Corticosteroid Injection – Aftercare Advice
What to do after your injection today.
You have received a corticosteroid injection today at The Podiatry Clinic. Please follow the advice below unless your podiatrist has given you different instructions.
Normal gentle walking is usually fine, but avoid unnecessary strenuous exercise or high-impact activity involving the treated area.
Rest today
Take things relatively easy for the remainder of the day after your injection.
Some soreness can be normal
Mild soreness, bruising, temporary discomfort or a short pain flare can happen afterwards.
Know when to call
Contact the clinic if pain worsens, swelling increases, redness spreads, or discharge appears.
Patient Aftercare - Corticosteroid Injection
Please follow this advice after your injection unless your podiatrist has given you different instructions.
After your injection
Take things relatively easy for the remainder of today. Normal gentle walking is usually fine, but avoid unnecessary strenuous exercise or high-impact activity involving the treated area.
You can gradually return to normal activity according to your symptoms and the advice given by your podiatrist.
If local anaesthetic was used, the area may temporarily feel much better or numb. Do not use this temporary pain relief as a reason to test the area with strenuous activity.
What is normal afterwards?
You may experience:
- mild soreness or tenderness at the injection site
- minor bruising
- temporary discomfort; or
- a short-term increase in your usual pain.
Some patients experience a temporary post-injection flare, where pain increases for a short period before settling.
The corticosteroid itself does not necessarily work immediately. Improvement may develop over the following days, and individual response varies.
Pain relief
If you need pain relief following the injection, paracetamol can usually be used if it is normally safe for you to take.
Continue your usual prescribed medication unless you have specifically been advised otherwise.
If you have diabetes
Corticosteroid injections can temporarily increase blood glucose levels.
If you monitor your blood glucose, check it more closely following the injection in accordance with your usual diabetes management plan. Seek appropriate medical advice if your readings become unusually or persistently elevated.
Dressing
If a small dressing has been applied, keep the area clean and dry for approximately 24 hours, after which it can normally be removed.
When should I contact the clinic?
Please contact us if you develop unexpectedly severe or increasing pain, significant swelling, persistent numbness or weakness, increasing redness or warmth, discharge from the injection site, or another symptom that concerns you.
Infection following an injection is uncommon but requires prompt assessment.
Seek urgent medical advice if you develop severe or worsening pain with marked redness, heat or swelling, particularly if you also feel unwell or develop a fever.
Seek emergency medical assistance if you develop difficulty breathing or significant swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
Your ongoing treatment
An injection is often only one part of your treatment plan. Continue any rehabilitation, footwear, orthotic or activity advice given by your podiatrist.
If a review has been recommended, please attend as arranged so we can assess your response to treatment.
Concerned after your injection?
Please contact the clinic if you develop unexpectedly severe or increasing pain, significant swelling, redness, warmth, discharge, persistent numbness or weakness.