Joint pain treatment (joint injections) at Spire Edinburgh Hospitals Murrayfield and Shawfair Park

Spire Edinburgh Hospitals has been caring for patients privately across Scotland and beyond since 1984. Our rheumatologists, orthopaedic consultants and neurosurgeons perform joint injections to help relieve chronic pain and stiffness.

We offer fast access to diagnostic tests and scans and easy booking.

Getting here

Spire Murrayfield is an approximate 20 minute drive east from Edinburgh Airport or 10 minutes west from Haymarket train station.

Spire Shawfair Park is to the south east of Edinburgh city centre, conveniently located close to the City Bypass and the Royal Infirmary.

Both hospitals have free parking for you and your visitors.

Your consultations

All your consultations will take place in one of our accessible consultation rooms. During your consultation, your consultant will:

• Ask about your medical history
• Assess whether you need blood tests, an X-ray and/or an MRI or CT scan so your consultant can examine your joint in more detail
• Check 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

Joint injections can be used to help knee pain, shoulder pain and hip pain, and in particular, pain that’s associated with osteoarthritis.

Once you have decided to go ahead with the joint injections, your consultant will outline your treatment and ongoing support plan.

Here’s what will happen on the day of your joint injection:

• You’ll meet your healthcare team
• If agreed with your consultant beforehand, you’ll be given a sedative so you feel calm
• Your consultant will feel and flex your joint and may draw out fluid with a needle if necessary
• Your consultant will insert a thin needle into your joint to inject the hydrocortisone, which may be mixed with a local anaesthetic to numb the area
• Your consultant may use an X-ray machine positioned over your joint as a guide for the injection
• Your consultant may make more than one injection, if appropriate

In most cases, you'll receive a hydrocortisone joint injection. Hydrocortisone is a steroid which reduces inflammation and relieves pain.

We can also offer special platelet-rich plasma injections. The plasma is taken from your own blood, and when injected into your joint, it’s intended to promote cartilage repair and relieves pain and stiffness due to osteoarthritis. Ask your consultant if this is appropriate for you.

When your consultant has finished, you’ll be able to relax until you’re ready to go home - usually for about half an hour or so. Before you leave, your healthcare team will give you advice on managing your pain and any exercises you can do to help improve your results.

You may have some discomfort from the injection – if you had a local anaesthetic, you may feel this after a couple of hours. However, the joint injection should improve your chronic pain in a few hours to a few days. Usually, the effects should last for a few weeks to a few months, depending on the type and strength of your injection.

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