Corticosteroid (Cortisone) Injection

The everyday joint and soft-tissue injection for inflammatory MSK pain — frozen shoulder, subacromial bursitis, trigger finger, De Quervain's, tennis elbow, greater trochanteric pain syndrome and more. No referral required. Delivered in-clinic in Singapore.

15-minute visit
No specialist referral
Ultrasound guidance where appropriate

Targeted Anti-Inflammatory, Delivered Precisely Where It's Needed

Corticosteroids — commonly triamcinolone (Kenalog), methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol) or betamethasone — are potent anti-inflammatory medications. When delivered directly into a joint, tendon sheath, bursa or trigger point, they suppress the inflammatory cascade locally, reducing pain and swelling without the systemic side-effects of oral steroids.

Corticosteroid injections have been the workhorse of MSK medicine for over 70 years. They are safe when administered by a trained clinician using sterile technique, and effective for a wide range of inflammatory MSK conditions — the vast majority of which are handled routinely at a GP level in most healthcare systems.

Conditions We Treat With Cortisone

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Intra-articular glenohumeral steroid injection in the freezing phase — reduces night pain rapidly and shortens the overall disease course. Followed by a stretching programme.

Subacromial Bursitis / Impingement

Ultrasound-guided subacromial injection for painful arc, night pain and impingement. Often decisive when combined with a rotator cuff loading programme.

Trigger Finger

Flexor tendon sheath injection at the A1 pulley — resolves the trigger phenomenon in roughly 75% of patients after one injection, avoiding surgical release.

De Quervain's Tenosynovitis

Injection of the first dorsal compartment at the wrist — highly effective for the sharp pain over the thumb-side of the wrist, common in new mothers and repetitive-strain patients.

Tennis Elbow (Short-Term Flare)

For acute flare-ups where rapid pain relief is needed. We prefer PRP for chronic tennis elbow (better long-term evidence), but cortisone remains useful for short-term flares.

Greater Trochanteric Pain Syndrome

Lateral hip pain, painful to lie on. Peritrochanteric steroid injection for the gluteal-tendinopathy-plus-bursitis picture, followed by hip abductor loading.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Injection into the carpal tunnel for mild to moderate CTS — effective bridge for patients not yet ready for surgical release.

Knee OA Inflammatory Flare

For a warm, swollen, painful OA knee. Rapid relief while the underlying picture is addressed. If you also need mechanical cushioning, we'd usually recommend Cingal (single-shot HA + steroid) instead.

What to Expect on the Day

  1. Assessment. Confirm the diagnosis and confirm that cortisone is the right procedure for you. If PRP, HA, Cingal or a different approach would give you a better result, we tell you.
  2. Consent. We explain the specific steroid, the expected onset (1–3 days), expected duration, side-effect profile, and blood-sugar precautions if you're diabetic.
  3. Injection (5 min). Skin sterilised, joint or soft-tissue target identified anatomically or with ultrasound guidance where appropriate, medication delivered.
  4. Post-injection. Rest the area from heavy loading for 48 hours. Light activity is fine. Ice if sore. Diabetic patients: monitor blood glucose for 5 days.
  5. Follow-up. Short check-in message at 2 and 6 weeks. Repeat injections are usually spaced at least 3 months apart and limited to 3 injections per year at a given site.

How to book

No referral needed — walk in during opening hours, book online or WhatsApp us. The assessment and injection are usually done in the same visit.

Same evidence-based procedure, same sterile technique that you'd receive anywhere else.

A note from our clinicians

Cortisone is powerful and safe when used appropriately. It's the wrong tool for every problem — chronic tendinopathy responds better to PRP, mechanical OA responds better to HA or Cingal, and some diagnoses need surgical opinion first. We spend the assessment time to be sure this is the right procedure for you before we recommend it, and we're deliberate about the interval between injections (usually ≥ 3 months) and the total number per year (usually ≤ 3 at the same site) to protect the local tissue.

Ready to book a cortisone injection?

Message us on WhatsApp, use the enquiry form, or walk in during opening hours.