Diagnostic Injections
Diagnostic injections help identify the exact source of pain and guide the most effective treatment.
- Consultation and explanation
- Targeted testing approach
- Clear next steps
Discuss the findings with your clinician to decide on the right treatment plan.
Diagnostic Injections at the Foot & Ankle Centre are a highly effective tool used to accurately identify the source of foot and ankle pain when clinical examination and imaging alone are inconclusive. By temporarily numbing a specific joint, tendon, nerve, or soft-tissue structure, diagnostic injections help confirm which area is responsible for a patient’s symptoms.
FAQs
They involve placing a local anaesthetic into a specific structure of the foot or ankle to temporarily block pain. If symptoms improve, it confirms that area as the source of pain.
They are used when pain is difficult to localise or when multiple structures could be responsible. Diagnostic injections guide accurate treatment decisions.
Forefoot pain (e.g., Morton’s neuroma or joint pain), ankle arthritis, tendon or ligament pain, nerve entrapment, post-injury or post-surgical pain, and chronic unexplained foot or ankle pain.
The clinician uses assessment and often ultrasound guidance to place a small amount of local anaesthetic into the suspected area for accuracy and safety.
Discomfort is minimal. A fine needle is used and the procedure is quick; most patients tolerate it very well.
The numbing effect typically lasts a few hours and is used to confirm diagnosis rather than provide long-term pain control.
You may be asked to walk, stand, or perform movements that usually cause pain. Your response helps confirm whether the injected structure is responsible.
No. Diagnostic injections usually contain local anaesthetic only; steroid injections are therapeutic and designed to reduce inflammation over a longer period.
Yes. Risks are very low and may include temporary soreness, bruising, or mild swelling. Ultrasound guidance further reduces risk.
Book via the Foot & Ankle Centre website, phone, or online enquiry form. Our specialists will assess whether a diagnostic injection is appropriate for your condition.
These injections are often performed under ultrasound guidance to ensure precise placement and maximum diagnostic accuracy. They are commonly used to assess complex or overlapping conditions such as forefoot pain, ankle arthritis, tendon disorders, nerve entrapments, and chronic pain that has not responded to standard treatment.
By pinpointing the exact pain generator, diagnostic injections allow our specialists to create targeted, evidence-based treatment plans—whether that involves rehabilitation, orthotics, injections, or surgery. At the Foot & Ankle Centre, diagnostic injections play a key role in reducing uncertainty, avoiding unnecessary procedures, and achieving better long-term outcomes.