At MIC we provide image guided (fluoroscopy and ultrasound) pain management injections to treat inflammatory joint, soft tissue or other chronic pain conditions.
Pain Management Exam Prep
Find out when you book
What are Achilles Special Procedures?
At MIC we offer Achilles special procedures to help minimize inflammation and pain. These procedures include: dry needling, paratenon stripping and cortisone injection.
Before your appointment, you will need to have a Musculoskeletal Ultrasound or MRI. The radiologist will use this information at your appointment to help decide which of the Achilles procedures is best for you.
Dry needling is performed under local anaesthetic. During the procedure, a very fine needle is passed repeatedly through the abnormal tendon. This stimulates an inflammatory response within the tendon and results in the formation of reparative tissue which strengthens the tendon.
In paratenon stripping the radiologist injects local anesthetic between the paratenon (the sheath surrounding the Achilles tendon) and the Achilles tendon, separating the two. This removes any abnormal blood supply to the tendon which may be causing the inflammation.
The radiologist may also inject cortisone around the Achilles tendon to alleviate existing inflammation as needed.
What to expect
- You will need to bring an air boot to All Achilles procedures and wear it for two to three weeks following the procedure.
- Our radiologist will use a local anesthetic to ‘freeze’ the skin which will sting for a few seconds.
- The radiologist will use ultrasound guidance to inject a needle and perform one of the three Achilles procedures.
- You will likely feel some pressure during the procedure.
- Your practitioner may recommend physiotherapy after your procedure to ensure you obtain the best results.
*Diabetic patients who use a glucose monitoring device should check with their manufacturer to see if they recommend removing their device before low-dose radiation exposure.