Procedure & Treatment Library

Bursa Injection (Interspinous / Ischial)

Bursa are small pockets of fluid located around the joints where muscles and tendons glide over bones. Their function is to decrease the friction between the two surfaces as they move in different directions.

Bursa can become inflamed (bursitis), leading to swelling and pain. Common causes of bursitis are repetitive movements, prolonged excessive pressure or injury. A bursa injection involves the injection of local anaesthetic and steroid into the bursa to reduce pain due to bursitis. Our doctors do injections into the interspinous bursa or ischial bursa:

The injection procedure is performed in the day surgery using an X-ray machine.

Dlycin1 x0 a ee j8q
Image courtesy of patrisyu at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Prior to the Procedure

What Will Happen?

  1. You will be admitted to the day surgery by a nurse and you will be asked to change into a gown.
  2. The anaesthetist will speak with you and place a cannula (plastic needle) into a vein in your hand.
  3. In the procedure room, you will be assisted to position on the procedure table lying on your abdomen with a pillow under your hips and abdomen.
  4. The anaesthetist will give you some sedation into your vein.
  5. An X-ray machine will be used to determine where the doctor will place the needle for your procedure.
  6. Local anaesthetic and sometimes also corticosteroid will be injected into the bursa, once correct needle placement has been established with use of X-ray. The procedure will take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
  7. After the procedure, you will be placed on a trolley and taken to recovery, where you will remain for approximately 1 hour.
  8. After having something to eat and drink, you will be discharged with a carer.

Post Procedure

If you require further explanation of the procedure, please contact Hunter Pain Specialists nursing staff on (02) 4985 1800.

Get in Touch

If you would like to make an appointment or have any questions, we’d like to hear from you.

Contact Us

Stay in the Loop

Keep up to date with pain treatment news.