PRIVATE GP PRACTICE IN MARLOW
EXPERIENCED, FRIENDLY & SKILLED DOCTORS. MODERN MEDICINE WITH TRADITIONAL VALUES.
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Joints and
Injuries
Dr Andrew Jackson is a fully qualified and experienced General Medical Practitioner who has a special interest in Sports, Exercise, and Musculoskeletal Medicine (MSK), including the care of Joints, Bones, and Muscles.
He is also fully qualified and experienced in joint and soft tissue injections for musculoskeletal conditions and other minor procedures.
Why our patients
recommend us
☑️ Arthritis Management
☑️ Pain Relief
☑️ Mobility Improvement
☑️ Inflammation Reduction
☑️ Joint Health Focus
Dr Jackson has a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports & Exercise Medicine (SEM) as well as offering general medical care.
Whether you have an illness, Injury, or a longstanding condition we are able to help you.
He can see patients for a 45-minute MSK appointment for £270 including a referral for imaging e.g. X-rays or MRI (if required).
At this initial assessment appointment, Dr Jackson will go over the history of the issue and carry out an examination to plan any further investigations and discuss treatment options.
Regarding investigations, currently for X-Ray and MRI tests, we can arrange 'Same Day' or 'Next day' appointments at no extra charge. Fees for the imaging are quoted separately before making a booking - so no hidden costs.
If you do need to have images taken, we have arrangements with local and regional Imaging centres for speedy MRI and X-ray referrals at competitive prices. We can arrange the referral and appointment for you directly or you can choose to contact the Imaging Centre yourself to book at your own convenience.
Considering a Joint Injection?
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Initial assessment appointment £270. In this 45-minute appointment Dr Jackson will take a detailed history, examine you, review any imaging or imaging reports you may have (from within the last 12 months), and make a plan with you
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If you have the imaging or report and after discussion, you decide to go ahead with a joint injection, this can be planned for 2 weeks or so later.
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If you don’t have any images or reports we can arrange this for you and the results can be reviewed by Dr Jackon and a discussion emailed to you: offering a Joint injection if suitable. Prices for X-ray or MRI can be quoted, Dr Jackson's review comments are complimentary as is the referral for the imaging
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An appointment for the injection can then be arranged if you wish to proceed
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Injection appointment - 20 minutes (after 2 week ‘cooling-off’ period). Prices depend on your choice of injection type and whether it is a small or large joint
Large joint eg Knee - Ostenil plus - £190
Large or small joints eg knee, wrist or fingers - Steroid - £150
As an example, if you had a knee injection with Steroid, the total cost would be £420 plus any imaging fees if needed
What are steroid
injections?
Steroid injections are anti-inflammatory injections that deliver a high dose of medicine (steroids) directly to the problem area in the body. Steroid injections can be used to reduce inflammation in joints and soft tissues, such as tendons or tennis elbow.
We will help advise you on which type would be best for you or we are able to continue with a course of Injections for you if you have previously been elsewhere.
If you have previous notes or Images, it is advisable to bring them with you.
The Procedure
After the skin surface is thoroughly cleaned, the area is entered with a needle attached to a syringe.
At this point, medications can be injected into the area. This may be a joint space, trigger point, or soft tissue target. Corticosteroids are frequently used for these procedures as they are anti-inflammatory agents that slow down the accumulation of cells responsible for producing inflammation within the area.
Commonly injected joints include the knee, shoulder, and small joints of the hand and feet. It is also used to decrease inflammation in other areas such as around tendons and other soft tissue areas.
Soft tissue injections for pain
There are many conditions occurring in the soft tissues of the body that cause ongoing pain which in turn restrict movement and exercise. Of these, many respond really well to a steroid injection if other measures have not worked. Other measures might have included physiotherapy, splints, etc.
Most of these conditions affect the upper limbs and only require a consultation with an experienced MSK doctor and then the injection done then and there. The single injection is effective in nearly all cases and can last between 3-4 months depending on the person and the condition.
A well-known painful such condition is Carpal tunnel syndrome. This syndrome is a set of symptoms thought to be caused by squashing (compression) of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel in the wrist. In terms of age, carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in:
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People in their late 50s, particularly women.
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People in their late 70s, when men and women are equally affected.
What are the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome?
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Pins and needles. This is numbness and tingling in part or all of the shaded area (see diagram above). This is typically the first symptom to develop. The index and middle fingers are usually first to be affected.
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Pain in the same fingers may then develop. The pain may travel up the forearm and even to the shoulder.
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Numbness of the same finger(s), or in part of the palm, may develop if the condition becomes worse.
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Dryness of the skin may develop in the same fingers.
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Weakness of some muscles in the fingers and/or thumb occurs in severe cases. This may cause poor grip and eventually lead to muscle wasting at the base of the thumb.
Soft tissue injection for pain
20 Minutes
£195
Symptoms tend to come and go at first, often after you use the hand. Typically, symptoms are worse at night and may wake you up. The symptoms may be eased for a while by raising the hand up or hanging it down. Flicking the hand and wrist may also give relief. Symptoms persist all the time if the condition becomes severe.
Steroid injections are also recommended for :
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Tennis Elbow - pain on the outer side of the elbow. It is often caused by overuse strain, causing damage to tendons around the elbow.
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Trochanteric Bursitis - condition that causes pain and tenderness over the greater trochanter, which is the bony prominence on the outer side of the hip. It is most common in women between 40-60 years of age. It can occur in younger people, especially runners, footballers and dancers and the pain is : a deep pain that may be aching or burning, may become worse over time, may be worse when you are lying on your side, especially at night, may also be made worse by doing any exercise.
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De Quervain's Tenosynovitis - Tenosynovitis is a general term for disease of the sheath surrounding a tendon causing pain, tenderness, swelling, or a lump: in this case over the base of your thumb
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Golfer's Elbow - overload tendon injury after trauma to the muscles of the forearm
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Trigger Finger (s) - A trigger finger is a finger that becomes 'locked' after it has been bent (flexed) or locked in a bent position. It is difficult to straighten out without pulling on it by the other hand.
During the GP consultation, the Doctor will assess your pain, review any imaging you may have brought with you, and discuss the steroid injection with you.
If you decide to go ahead, it can be done in the same appointment and usually starts with a small injection of local anaesthetic: which often brings pain relief in a few minutes.
The effect of the Steroid injection starts after days or up to a couple of weeks and may last up to 3 months. Subsequent top-up injections can be done.
Appointment including injection £195