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Local Steroid Injections
What is a local steroid injection?
A local steroid injection is a highly effective non-surgical treatment used to reduce pain and inflammation in a specific part of the body. It involves a small injection of a steroid (a strong anti-inflammatory medicine) directly into the affected area, such as a joint, muscle, tendon, or around a nerve.
Steroid injections can help with conditions such as:
- Arthritis and joint pain
- Tendon or ligament problems
- Bursitis (inflammation of the small fluid-filled sacs near joints)
- Shoulder, Elbow, Hand, Hip, Knee, Ankle and foot pain
- Carpal Tunnel nerve pain
The injection aims to give targeted relief, allowing you to move more comfortably and return to your normal daily activities.
How we can help
We understand that ongoing pain is frustrating and hugely affects our quality of life. Our role is to:
- Provide a clear, thorough and unbiased explanation of your condition and treatment options.
- Offer expert advice on whether a steroid injection is suitable for you.
- Carry out the procedure safely and professionally, adhering to the highest standards.
- Support your recovery with follow-up guidance and, if needed, advise on whether a referral to another speciality i.e. physiotherapy would be of benefit, or if further scans are advisable.
Our key ethos is to provide a safe, affordable and evidence based treatment to help you manage pain effectively, so you can get back to doing the things you enjoy.
Our local steroid injection service
At our clinic, we provide an expert, professional and patient-centred steroid injection service. Here’s what you can expect:
- Expert Service: Doctor delivered. We deliver thousands of injections each year and have been published nationally with excellent patient outcomes. The service has also featured on the BBC National news.
- Personalised assessment: We’ll discuss your symptoms, medical history, and whether an injection is appropriate for you.
- Safe procedure: All injections are carried out by doctors using the best techniques to ensure accuracy and comfort.
- Quick relief: The majority of patients notice improvement within a few days. Our results far exceed the national average, with over 80% of patients reporting significant long term improvement.
- Convenient access: Appointments can be arranged quickly, without long waiting times.
Our goal is to make the process as smooth and as reassuring as possible, giving you confidence in your care.
Please Note
We are not able to inject the back or spine
Clinician details
Price List
- £200, including a consultation and injection.
Please Note
If the clinician does not deem an injection appropriate following your assessment, half of the fee will be refunded to you (£100)
Steroid (Corticosteroid) Injections
Steroid injections involve the direct administration of corticosteroid medication into joints or nearby tissues to reduce swelling and pain. This treatment is particularly effective in calming inflammation, helping you move with less discomfort.
How It Works
These injectable corticosteroids mimic the body’s natural anti-inflammatory hormones. Once administered, they inhibit inflammation and swelling around the injection area. Many patients notice symptom improvement within a few days, although the exact timeline can vary.
Uses and Treatment Areas
Steroid injections are commonly used to treat a variety of conditions, including:
- Inflammatory arthritis (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis)
- Bursitis
- Tendinitis
- Soft tissue injuries near joints
Procedure Overview
Dr Malhi will carry out a thorough history, examination and then move onto the consent process for the procedure.
After careful measurements, he will inject a corticosteroid (sometimes with a local anaesthetic) directly into the affected area.
Post-injection, it is sensible to stay in the building for about 20 minutes afterwards. You should be fine to drive home. We normally advise against strenuous exercise for at least 48hrs, and although not mandatory, extending this to two weeks helps give the best outcomes.
Expected Onset and Duration
Some steroid injections begin to relieve discomfort within hours; others may take a few days to become fully effective.
Relief usually lasts from a few weeks to several months, depending on individual responses. For many areas including shoulder tendinitis, bursitis of the hip, golfers/tennis elbow, wrist tendinitis and trigger finger to name a few, the aim is to completely cure the pain long term.
Possible Risks and Considerations
While generally safe, steroid injections can carry some small risks and potential side effects:
Minor side effects includ pain flare-ups, skin thinning or discoloration at the site, or temporary elevation in blood sugar. More serious, but very rare risks include joint infection, localised tissue damage and bleeding.
We limit injections to no more than three injections per year, per joint. This is the nationally recognised standard.
We unfortunately cannot proceed to a steroid injection if you:
- Are pregnant
- Are taking antibiotics or have an infection
- Have a healing fracture (you will need to wait 6 weeks)
- Have surgery planned within two weeks
- Have had the Covid vaccine within two weeks of the injection
- Have had an adverse reaction to steroid medication in the past
- Are taking warfarin and have an INR greater than 3.5
- Are diabetic with a Hba1c greater than 75
If none of the above apply to you, feel free to book an appointment or call us if you have any queries.
We look forward to helping you achieve a pain free and improved quality of life.
Clinician details
Dr Inderpal Malhi - GP Partner
Bsc (Hons) St And. MB BCh, MRCGP
Having qualified in 2010 from the Universities of St Andrews and Manchester, Dr Malhi has vast experience in managing a variety of complex medical conditions.
Having trained at major trauma centres in Central London, he has a special interest in trauma medicine, urgent care, and musculoskeletal medicine. He currently oversees and manages the large steroid injection service at the Whitstable Medical Practice.
He has been integral to its recent national publication showing its excellent outcomes.
He also chairs the musculoskeletal clinical governance meetings and is heavily involved in practice management and service development.