Ligament injections

What is a ligament injection?

Ligaments are strong tissues that connect the bones. Sprained or weak ligaments can result in muscle spasm and pain. Ligament injections are minimally invasive procedures involving deposition of certain medicines in a sprained ligament. The injection will contain a local anaesthetic (numbing medicine) with or without cortisone (steroid). Sometimes dextrose is injected. Ideally stretching exercises should be done alongside the injection therapy, to prevent the muscle spasms returning.

Are there any risks?

Ligament injections are relatively safe procedures. However, any medical intervention does carry some risks. This includes infection, bruising, injection soreness and failure. Occasionally patients report worsening of the symptoms following injections.

Other specific risks depend on the part of the body where the injections are performed. For example, dizziness following neck injections; risk of lung collapse in upper back; difficulty in walking following leg injections etc. Precautions will be taken to keep the risks as minimum as possible.

Before the procedure

• You will receive the treatment as an outpatient

• You will be given a 30-minute appointment.

• You may eat and drink as normal.

• Please bring a list of your current medications with you.

• Please inform the doctor of any known allergies.

• If there is any possibility that you may be pregnant please inform the doctor.

• Your doctor will discuss the procedure with you and take your consent.

The procedure

• The procedure is carried out in one of the treatment rooms.

• Depending on the site of the injection you may either wear your own clothes or a hospital gown.

• You will be asked to sit or lie on a hospital couch.

• The doctor will clean your skin with an antiseptic solution which may feel cold

• Using a fine needle, the medicine will be injected into the trigger points.

• If a small dressing has been placed over the needle insertion site, this can be removed the next day when you have a shower.

Following the procedure

• After the procedure, please be careful when you first get off the couch – ensure you are steady on your feet.

• Following injections in certain areas of the body it may be unsafe to drive. It would be safer to have a responsible adult to take you back home. If in doubt, discuss with your doctor.

• Take your regular medication and pain killers as normal.

• No need for bed rest. You can resume your normal activity from next day onwards.

• A letter will be sent to your GP describing what you underwent.

The main purpose of these injections is to facilitate some pain-free period which should provide a window period of opportunity to engage with stretching exercises and increased activity level. The need for repeating the injection depends on how you respond to the ligament injections, pain relief, reduction in the need for pain medications, improvement in physical activity etc.