Injection Therapy

Advanced Pain Management to Support Your Rehabilitation

Injection Therapy at SLC Physiotherapy bridges the gap between traditional hands-on treatment and surgical intervention. It allows us to manage pain more effectively, creating the opportunity for meaningful rehabilitation to take place.

For many patients, pain is the main barrier to progress. If movement is too painful, strengthening and recovery stall. Injection therapy helps reduce that barrier allowing you to move, load, and rebuild properly.

Injection therapy is always used as part of a wider rehabilitation plan, not as a standalone solution.

 

How Injection Therapy Enhances Physiotherapy

Creating a “Window of Opportunity”

Reducing inflammation and pain allows you to engage in strengthening and mobility work that may previously have been impossible. This is where real long-term progress begins.

Diagnostic Clarity

In certain cases, targeted injections can help confirm the exact source of pain, guiding a more precise and effective rehabilitation plan.

Improved Outcomes in Specific Conditions

Some conditions respond significantly better to a combination of injection therapy and structured rehabilitation, rather than exercise alone.

 

Steroid Injections

Steroid (corticosteroid) injections are used to rapidly reduce inflammation within joints, bursae, or around irritated structures.

Key Benefits:

  • Rapid and effective inflammation control
  • Reduced swelling and joint irritation
  • Pain relief typically within 3–7 days
  • Targeted delivery directly to the affected area
  • Helps break the pain–inhibition cycle

By reducing pain, muscles that were “switched off” due to discomfort can begin functioning properly again allowing rehabilitation to progress.

Commonly Used For:

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Bursitis (shoulder, hip)
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Joint inflammation

Steroids are used carefully and responsibly, with clear clinical reasoning and patient consent.

 

Ostenil Plus (Hyaluronic Acid) Injections

Ostenil Plus is a form of viscosupplementation primarily used in osteoarthritis management. Unlike steroids, which reduce chemical inflammation, Ostenil improves the mechanical environment of the joint.

How It Works:

Healthy joints contain hyaluronic acid, which acts as a lubricant and shock absorber. In arthritic joints, this fluid becomes thinner and less effective.

Ostenil Plus restores lubrication, improves cushioning, and enhances joint movement.

Key Benefits:

  • Improved joint lubrication
  • Reduced friction and “grating” sensation
  • Enhanced shock absorption
  • Improved mobility and function
  • Can reduce reliance on painkillers
  • Effects typically last 6–9 months
  • Strength & Conditioning Coaching

Ostenil Plus contains Mannitol, which helps stabilise the hyaluronic acid, allowing many patients to benefit from a single injection rather than a course of multiple treatments.

 

Important Considerations

While injection therapy can be highly effective, it is not a cure. It reduces symptoms to allow proper rehabilitation to take place.

  • Repeated steroid injections are limited to protect tissue health
  • Steroids can cause temporary blood sugar increases (important for diabetic patients)
  • Injections treat symptoms rehabilitation addresses the cause
  • Mild soreness or flare-ups may occur for 24–48 hours

At SLC Physiotherapy, injection therapy is always combined with a structured exercise plan to achieve lasting results.

Find Your Answers: Injection Therapy FAQs

Most injections are quick and well tolerated. Some temporary discomfort or mild soreness may occur afterward.

Steroid injections typically begin working within 3–7 days. Ostenil Plus may take slightly longer but can last several months.

Steroid injections usually provide relief for 3–6 months. Ostenil Plus commonly lasts 6–9 months, depending on the individual.

Yes. The injection reduces pain — rehabilitation corrects the underlying issue. Combining both provides the best outcome.

Most patients tolerate injections well. Possible temporary effects include mild pain flare, swelling, or stiffness. Steroids can temporarily raise blood sugar levels.

Typically no more than 3–4 per year in the same area, to protect joint and tendon health.

They serve different purposes. Steroids reduce inflammation quickly. Ostenil improves joint lubrication and mechanical function. The best option depends on your condition.

In many cases, yes. For conditions like osteoarthritis, injections can provide significant symptom relief and delay surgical intervention.