Joint injections and joint aspiration in Dubai

Where in Dubai

Dr. Subhash Ushakoyala, Specialist Orthopaedic Surgeon, gives joint injections and drains swollen joints at Grand Infinity Medical Center in Al Muteena, Deira, Dubai. Tell the nurse when you book if you have diabetes or take blood thinners, and bring your recent X-ray or scan of the joint. Ask the clinic in advance whether your insurer covers the injection you are considering.

What are joint injections and joint aspiration?

A joint injection puts medicine straight into a painful joint. A steroid injection calms inflammation and can ease pain for a few weeks or months. Hyaluronic acid is a gel-like fluid injected into the knee to add to the joint's own lubricating fluid. PRP, or platelet-rich plasma, is made from your own blood: a sample is spun so the platelets are concentrated, then injected. PRP is sometimes combined with hyaluronic acid. Joint aspiration means drawing fluid out of a swollen joint with a needle, to ease pressure or to test the fluid for crystals or infection. Injections ease symptoms for a time. They do not cure arthritis, and the evidence behind each type differs.

Who it can help

• Knee or shoulder pain from arthritis or inflammation that has not settled with exercise and medicine.
• Pain that is stopping you from doing your physiotherapy exercises.
• A swollen knee or other joint full of fluid.
• A hot, swollen joint where gout or infection needs to be checked.

How Dr. Subhash approaches it

His services list includes steroid injections into the knee and shoulder, hyaluronic acid injections into the knee, PRP injections, PRP with hyaluronic acid, joint aspiration and other joint injections, all done in the clinic. Dr. Subhash examines the joint first and checks X-rays or scans. He explains which injection fits your problem, what the evidence says about it, how long relief may last, and the alternatives, before you decide.

What to expect

1. 01

   Assessment

   He examines the joint, reviews X-rays or scans, and asks about diabetes, blood thinners, allergies and any infection.

2. 02

   Choosing together

   He explains the options, the evidence for each and the possible side effects, and you agree on a plan.

3. 03

   Preparing

   The skin is cleaned. A local anaesthetic may be used.

4. 04

   The injection or aspiration

   A fine needle is passed into the joint. Fluid may be drawn off first and sent for testing, then the medicine is injected.

5. 05

   Afterwards

   You rest a short while in the clinic. Arrange a lift home if the joint is numb from local anaesthetic.

6. 06

   Review

   He checks how much the injection helped and plans the next step, usually exercise and physiotherapy.

Recovery, in general terms

Every patient is different. These are typical milestones, not a promise; your own plan comes from your consultation.

• Relief from a steroid injection often starts within a week and can last from a few weeks to two months or more.
• Take it easy for about two weeks after a steroid injection and avoid heavy exercise of that joint.
• Most people do not have more than three steroid injections into the same joint in a year.
• If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar closely for a few days after a steroid injection, as it can rise.

Risks to know about

• Infection in the joint is rare. A joint that becomes hotter and more painful after an injection needs to be seen at once.
• Too many steroid injections into one area can damage the tissues there.
• NICE does not recommend hyaluronic acid injections for osteoarthritis, and says the evidence for PRP in knee osteoarthritis is limited in quality.

When to book a visit

Where to book