Injection Therapy
At The Newry Clinic partner Stephen Brannigan is a fully qualified injection therapist.
He performs two types of injections only after clinical assessment and thorough history taking from the patient.
Corticosteroid Injection
Cortico-Steroid drugs have had a bad press in recent years. Many members of the public are worried about them and this fear is sometimes shared by those in the mdial professions. If injection therapy is used properly, however, the potential benefits vastly outweigh the possible side-effects.
The Art of good injection therapy is to place the appropriate amount of the appropriate drug at the appropriate time into the exact site of the affected tissue. This means that the clinician practising injection therapy must possess a high level of diagnostic and technical skill.
Steroid injections are thought to work by:
- Suppressing inflammation in inflammatory systemic diseases such as rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, gout etc.
- Suppressing inflammatory flares in degenerative joint disease such as osteoarthriosis and osteoarthritis
- Breaking up the inflammatory damage –repair-damage vicious cycle in a continuous low-grade inflammatory response, inhibiting tissue repair and sound scar formation while forming adverse adhesions.
Conditions which can be treated by cortico-steroid injection:
- Acute or chronic –capsulitis (Frozen shoulder. AC Joint, wrist, knee/ankle)
- Chronic Tendonitis (Tennis/Golfer Elbow, Adductor, Knee, Rotator Cuff)
- Tenosynovitis (De Quervains)
- Trigger Finger
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Chronic Ligament Sprain
- Bursitis Platar Fasciitis
Problems with injection therapy arise when:
- An INAPPROPRIATE DRUG is chosen
- TOO LARGE A DOSE is used?
- Injections are given TOO FREQUENTLY
- The drug is put in the WRONG TISSUE
- POOR INJECTION TECHNIQUE allows the spread of drugs to adjacent tissues
- Insufficient attention is directed to the CAUSE of the lesion
- No regard is given to AFTERCARE + REHABILITATION
Viscosupplemntation
This involves injecting a lubricant called Hyulorate into a joint which is affected by symptoms off Osteo-Arthritis (Wear and Tear off a joint).
When a joint develops osteoarthritis there is usually a wearing down of the join cartilage, this leads to a decrease on fluid lubrication and can cause grinding and pain.
The Viscosupplementation uses a substance called hyularonic acid which is found in normal joint fluid. It is a gel like substance and can help lubricate the joint.
Usually a course of 4 injections over 6 weeks is recommended along with a structured rehabilitation program to improve joint mobility and strength.
Results to date are extremely encouraging and although they won’t cure arthritis they can significantly reduce the pain from it.
If you have any questions regarding an appointment at the Newry Clinic, ask one of our phyiotherapists.
