Regain your comfort quickly

To treat musculoskeletal pain, doctors regularly recommend therapeutic joint infiltration (intra-articular injection). This medical technique is particularly effective in relieving joint pain. So it’s not surprising that after an examination of your shoulder, knee, hip or other joint, your doctor would refer you to a radiology center. To make an appointment for an injection, you must have a referral from your doctor to determine the area to be examined and the goals of the infiltration.

Radimed is a radiology and medical imaging clinic offering therapeutic injections. To reassure you about the nature of infiltration, we have put together this complete guide on the subject. Learn all about this medical procedure, its benefits and quickly regain an optimal level of comfort thanks to an infiltration under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance.

What is a joint infiltration?

Therapeutic joint infiltration can consist of a corticosteroid/cortisone injection or of viscosupplementation injection. This medical procedure consists of the injection of a medication under the guidance of a radiologist in a radiology or medical imaging center.

It is one of the fastest solutions to reduce the intensity of joint pain. It also reduces muscle spasms and considerably improves joint mobility.

Why opt for therapeutic injection?

Therapeutic infiltration has many advantages. This technique is particularly effective in treating a wide variety of medical conditions. Among the most common are osteoarthritis, tendonitis, bursitis, shoulder capsulitis and other musculoskeletal disorders.

The benefits of joint infiltration under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance

What distinguishes regular therapeutic joint infiltration in the office from injection under fluoroscopic or ultrasound guidance is its precision. With guided injection, the radiologist obtains clear and detailed images of the painful joint in real time.

These images make it easier to diagnose and target where to inject the anti-inflammatory medication with the needle, ensuring an optimal result.

In addition, it is a minimally painless procedure, available to patients of all ages, with few side effects.

Pain management with joint infiltration

Joint pain reduces mobility and has a significant impact on patients’ quality of life. Corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections are safe and effective treatments to reduce inflammation and relieve joint pain.

This procedure facilitates the natural healing process and works quickly. Depending on the severity of the injury, infiltration provides relief for several weeks or months. The beneficial effects are often felt within the first 48 hours after the injection. You may need several injections.

Although effective, the injection is usually part of a treatment package. It is usually accompanied by physical therapy exercises and other medications when necessary.

Which joints are most often affected?

  • Knees
  • Ankles
  • Hips
  • Shoulders
  • Elbows
  • Wrists
  • Hands

How is a joint infiltration performed in a radiology or medical imaging center?

The process and duration of the clinical examination varies depending on several criteria. For example, the joint to be examined and the objectives of the infiltration.

Rest assured, an experienced radiologist at Radimed is able to provide you with all the necessary information during your examination to facilitate this medical procedure.

Some advice or recommendations – Before and after the infiltration

  1. Discuss with your doctor. Do not hesitate to ask questions about the products used and possible interactions with your medications.
  2. Fasting or not? The clinic will inform you if you need to fast.
  3. Comfortable clothing: You should wear comfortable clothing that will allow easy access to the infiltration site. You may be asked to wear a gown.
  4. Companion: Depending on the infiltration site, you may be advised not to drive. If so, the clinic will mention it to you when you make your appointment. Of course, if you are anxious or taking pain medication, do not hesitate to ask someone you trust to accompany you.
  5. Resting the joint after the infiltration: It is preferable to rest the infiltrated area for 48 hours.
  6. Pain after the infiltration: It may happen that you feel an increase in pain after receiving your infiltration. If this happens, you can apply cold to the area for 20 minutes every 2 hours. If the pain persists, please consult your doctor.
  7. Blood sugar levels: Corticosteroid infiltration can significantly increase blood sugar levels. This temporary imbalance should be monitored, especially in people with diabetes.

What is the usual procedure for a therapeutic joint infiltration?

During the procedure, the patient will be instructed in the desired position to facilitate the injection of the product. Our radiologists begin with a local anesthetic to ensure the patient is comfortable during the procedure. Then, we insert the needle containing the anti-inflammatory agent using ultrasound or fluoroscopic guidance. This allows us to target the affected area more precisely and thus ensure a more effective medication injection.

Why choose Radimed for your joint infiltration?

With Radimed, you have access to state-of-the-art equipment and the best specialists in pain management. Our health care professionals are experts in pain management, anesthesia, therapeutic intervention and diagnostic radiology. We are able to help you regain your quality of life with the best radiology, medical imaging and infiltration techniques.

The different types of infiltration offered by our radiology and medical imaging clinic

We offer our clients several services related to joint infiltration, including

Do not hesitate to contact our radiology center, we are here to help you regain your quality of life as quickly as possible.

Related care

In addition to offering an injection service, we offer several related services such as

If you have a referral from your doctor and would like an appointment, please submit your request through our website. On this site, you will also be able to see all the services available for each clinic and the numbers to reach us. Our health care professionals are here to help you.