Cortisone Injections for Joint Pain Knee, Hip & Shoulder | Epoch St Ives
Cortisone injections for knee, hip and shoulder pain at Epoch Medical Imaging, St Ives. Image-guided, precise. Serving the North Shore — Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon.
Cortisone Injection for Knee Pain: What to Expect
The knee is one of the most commonly injected joints — and for good reason. Cortisone injections can provide meaningful, rapid pain relief for a range of knee conditions, helping patients manage pain and maintain function while pursuing longer-term management strategies.
Conditions where knee cortisone injection is commonly used:
– Knee osteoarthritis — reducing joint inflammation and improving mobility during a flare
– Prepatellar or infrapatellar bursitis — fluid-filled sac inflammation causing swelling around the kneecap
– Inflammatory arthritis affecting the knee — rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout
– Meniscal irritation contributing to joint inflammation
– Post-operative joint inflammation following knee procedures
What to expect from a knee cortisone injection:
– The injection is performed under CT or ultrasound guidance at Epoch Medical Imaging in St Ives — confirming intra-articular needle placement before injecting.
– Most patients experience benefit within 2 to 5 days.
– Duration of relief is typically 2 to 4 months, though individual responses vary.
– Some patients experience a temporary 24 to 48-hour flare of increased soreness immediately after the injection — this is normal and settles.
Hip Joint Steroid Injection: When Is It Recommended?
The hip is a deep ball-and-socket joint that requires image guidance for accurate injection — making Epoch Medical Imaging’s guided injection service particularly valuable for hip pain management.
When a hip steroid injection is recommended:
– Hip osteoarthritis — providing pain relief and improved movement during a painful episode, as part of an overall management plan
– Inflammatory arthritis affecting the hip joint
– Hip joint synovitis (inflammation of the joint lining)
– Post-operative hip pain or bursitis
– Pre-surgical pain management while awaiting elective hip replacement
Why guidance is especially important for hip injections:
– The hip joint is surrounded by thick muscle and soft tissue — accurate needle placement without real-time image guidance is genuinely challenging and frequently inaccurate.
– CT or ultrasound guidance at Epoch Medical Imaging in St Ives confirms the needle is within the joint capsule before injection, ensuring the cortisone is delivered where it will be most effective.
– Most patients can expect meaningful pain relief within a few days, with benefit lasting several weeks to months.
Shoulder Cortisone Injection for Bursitis & Impingement
The shoulder is one of the most common sites for cortisone injection — and for many patients, a well-placed image-guided shoulder injection provides excellent, rapid relief from debilitating shoulder pain.
Shoulder conditions well-suited to cortisone injection:
– Subacromial bursitis — inflammation of the fluid-filled sac beneath the shoulder’s bony arch (acromion) is one of the most common and responsive indications
– Subacromial impingement syndrome — pinching of the rotator cuff tendons and bursa under the acromion
– Rotator cuff tendinopathy (without significant tear) — reducing surrounding inflammation to facilitate rehabilitation
– Acromioclavicular (AC) joint arthritis — a targeted injection directly into the AC joint provides localised relief
– Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder) — corticosteroid injection combined with physiotherapy is a mainstay of early treatment
At Epoch Medical Imaging in St Ives, shoulder cortisone injections are performed under CT or ultrasound guidance — allowing the radiologist to place the needle precisely within the target area under direct visualisation, maximising the therapeutic effect.
How Many Steroid Injections Are Safe Per Year?
This is one of the most common questions patients ask — and the answer depends on the joint, the condition, and the individual patient’s overall health.
General guidance on injection frequency:
– Most guidelines recommend no more than 3 to 4 cortisone injections per year in any single joint — with a minimum interval of 6 to 8 weeks between injections in the same joint.
– For large weight-bearing joints such as the knee and hip, limiting the total number of injections is important — repeated frequent cortisone injections in these joints may theoretically affect cartilage health over time if given too often.
– For non-weight-bearing joints, tendon sheaths, and bursae, the same general caution applies.
– For spinal injections, the frequency is guided by the specific clinical protocol and your treating specialist.
Important context: These are general guidelines only. For some patients with inflammatory arthritis in a disease flare, the clinical benefit of a well-timed injection outweighs theoretical concerns. Your GP or specialist will guide the appropriate frequency for your specific situation.
Bulk Billing
Available Here
All Referrals Accepted
We Handle Your
Insurance Claims
We Accept All Workers Compensation Cases
Get in Touch
Have a question or ready to book? Our friendly team is here to help with appointments, referrals and any imaging enquiries you may have.
Working Hours
Monday - Wednesday, Friday 08:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Thursday - 08:00 AM - 07:00 PM
Saturday - 08:30 AM - 1:00 PM