What is an Ultrasound Guided Injection?

Ultrasound injections are a safe interventional procedure in which medication is injected into inflamed joints or tissues under ultrasound guidance. The injection used for this procedure is most commonly a steroid (anti-inflammatory) medication which acts to relieve pain by decreasing the localised inflammation. Local anaesthetic may be used during the procedure.

Ultrasound is a safe and widely used real time imaging technique, with no known harmful effects. It uses high frequency sound waves which are produced by a special ultrasound probe, called a transducer. The frequency of these sound waves is higher than can be detected by the human ear. The sound waves bounce off parts of the body and are detected by the probe, then used to create images that can be displayed on a monitor.