- 023-8218-2416
- info@physio-soton.co.uk
- 297 High Street, Eastleigh, SO50 5NB
- Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10:00 - 20:00, Sat 10:00-15:00
An ultrasound guided injection at Physio Soton in Eastleigh starts with a £60 consultation, with injections from £225. The same clinician assesses you, scans the joint and guides the needle under live imaging, often in a single visit, with no GP referral needed.
An ultrasound guided injection is an injection into a joint, bursa, tendon sheath or soft tissue, performed while the clinician watches the needle on a live ultrasound screen. The imaging shows exactly where the needle tip is, so the medication reaches the intended structure rather than somewhere nearby.
The most common example is a guided cortisone injection, which delivers a corticosteroid and local anaesthetic to calm inflammation. The same technique is used for hyaluronic acid, Arthrosamid, prolotherapy, hydrodilatation for frozen shoulder, barbotage for calcium deposits, and draining excess fluid from a swollen joint.
A useful way to picture a joint injection: the medication does not go into the bone or cartilage. It goes into the small fluid filled space inside the joint capsule, rather like filling a balloon, so it bathes the joint surfaces.
Professional US systems at Physio Soton clinic.
A guided injection works in three stages. The joint is scanned to confirm the target. The skin is cleaned and numbed. Then the needle is advanced while the clinician watches it on screen, adjusting its path until the tip sits in the correct space before any medication is released.
That live view matters because the targets are small, sometimes only a few millimetres, and every person’s anatomy differs slightly. Ultrasound also shows nerves and blood vessels near the needle path, so they can be avoided.
There is a second, less well-known benefit. An injection can help confirm a diagnosis. If local anaesthetic placed into one specific structure, such as a bursa, relieves the pain, it strongly suggests that structure was the source.
The right injection depends on what the scan shows, not on what was booked. Here is how the main options compare.
| Treatment | Best suited to | How it works | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steroid (cortisone) injection | Inflammation, bursitis, flare of arthritis | Calms inflammation quickly | £250 |
| Hyaluronic acid | Osteoarthritis | Supplements joint lubrication | From £350 |
| Arthrosamid | Knee osteoarthritis | Hydrogel implant for longer relief | £2,600 |
| KioMedine | Knee osteoarthritis | Chitosan based implant | Ask at consultation |
| Prolotherapy | Chronic tendon and ligament pain | Dextrose to stimulate a healing response | £225 |
| Hydrodilatation | Frozen shoulder | Stretches the tight capsule with fluid | £495 |
| Barbotage with lavage | Calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder | Breaks up and washes out calcium | £460 |
| Joint aspiration | A swollen joint | Drains excess fluid | £80 |
For stubborn tendon problems, high-volume injections and fenestration are also used. See our Achilles tendon and heel pain pages.
We perform ultrasound guided injections for most joints and soft tissues outside the spine.
A blind injection, also called landmark-guided, is placed by feeling the bony landmarks and estimating where the target lies. A guided injection is placed while watching the needle. Guidance is more accurate, and it lets the clinician see unexpected findings before injecting, such as a torn tendon or a cyst.
Deep joints such as the hip benefit most, because the target cannot be felt through the tissue.
Here is the honest part that most clinics leave out. More accurate placement does not always mean a better result. A large UK trial summarised by the NIHR found that for steroid injections into the space above the rotator cuff, guided injections were no more beneficial than unguided ones.
So why guide every injection here? Because guidance confirms the diagnosis at the same time and avoids nearby nerves and blood vessels. It is also essential for hydrodilatation, barbotage and Arthrosamid, which cannot be done safely by feel.
Ultrasound guided injections work well for reducing pain in the right conditions, but they are rarely a cure on their own. Steroid injections in particular give meaningful short term relief. Their real value is creating a window where pain is low enough for rehabilitation to work.
The evidence supports that framing. A large UK trial of rotator cuff pain, summarised by the NIHR, found a steroid injection reduced pain and disability at eight weeks, but made no difference by twelve months.
For arthritis, injections do not reverse joint damage. Weight loss, where relevant, and a structured exercise programme are what slow progression. The GLA:D programme, developed in Denmark, is one well-known example of that exercise-based approach.
Our aim is always the same. Use the injection to settle pain, then build strength so it does not come straight back.
Most people find the injection much less painful than they expected. You feel a sharp scratch as the skin is numbed, then pressure or a dull ache as the needle reaches the target. Because the needle goes to the right place first time, there is usually no need for repeated attempts.
Deeper injections, such as the hip, can feel more like a heavy pressure than a sharp pain. Hydrodilatation causes a feeling of fullness in the shoulder as the fluid stretches the capsule.
If you are anxious about needles, tell us at booking. The procedure can be paced, and you can stop at any point.
A typical injection appointment lasts about 30 minutes, plus the observation period.
It depends on what is injected. Local anaesthetic often gives relief within minutes, but it wears off after a few hours. The treatment itself then takes effect over days or weeks.
| Treatment | Relief usually begins |
|---|---|
| Steroid injection | 5 to 7 days, peak at 2 to 3 weeks |
| Hyaluronic acid | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Hydrodilatation | Improved movement within days |
| Barbotage | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Arthrosamid | Gradually, up to 12 weeks for full benefit |
It is normal for pain to return briefly once the anaesthetic wears off, before the steroid starts working.
A steroid injection typically lasts from six weeks to six months. Hyaluronic acid often lasts six to twelve months. Arthrosamid is designed to give relief for many months and often years from a single treatment. Barbotage for calcium deposits typically gives long-term results.
How long relief lasts depends heavily on what you do afterwards. People who use the pain-free window to rebuild strength usually do better than those who simply wait.
For safety, we recommend no more than three steroid injections a year into the same joint, because repeated injections can weaken cartilage and tendons.
Most people return to normal daily activities the same day or the next. We advise avoiding strenuous exercise and heavy lifting with the injected joint for a few days, then easing back in with guidance.
What to expect in the first days:
Continue your usual medication unless told otherwise.
Seek medical advice promptly if pain becomes much worse than before the injection, you develop a fever, or the injected joint becomes hot, red and swollen. Infection after an injection is very rare, but it needs urgent attention.
The risks are low, and most side effects are mild and short lived. The most common is soreness for two or three days. Serious complications, such as joint infection, are very rare, which is why every injection is carried out with strict aseptic technique.
Other possible effects of a steroid injection:
Tell us before your appointment if you take blood-thinning medication, have diabetes, have an infection, or have reacted badly to an injection before. We will advise whether it is safe to proceed.
In a hospital, the injection is usually performed by a radiologist, often after you have seen a consultant separately. That can mean two or three visits and several different clinicians.
At Physio Soton, the same person assesses, scans and injects. Marek Czeladzki MSc, PGCert (Ultrasound), HCPC (PH83097), MCSP, IP is a Chartered Physiotherapist, musculoskeletal sonographer and Independent Prescriber. Independent prescribing allows him to prescribe and administer the medication himself, without a doctor’s referral.
He trained in ultrasound guided injections at the University of Essex and completed advanced cadaveric injection training. He trained in musculoskeletal ultrasound under Professor Saulius Rutkauskas MD PhD of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology. He is a member of the British Medical Ultrasound Society and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.
Physio Soton is also a supervised clinical training site for MSK ultrasound students. Read about our MSK ultrasound teaching clinic.
The NHS does offer guided injections, usually after a GP referral into a musculoskeletal or hospital service. Availability and waiting times vary by area. NHS England aims for at least 78 percent of community MSK activity to happen within 18 weeks by the end of 2026 to 2027. That target is set out in its adult community MSK service specification.
Privately, you can book directly with no referral. At our clinic, assessment and injection can often happen in the same appointment, usually within days.
Many patients use both. They stay on an NHS pathway while getting private treatment to manage the pain in the meantime.
Treatment at our Eastleigh clinic starts with a £60 consultation. Injections range from £225 for prolotherapy and £250 for a steroid injection, up to £495 for hydrodilatation. Ultrasound guidance is included in the injection price rather than charged as an extra.
You will always know the total cost before anything is agreed, and if an injection is not appropriate, you will not be charged for one. Full details are on our injection prices page.
Physio Soton is at 297 High Street, Eastleigh, SO50 5NB, just off Junction 12 of the M3 with free parking nearby. We provide ultrasound guided injections for patients across Hampshire, with appointments usually available within days.
Patients regularly travel to us from:
Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 15:00.
The injection itself takes only a few minutes. The whole appointment, including assessment and preparation, usually takes about 30 minutes, followed by a 15 minute observation period before you leave.
Usually, yes. If the local anaesthetic leaves the limb numb or weak, wait until it wears off before driving. This is most relevant after hip, knee and foot injections, so you may prefer to arrange a lift.
Many people need only one. Some conditions respond better to a course of treatment, such as prolotherapy. For steroid injections, we recommend no more than three per year into the same joint.
No. You can book a consultation directly online or by phone. We are happy to send a report to your GP afterwards.
Yes. If local anaesthetic placed into one specific structure relieves the pain, it strongly suggests that structure is the source. This can clarify a diagnosis when the scan alone is not conclusive.
Aspiration means draining excess fluid from a swollen joint with a needle under ultrasound guidance. It relieves pressure and pain and is often combined with an injection in the same visit. It costs £80.
Usually, yes. An injection reduces pain but does not rebuild strength or correct the cause. Rehabilitation afterwards is what makes the improvement last.
Usually, yes, with some care. Steroids can temporarily raise blood sugar, so tell us beforehand and monitor your levels for a few days afterwards.
If pain has not settled with rest, medication or exercise, an ultrasound guided injection may help, but only once the cause is clear. Book a £60 consultation for an honest assessment, a clear diagnosis and, where appropriate, treatment the same day.
Call 023 8218 2416 or book online. Physio Soton, 297 High Street, Eastleigh, SO50 5NB.
