At Dungannon Foot Clinic our Orthoapedic ICATS Podiatrist Jarlath McGurk offers an extensive range of injection therapies for conditions affecting the foot and ankle. Jarlath has trained with several prominent foot and ankle Surgeons and sports medicine Doctors in both his role as an advanced specialist clinician in the NHS and private sectors.

Cortico- steroids are a safe and effective method of controlling pain and reducing inflammation. A consultation is required to assess a patient’s suitability for injection therapy. All injections are performed under ultrasound guidance.

Steroid injections prove effective for the following foot conditions:

~Arthritic joint pain

~Plantar Fasciopathy

~Mortons Neuroma

~Intermetatarsal bursitis

~Plantar Fibroma

~Ganglion cysts

Most people have steroid injections without any side effects. They can be a little uncomfortable at the time of injection, but many people feel that this is not as bad as they feared.

Occasionally people notice a flare-up in their joint pain within the first 24 hours after an injection. This usually settles by itself within a couple of days, but taking simple painkillers like paracetamol will help.

Injections can occasionally cause some thinning or changes in the colour of the skin at the injection site, particularly with the stronger steroids.

Very rarely you may get an infection in the joint at the time of an injection. If your joint becomes more painful and hot you should see your doctor immediately, especially if you feel unwell.

People are often concerned about the possibility of other steroid-related side effects such as weight gain. One of the advantages of steroid injections compared to tablets is that often the dose can be kept low. This means that these other side effects are very rare unless injections are given frequently, more than a few times per year.