists commonly use this technique for problems affecting the hip, wrist, hand, ankle, foot, knee and spine.
We use diagnostic injections to confirm whether the symptoms you are experiencing are caused by a particular joint, tendon or other structure. This can help to guide any further investigations or treatment.
We use therapeutic injections help improve pain or other symptoms. The effects generally last for between three and six months, although sometimes it can be longer. The treatment can normally be repeated.
For the procedure your doctor will ask you to lie on a treatment table. This will be next to the imaging machine (ultrasound, CT scanner or X-ray machine). After cleaning the skin above the affected joint, we will give you an injection of local anaesthetic. This will numb the entire area.
Once you are unable to feel any pain, we will give you an injection of corticosteroids. This will help to relieve pain and reduce inflammation in the damaged area. Our radiologists use imaging to guide the needle so that the steroid is administered in exactly the right place.
If we are using X-ray guidance we may inject a harmless dye into the affected area first. This enables us to see whether the needle tip is correctly positioned.
After the procedure you will be able to go home the same day. You should avoid doing anything too strenuous for 24 hours and we will ask you to keep a diary of how your symptoms feel over the next few weeks so that we can assess how successful the treatment has been.
Image guided joint and soft tissue injections are generally effective at relieving pain. On average, most patients experience pain relief for 3-6 months. However the benefits can last as long as 12 months or a little as 2-3 weeks depending on individual circumstances.
Image guided joint and soft tissue injections are very safe procedures with very few contraindications. The needles used are extremely fine so injury to adjacent structures is rare. There is a small risk of bleeding or infection associated with any type of injection. However the skill and experience of our radiologists means that any problems of this type are rare.
If you are taking a strong anticoagulant (such as warfarin) or you have a bleeding disorder, please discuss this with your consultation radiologist. If you have infection elsewhere in your body or sepsis we generally would not give a joint or soft tissue injection as it could prolong or worsen the infection.
The procedure is generally safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding but this is normally discussed on a case-by-case basis.
Why choose Berkshire Imaging?
We are one of the largest private radiology groups in Berkshire, providing imaging for patients across the county. We also provide interventional radiology procedures for patients in Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Hampshire, Bucks and London. We are leaders in medical imaging and image guided treatments. As a result we use cutting edge technologies to diagnose and treat many different and often complex conditions.
When you are concerned about your health, you want a doctor to see and treat you as quickly as possible. With Berkshire Imaging you will receive a prompt and accurate diagnosis. This can help ensure better outcomes if you need treatment or put your mind at ease if you don’t.
Where Are You Based?
We provide imaging for patients right across Berkshire. From Newbury and Thatcham in the West along the M4 corridor to Reading, Bracknell and Wokingham and as far as Maidenhead and Slough, we have helped hundreds of patients in Berkshire. Our strong relationships with all the major private hospitals across Berkshire enable us to offer rapid access to private scans in several locations.
Contact Us
If you have any questions our friendly patient care team will be happy to help. Contact us by calling 0118 338 2500 or emailing info@berkshireimaging.co.uk for more details about this procedure.
