Ankle Joint Injection

Ankle joint injections are procedures that involve introducing medication into the ankle joint to relieve pain and improve joint function. This information sheet will explain what it is, Dr. Singer can determine if it is for you.

What is an Intra-articular Joint Injection?
The foot and ankle is a complex structure made up of 33 joints, 26 bones and numerous muscles, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments and nerves. A joint is made where two or more bones join together and if these joints become inflamed it can cause pain, swelling and restriction movement which can affect your walking and daily tasks.

An intra-articular joint injection is a medical procedure in which Dr. Singer injects either a steroid, local anesthetic, a combination of both, or a product like PRP directly into the joint, using either x-ray or ultrasound to guide the needle.

Purpose of Intra-articular Joint Injections
In general, patients receive intra-articular joint injections for one of two reasons; to help manage their symptoms (Therapeutic) or to assist with a diagnosis (Diagnostic).

Steroid injections are used to help reduce inflammation, which in turn aims to reduce swelling and pain in the joint. The effect of the steroid injection may not occur immediately and can take a number of days or weeks before the pain-relieving benefit is felt.

In some cases a local anesthetic may be used. This aims to numb the nerves to the area inside the joint causing a painless sensation to occur. The benefit can be felt within 20-30 minutes of the injection being given. Local anesthetics will only have a temporary effect.

What are the benefits of the procedure?
The temporary pain relief from an intra-articular joint injection may help:

• Reduce pain and inflammation
• Participation in physiotherapy
• Delay the need for surgery
• Confirm a diagnosis
• Please note, if there are severe degenerative changes within the joint, the Intra-articular injection will have limited benefit.

What are the Contraindications of the procedure?
In some instances, we are unable to perform an intra-articular joint injection, these include:

• Current infection / Sepsis
• Fracture

What happens during an injection?

• Depending on the exact location of your pain, you may be sitting or lying down on an exam table.
• Dr. Singer will clean and prep your skin on the affected area.
• Once Dr. Singer has identified the area he desires to inject, he will insert a thin needle attached to a syringe into the joint.
• Dr. Singer will then inject the area with a local anesthetic with or without corticosteroid.

What happens after an injection?
You will be free to get re-dressed and check out at the front desk. It may help to move in ways that hurt before the injection, to see if the pain is still there, but do not overdo it.

You may feel immediate pain relief and some numbness for a limited time after the injection. This may indicate the medication has reached the right spot. You can return to work the day after the injection. Your pain may return after this short pain-free period or may even be a little worse for a day or two. It may be caused by needle irritation or by the steroid itself. Steroids usually take two or three days to start working but can take as long as a week. It is advisable to avoid excessive exercise involving the joint for 24 hours following the procedure. Continue taking your pain medications until the injection begins to take effect.

The amount of pain relief and the length of time it lasts is different for everyone. After a period of time an injection may be repeated, but this decision is at the discretion of Dr. Singer.

How long can I expect pain relief?
Pain relief typically lasts for about a month. If you're still experiencing pain after this time, your healthcare provider may recommend additional injections to achieve long-term pain relief.

This information is for general education only. Specific questions or concerns should always be directed to your doctor. Your doctor can explain possible risks or side effects.