Joint pain treatment (joint injections) at Spire Manchester Hospital

Spire Manchester Hospital offers a comprehensive range of specialist treatments in our purpose-built private hospital facilities in Didsbury. We offer a choice of expert orthopaedic consultants who perform joint injections and are committed to healthcare excellence.

You can expect to receive treatment without the wait, and high-quality aftercare that’s personalised to you. Our facilities are clean and modern with all the comfort and convenience you’d expect at home.

Finding us

The hospital is close to the city centre, with Manchester Piccadilly and Victoria train stations being approximately 20 minutes in a taxi and only 10 minutes from Manchester Airport. We have free parking on-site for you and your visitors.

What to expect during your consultation

On the day of your consultation, you’ll meet one of our healthcare professionals in one of our 18 accessible consultation rooms so there’s no need to be concerned if your joint pain restricts your mobility.

At your consultation, we may:

• Ask about your medical history
• Check your blood pressure and blood sugar to make sure the hydrocortisone injection is suitable for you
• Explain about the procedure, anaesthetic and any potential risks and complications and how they may affect you
• Give you a chance to ask any questions you have about your treatment

We may also recommend further tests and scans, such as an X-ray, an MRI or a CT scan, so we can examine your joint in more detail.

Joint injections can help reduce knee pain, shoulder pain and hip pain, and particularly pain due to osteoarthritis.

On the day of your procedure, you’ll come into Spire Manchester Hospital and meet your healthcare team. The procedure will take place in our dedicated day-case unit.

When you’re ready, your consultant will feel and flex your joint and may draw out fluid with a needle, if necessary.

Your consultant will then perform the joint injection.

• They may use a local anaesthetic or sedation before or at the same time as the injection to help make the procedure more comfortable for you
• They may use a special X-ray machine to see your joint and guide the needle in
• They may make more than one injection, if necessary

After your procedure, you’ll rest in a recovery room for half an hour before going home. Your healthcare team will provide you with any advice and information on how to manage any pain due to the injection.

The first few days

Following your joint procedure, you’ll need someone to stay with you for the first 24 hours, depending on which joint is injected. If you have a sedation, you'll need an adult to accompany you for 24 hours. It can take up to 48 hours for the steroid to take effect, so you should rest your joint for the first few days. Your consultant will inform you about over-the-counter painkillers to relieve any existing pain or discomfort. After the 48-hour period you should keep your joint active and do the exercises provided by our physiotherapists.

Although everybody’s different and you should always follow your consultant’s advice, here’s a typical recovery timeline for joint injections: