Cortisone Injections for Tendonitis in South London
Cortisone injections for tendonitis at our clinic
We are a leading cortisone injection clinic offering steroid injections for pain from tendonitis, also known as tendinopathy or tendinosis in medical terms. Steroid injections can bring significant relief from your tendonitis pain and bring you much-needed respite from your condition.
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We offer private injections at our South London clinic and also offer home visits in the South London area. A free telephone consultation is available to understand whether injections will be helpful and appropriate in your particular case, and your appointment also includes a diagnostic ultrasound consultation to ensure your injection will be safe and give you maximum benefit.
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Booking is quick and easy, please see our book appointment page for more details.
Types of tendonitis that are suitable for cortisone injections
Tendonitis is a general term used to describe conditions that affect tendons, the thick, fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones. The term tendinopathy is preferable since tendonitis suggests an underlying inflammation which is not always present and tendinopathy encompasses a range of tendon disorders, including tendonitis and tendinosis. These conditions involve damage, degeneration, or inflammation of the tendons, typically due to overuse, injury, or aging.
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Tendonitis: Inflammation of a tendon which often occurs as a result of repetitive stress, overuse, or acute injuries. Common symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness at the site of the affected tendon. The pain is usually aggravated by movement.
Tendinosis: Non-inflammatory condition characterized by degeneration of the tendon tissue. It is often associated with chronic overuse and may result in microscopic tears in the tendon. Tendinosis may present with pain, stiffness, and reduced function. Unlike tendonitis, there is not always inflammation.
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Calcific tendonitis: condition where calcium deposits form in a tendon, leading to inflammation, pain, and potential restriction of movement in the affected joint. It often occurs in the shoulder.
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Tendinopathy can affect any tendon in the body, but it commonly occurs in the tendons of the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees, and ankles.
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Causes and risk factors usually include repetitive stress or overuse, natural degeneration from age, incorrect or poor technique during physical activities, poor general health and conditioning, smoking or the presence of other condition such as diabetes, thyroid dysfunction or inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis.
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In order to ensure injection therapy is the right course of action in your particular case, we offer a free virtual consultation to get a quick picture of your health and the condition you are experiencing, and advise on whether steroid injections are a good course of action for you. At your appointment we will also carry out a full ultrasound-led diagnosis and assessment to ensure you are receiving the most appropriate treatment and best possible care.
What our patients say
How do cortisone injections help with tendonitis?
Cortisone injections can rapidly reduce pain, bringing much-needed relief and increased mobility. If you have found your work or other daily activities involving walking, running, gripping, or anything being hindered by your pain, a steroid injection can allow you the freedom to get back to work and normal life.
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Pain is not to be underestimated and when it becomes bad it can become debilitating and lead to depression. Pain can also lead to inactivity which can cause further problems such as postural and health issues, leading to even further inactivity, known as the chronic pain cycle. It is crucial to seek help when you are in pain and not simply try to live with it, as when left unchecked pain can cause gradual deterioration of both mental and physical health.
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The break from pain and other symptoms brought by steroid injections will also allow you to take other actions to proactively combat your problem. In particular, you will be able to follow a physiotherapist-prescribed exercise programme to deal with your condition at the root by stimulating healing of the tendon fibres. It is important you do any exercises your physiotherapist gives you to avoid your problem worsening in the future and potentially leading to more problems further down the line.
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All our treatments include a written report and guidance on moving forward with treating your problem following your injection, so that you can use the opportunity the injection gives to set yourself on a path to better health. We also include a personalised physiotherapy exercise plan wherever appropriate.
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For more information about cortisone injections and frequently asked questions, see our cortisone injections page.
What tendonitis do you typically treat with injections?
Whilst there is no definitive list, tendons disorders that we often see as candidates for injection therapy include:
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De Quervain tenosynovitis
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Peroneal tendinopathy
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Long head of biceps tenosynovitis
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Posterior Tibial Tendon Dysfunction
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Rotator cuff tendinopathy
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Gluteal tendinopathy
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We offer corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injection depending the type of condition and its location. In all cases, a consultation with a medical professional is crucial in choosing the right course of treatment for your particular case.
Are cortisone injections a long-term solution for tendonitis?
Corticosteroids have a short term effect (around 3 months) but a common belief is that cortisone injections do not address the underlying causes of your pain and will only stop the symptoms.
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First of all, your pain has a massive impact on your daily life and any relief, even temporary, can help significantly with your sleep, work or family activities, and as a result, improve your general well being and mental health. Fortunately, simple pathologies, even when causing severe pain, tend to improve overtime and by the time the steroid has stopped working, we expect that your body has healed by itself and the pain won't return.
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Secondly, the pain free period allowed by steroid injections (up to 3-6 months on average and sometime over 1 year) is a window that will be used to begin further treatment such as a prescribed exercise program or sessions of physiotherapy, in order to address other causative factors for your problems.
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In some cases steroid injections can also be a permanent solution by stopping chronic inflammation or disrupting your pain signal. More information about pain can be found on our blog.
At your virtual consultation and first appointment, your clinician will ask questions and assess you to diagnose your problem and explain to you the options available. This will help you to understand how you can use the respite from pain which a corticosteroid injection provides, to work directly on your problem and provide you with a personalized exercise plan to avoid reliance on injections in the future.
Your clinician
All our injection treatments are carried out by our experienced physiotherapist and injection clinician, Maxence Legout. Max has over 15 years experience and holds a senior position in the NHS, where he carries out over 2000 ultrasound-guided injection & procedures every year.
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For more information please see our clinician page, or book a free online or telephone consultation to speak to Max directly.
What other treatments are available for tendonitis?
After an acute injury, such as recent repetitive strain or overuse, usually rest, ice, activity modifications and painkilling treatments like over-the-counter medications or gels are often sufficient. Depending on the location, bracing or Supports can provide stability and reduce strain on the affected tendon. Giving the affected tendon some time to recover is often a key component of treatment and fortunately, most tendonitis will resolve naturally overtime. If symptoms do not settle after 6-12 weeks the following treatments can be alternative, complementary or subsequent to cortisone or hyaluronic acid injections.
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Physiotherapy and exercises is an important aspect of tendon rehabilitation as it modulates pain, helps strengthen muscles, improve flexibility, and promote healing with an exercise induced response in collagen turnover, blood flow, anti-inflammatory activity.
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Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy (ESWT) uses shock waves to stimulate healing in the affected tendon.
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Dry Needling or tendon fenestration is a procedure involving the creation of small openings in a tendon to promote healing.
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Barbotage for calcific tendonitis which involving the injection and aspiration of fluid into and out of a tendon to remove calcifications.
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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy involves injecting a concentrated form of the patient's own blood platelets into the tendon to promote healing. There is currently limited evidence to supports its use in regard to costs.
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Surgery might be necessary for severe cases not responding to conservative management. More information can be found here.
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The specific treatment approach depends on the type and severity of tendinopathy, and it's crucial for individuals experiencing symptoms to seek professional medical advice for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management
MEDICAL REVIEW - The medical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Maxence Legout, MSc, Physiotherapist.