Ultrasound Guided Injection in Sharjah
Medically reviewed by Dar Al Kamal Team
What is an image-guided injection?
An image-guided injection is a targeted injection in which the needle is steered by imaging rather than placed by feel. A radiologist, a doctor specialising in medical imaging, holds an ultrasound probe over the area and watches the needle tip travel through the tissues on screen until it sits in the chosen space. Occasionally CT is used instead, for deeper targets that ultrasound shows less clearly.
The injection usually contains a corticosteroid, an anti-inflammatory steroid medicine, mixed with a local anaesthetic. Placing it precisely matters because many painful structures are small and lie close together. The fluid-filled bursa above the shoulder tendons, for example, sits just millimetres from the tendon itself, and the thin sheath around a finger tendon is narrower than a drinking straw.
At Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah, image-guided injections are performed within the Radiology department, which already uses ultrasound to guide biopsies and drainage.
Who needs it
An image-guided injection is arranged by your treating doctor, usually an orthopedic specialist, once an examination and often a scan have identified the structure causing the pain. It is commonly used for:
| Area | Typical reason |
|---|---|
| Shoulder | Inflamed bursa under the shoulder blade tip, painful rotator cuff, frozen shoulder |
| Hip | Painful bursa on the outer side of the hip |
| Knee | Arthritis flare, or draining a Baker's cyst behind the knee |
| Wrist and thumb | De Quervain's tendon inflammation at the base of the thumb |
| Fingers | Trigger finger, where a finger catches or locks when it bends |
| Heel | Plantar fasciitis that persists despite stretching and footwear changes |
The injection is one part of a wider plan. By settling pain and inflammation, it opens a window in which strengthening exercises, activity changes and, where needed, physiotherapy arranged through referral can do their work. Your options are discussed through the Orthopedics and Sports Medicine department, and a scan such as musculoskeletal ultrasound often comes first to confirm the diagnosis.
Image-guided steroid injections are a different treatment from PRP injections, which use a preparation made from your own blood.
What happens
You lie or sit so the area is comfortable and easy to reach. The radiologist first scans the area to check the target and map a safe route, avoiding blood vessels and nerves. The skin is cleaned with antiseptic, and a sterile cover is placed over the probe.
A fine needle is passed through the skin, sometimes after a small numbing injection, and advanced while the radiologist watches its tip on the screen. Once the tip sits in the right place, the medicine is injected. You may feel pressure or a brief ache as the fluid fills the space. For a Baker's cyst, fluid may first be drawn out through the needle before the medicine goes in.
The local anaesthetic often numbs the area within minutes. Your doctor may ask you to move the joint before you leave, because relief from the anaesthetic helps confirm that the injected structure is the true source of your pain. A small dressing is applied and you can usually go home soon afterwards.
Preparing for it
- Tell the team about blood-thinning medicines when the injection is arranged. Do not stop them without advice from the doctor who prescribes them.
- Mention any infection, fever, or broken skin near the injection site, since the injection is postponed until these have cleared.
- Share allergies to local anaesthetic, antiseptic or plasters.
- Tell the team if you have diabetes, so you can plan closer blood sugar checks afterwards.
- Arrange a lift home if a hip, knee, ankle or foot is being injected, as the area may feel numb or weak for a few hours.
- Wear loose clothing that leaves the area easy to reach, and bring any recent scan reports.
You can usually eat and drink normally beforehand.
Afterwards
Rest the treated area for the remainder of the day, then return gradually to normal activity and to any exercise plan your doctor has given you. The numbness from the local anaesthetic fades within hours, and the pain may return for a short period before the steroid begins to work over the following days. Some people have a temporary flare of pain in the first day or two, which ice and simple pain relief usually settle. Some people notice facial flushing for a day or so.
If you have diabetes, blood sugar can rise for a few days after a steroid injection, so check your levels more often and follow the plan agreed with your doctor. Your treating doctor reviews how you have responded and advises whether and when a further injection would be appropriate.
Contact the hospital promptly if pain, redness, warmth or swelling at the injection site increases over the following days, or if you develop a fever, as these can be signs of infection.
Cost and insurance
Most UAE health insurance plans cover image-guided injections when requested by a specialist for a documented diagnosis, though many require pre-approval, and some limit the number of injections allowed per joint within a year. Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah can help you confirm your cover on 06 599 7777.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the risks of an image-guided injection?
The risks of an image-guided injection are low and include a temporary flare of pain, bruising, facial flushing, a short rise in blood sugar in people with diabetes, and, rarely, infection or thinning or lightening of the skin at the site. Repeated steroid injections into the same tendon can weaken it, which is why your doctor limits how often they are given. An injection eases symptoms and may need to be combined with exercise for longer-lasting benefit.
Does an ultrasound guided injection use radiation?
An ultrasound guided injection uses no ionising radiation, because ultrasound creates images with sound waves. When CT guidance is needed for a deeper target, a small dose of radiation is used, and the team tells you beforehand if this applies. Tell the team if you are pregnant or might be.
Why use ultrasound guidance instead of an injection by feel?
Ultrasound guidance lets the radiologist see the needle tip and place the medicine exactly in the inflamed bursa, joint or tendon sheath, avoiding nearby tendons, nerves and blood vessels. Many of these targets are only a few millimetres across, so seeing them directly improves accuracy.
Is an image-guided injection painful?
Most people find an image-guided injection mildly uncomfortable rather than painful, with a sharp scratch as the needle enters and a feeling of pressure as the medicine is injected. The local anaesthetic mixed into the injection usually numbs the area within minutes.
How long does it take for a steroid injection to work?
The local anaesthetic in a steroid injection often gives relief within minutes, which fades after a few hours. The steroid itself usually starts to reduce inflammation over the following days. How long the benefit lasts varies from person to person and depends on the condition treated.
Can I drive after an image-guided injection?
Driving after an image-guided injection depends on the area treated. After an injection into the hip, knee, ankle or foot, the leg may feel numb or weak for a few hours, so arrange for someone else to drive you home. After a shoulder or hand injection, ask your doctor whether driving is safe that day.
Is an image-guided injection covered by insurance?
Most UAE insurance plans cover image-guided injections requested by a specialist for a clear diagnosis, often with pre-approval and sometimes with a limit on how many injections are covered. Confirm your cover with Dar Al Kamal Hospital, Sharjah on 06 599 7777.
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