Targeted Corticosteroid Injections for Joint and Soft Tissue Pain
Persistent inflammation can hold up your recovery and keep you from the things you want to do. Where pain, swelling or stiffness is limiting your movement, a corticosteroid injection can settle the inflammation and help you get back to normal activity more quickly. At Indergaard Physiotherapy, we offer steroid injections at our Leeds clinic as one part of a structured rehabilitation plan, so the injection supports your recovery rather than standing alone.
A steroid injection delivers a corticosteroid medicine, often alongside a local anaesthetic, directly into an affected joint or area of soft tissue. By dampening down inflammation in that specific spot, it can ease pain, loosen stiffness and reduce swelling.
We offer injections into joints and into soft tissues such as those involved in bursitis, as well as certain muscle and tendon problems. Please note that we do not carry out spinal injections.
A corticosteroid injection may be considered for:
- Osteoarthritis affecting the synovial joints
- Joint pain in areas such as the knee, hip, fingers and toes
- Soft tissue problems where inflammation is the main driver
Your physiotherapist will examine you and confirm whether this is the right option for your situation. If your symptoms centre on one area, our shoulder pain and knee pain pages explain how we approach those joints in more detail.
Used at the right moment, a steroid injection can:
- Bring down pain and inflammation in a targeted way
- Allow rehabilitation to begin sooner, with guided exercise forming a central part of lasting recovery
- Reduce the need for prolonged courses of other treatment
- Support a quicker return to your usual activities
Oral anti-inflammatory tablets have their place, but taken over a long period they can bring unwanted effects elsewhere in the body. A steroid injection concentrates the treatment at the source of the problem, which often makes it both more focused and more effective for that particular area.
Your appointment will usually include an assessment of the area and your suitability, a clear explanation of the procedure and any risks, and the injection itself, given by a trained clinician. The process is generally quick and most people cope with it comfortably.
Where a local anaesthetic is included, you may notice relief straight away, although that early effect can ease off after a few hours. The corticosteroid itself usually starts to take effect within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and occasionally a little longer. How long the benefit lasts varies from person to person and can run to several weeks or more, depending on the condition being treated.
For some joints, a hyaluronic acid injection may be a better fit, and your clinician will raise this with you if it looks more appropriate.
This depends on the area being treated and how long-standing the problem is. Many people need only a single injection, while others may benefit from a further one where symptoms are more severe or persistent. Your physiotherapist will discuss the likely plan with you.
Most people find the procedure only mildly uncomfortable. There may be some soreness for a few hours afterwards, which can usually be managed with simple pain relief if needed.
To keep you safe, we will not proceed with the injection if you:
- Have an active infection
- Are allergic to local anaesthetic
- Are pregnant
- Are due to have surgery at the injection site in the near future
- Are under eighteen
- Feel unwell on the day of the appointment
A full assessment is always completed first so that any such factors are picked up before treatment.
Side effects are uncommon, but they can include:
- Short-lived soreness or bruising
- Flushing of the face
- Some change in the skin around the injection site
- A temporary rise in blood sugar, which is relevant for people with diabetes
- Rarely, a slight change to the menstrual cycle
Your clinician will go through these with you before treatment so you can make an informed decision.
If you have not been assessed with us before, you will need an initial assessment first, charged at £65.00. Where you are already under our care and currently having treatment, normal appointment fees apply instead. If suitable, the cost of a corticosteroid injection appointment is £150.00 per injection. If injection therapy turns out not to be suitable for you, we will still provide advice, set out the alternatives, and arrange onward referral where that is the right course.
Steroid injections are carried out by our trained clinicians following an assessment. You can book a consultation to find out whether the treatment is suitable for you, and we are happy to answer any questions beforehand.
To get started, book online or call 0113 286 0333.
Our patients are looked after by HCPC-registered chartered physiotherapists who combine genuine experience in injection therapy with an evidence-based approach. Injections are led by director Ove Indergaard (HCPC registration PH56778), and every injection sits alongside a personalised rehabilitation plan, because our aim is not simply to take the pain away but to help you recover and move better for the long term. Trusted by patients and healthcare colleagues across Leeds, we focus on getting you back to what matters to you.
Easing pain, reducing inflammation and getting your rehabilitation moving are all realistic goals for the right candidate. Book your steroid injection in Leeds today and take the first step towards getting back to normal activity.
What to expect in your consult?
When you attend for your initial consultation here at Indergaard Physiotherapy, you will be taken through our thorough assessment process, where we will find the root cause of your pain. Your therapist, in partnership with yourself, will form a plan for how we aim to get you pain free and back to full function as soon as possible.
This can include hands on therapy, Shockwave Therapy, Laser Therapy, movement re-education and rehabilitation, as well as exercises. Our goal is to give you the best possible care to enable you to move better and feel great as soon as possible.