Safety and Aftercare

Aftercare Advice Following Your Injection

Please follow the advice below after your injection. Your clinician may also give you specific instructions based on the treatment you have received.

Immediately After Your Injection

It is common to experience some temporary soreness or discomfort around the injection site.

For the first 6 hours:

– Keep the injection site clean and dry.
– Avoid rubbing or massaging the area.
– Do not apply creams, gels or other products directly over the injection site.
– Avoid bathing or swimming.

You can continue with normal light day-to-day activities unless your clinician has advised otherwise.

Exercise and Activity

As a general guide, avoid strenuous exercise, heavy lifting and high-impact activity involving the treated area for approximately 72 hours.

This is not a fixed rule for every patient. Your clinician may recommend a shorter or longer period depending on the condition being treated, the type of injection and your usual activity or sport.

After this period, gradually return to activity as symptoms allow.

Pain After an Injection

Some discomfort after an injection can be normal.

Certain injections, particularly corticosteroid injections, can occasionally cause a temporary increase in pain after treatment. This is sometimes called a “steroid flare.”

Unless you have been advised otherwise, simple pain relief can be used if required.

If pain is severe, continues to increase, or is associated with redness, heat, swelling, fever or feeling unwell, seek medical assessment.

Infection

Infection following an injection is rare, but it is one of the most important complications to recognize early.

Seek same-day medical assessment if you develop:

– Significant or progressively increasing pain
– Increasing redness, heat or swelling around the injection site
– Fever or a high temperature
– Chills or shivering
– Feeling suddenly or generally unwell

Contact your GP, NHS 111 or an appropriate urgent medical service. If symptoms are severe or you are significantly unwell, attend A&E.

Do not wait for your next appointment if you are concerned about infection.

Allergic Reaction

We commonly use chlorhexidine to clean the skin before an injection. Allergic reactions are rare but can occur following exposure to antiseptics, dressings or medications.

Seek emergency medical attention if you develop symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including:

– Difficulty breathing or a tight chest
– Swelling of the lips, tongue, mouth or throat
– Widespread rash or hives
– Dizziness, collapse or feeling faint

Call 999 if you have difficulty breathing, significant swelling, collapse or other symptoms of a severe allergic reaction. Do not drive yourself to hospital.

If you know that you have an allergy to chlorhexidine, medications, dressings or other medical products, please tell your clinician before treatment.

Why Infection Risk Is Low

All injections at Cheshire Joint Injections are performed using an aseptic technique designed to minimize the risk of introducing microorganisms into the body.

Sterile needles, syringes and appropriate sterile equipment are used, and the skin is cleaned with an antiseptic solution before the procedure. Additional sterile precautions are used where appropriate for more complex procedures.

No injection that breaches the skin can be completely free of infection risk, but infection following musculoskeletal injection is uncommon.

Ultrasound Guidance

Our musculoskeletal injections are performed using ultrasound guidance.

Ultrasound allows the clinician to visualize the target and surrounding anatomy during the procedure. This helps with accurate needle placement and allows important nearby structures, such as blood vessels, nerves and tendons, to be identified and avoided where appropriate.

Your Specific Injection

This page provides general aftercare advice.

Different treatments have their own expected effects, risks and aftercare considerations. Please also read the information provided for the specific treatment you received.

If your clinician has given you advice that differs from the general guidance above, follow the individualized advice provided to you.