| WHAT IS IT? |
Cortisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory
which will reduce pain |
| AIMS OF CORTISONE INJECTION |
To reduce pain and inflammation
associated with soft tissue injury or early arthritis of a joint
|
| HOW LONG DOES IT LAST |
The effect of cortisone is unpredictable.
In some conditions it can cure the problem in others the effect
is short term only i.e just days or weeks |
OVERVIEW |
| Injection time |
The injection will take less than
30 seconds |
| Injection placement |
The injection is most effective
if placed in the area of most pain |
| Is the injection site numbed first |
The cortisone is combined with local
anaesthetic to relieve any discomfort during the injection. |
| Time off work |
It is advisable to rest on the day
of the injection but you can return to normal the following
day. |
| Pain associated with the injection |
Obviously pain is very subjective
but most people would rate the pain as 2 or 3 on a scale of
1 to 10, 10 being the worst agony imaginable. |
| Onset |
The effect should be noticeable
within the first 2-3 days. |
| INDICATIONS FOR CORTISONE IN FOOT PAIN
|
Heel pain, pain in the knuckle joint
of the ball of the foot, Morton’s neuroma pain, tendonitis,
joint pain |
| MAXIMUM NUMBER OF INJECTIONS |
Usually if the problem is going
to respond to cortisone it will do so within 3 injections, if
there is no improvement after this it is unlikely that further
injections will help |
| RISKS OF CORTISONE INJECTIONS |
- Flare up of pain so the condition gets
worse in the first 48 – 72 hours
- Allergic reaction usually no more than
facial flushing.
- Thinning of the skin
|
- Loss of pigment in the skin
- Damage to the joint cartilage
- Weakening of the tendon and rupture of
the tendon
- Failure to improve pain
|
| ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS |
- Anti-inflammatory creams e.g.Feldene
or Ibuleve
|
- Ice and rest
- Padding, strapping and splints
|
- Foot supports or orthotics
|
