Commonly injected medications includecortisone,local anesthetics, and joint lubricants such as hyaluronic acid.
In some cases, delivering an injection is not as easy as it sounds.
Some require you to hit the target just right, often with the slimmest margin of error.
Slobodan Vasic / Getty Images
Ultrasound-guided injections reduce the risk of errors or complications during such injections.
This article explains the pros and cons of ultrasound-guided injections.
It touches on how the procedure is done, why it is controversial, and alternative methods available.
What Are the Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Injections?
Ultrasound-guided injections are valuable for healthcare providers for several reasons.
The treatment’s success is largely due to its accuracy.
Are Ultrasound-Guided Injections Painful?
The injection is not any more painful than a non-ultrasound-guided injection, though.
What Conditions Do Ultrasound-Guided Injections Treat?
What Are the Drawbacks of Ultrasound-Guided Injections?
There has been an ongoing debate as to whether ultrasound-guided injections are worth all the fuss.
Ultrasound guidance allows providers to find a safe path for the needle through complex and abnormal spinal anatomy.
This, in turn, dramatically reduces the risk of puncturing unintended tissues or structures.
Even then, there was no guarantee of success.
These days, providers largely avoid the hit-or-miss approach by using guided technologies such as ultrasound.
To ensure the images come in clear, an ultrasound gel will be applied directly to the skin.
The gel acts as a conductive medium that creates a tight bond between the skin and the ultrasound probe.
This ensures the reflected sound waves have minimal interference.
How Long Does an Ultrasound-Guided Injection Take?
Ultrasound-guided injections should not take much longer than traditional injections.
Generally, ultrasound-guided injections should not take longer than one hour to complete.
you might takeTylenolto help with the pain.
Call your healthcare provider if you develop:
What are the Side Effects of Ultrasound-Guided Injections?
Be sure to ask your healthcare provider about the risks associated with any procedure they prescribe.
Most ultrasound-guided injections take less than an hour to complete.
The risk of side effects varies somewhat depending on the procedure, but overall, it’s low.
While ultrasounds are a great alternative to other imaging modalities, they may not be right in every case.
If you have questions about ultrasound-guided injections, talk to your healthcare provider.
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Aetna.Ultrasound guidance - selected indications.
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UCSF.Ultrasound guided musculoskeletal/neuro injections.
2018 Nov;18(1):160. doi:10.1186/s12871-018-0620-7
