What is an ankle or foot injection?
An ankle or foot injection places medication exactly where your pain is coming from. The most common are:
- Plantar fasciitis injection: steroid or PRP into the thickened band under the heel
- Morton’s neuroma injection: steroid around the irritated nerve in the ball of the foot
- Ankle joint or tendon sheath injection: steroid for arthritis or inflamed tendons
All are given here under ultrasound guidance, after a diagnostic scan.
Does a plantar fasciitis injection work?
For most people, yes. A steroid injection usually eases heel pain within one to two weeks, often for several months. PRP works more slowly, over six to twelve weeks, but in long-standing cases the benefit can last longer. Both work best with calf stretches and supportive footwear.
Does a heel injection hurt?
The heel is sensitive, so we take care. The skin is numbed first, and the needle comes in from the side of the heel rather than through the sole, which is much more comfortable. You feel pressure as the medication goes in, and the heel may ache for a day or two.
Do Morton’s neuroma injections work?
A steroid injection relieves pain for many people, often for months and sometimes for good, particularly combined with wider, roomier shoes. If pain returns after one or two injections, your consultant can discuss other options, including a referral to a foot and ankle surgeon.
Why does the injection need ultrasound guidance?
The targets in the foot are small and close to nerves, tendons and the heel fat pad. Injections given by feel can miss the target or damage the fat pad, leaving the heel more painful. Under ultrasound, your consultant watches the needle reach exactly the right place.
Can you inject the Achilles tendon?
We do not inject steroid into the Achilles tendon itself, because it can weaken the tendon and increase the risk of rupture. For Achilles tendinopathy, a structured loading programme is the main treatment, and PRP or other options may be considered after the scan.
How long does a foot injection take to work?
The local anaesthetic can ease pain within minutes but wears off after a few hours. A steroid usually starts to work within a few days, with the full effect at one to two weeks. PRP builds gradually over several weeks.
What should I do after a foot or ankle injection?
Keep walking to a minimum for 48 hours and wear supportive shoes; avoid running and high-impact exercise for about two weeks, then build up gradually. A cold pack and paracetamol help with soreness. If the foot becomes hot, red and increasingly painful, or you develop a fever, call us the same day.
How many injections can I have?
Usually no more than two or three steroid injections a year in the same area, spaced at least three months apart. Repeated steroid in the heel can thin the protective fat pad, so if relief is short-lived, your consultant discusses PRP or other options instead.
How much does an ankle or foot injection cost?
At Harley Street Ultrasound a steroid injection for plantar fasciitis, Morton’s neuroma or the ankle is £525, and a PRP injection for plantar fasciitis is £545, all fees inclusive: the consultant assessment, diagnostic ultrasound, the guided injection, local anaesthetic and your written report.
What happens if I don’t need an injection?
We will never give you an injection you do not need. Every appointment starts with a diagnostic ultrasound of your ankle or foot, and if your consultant decides an injection is not the right treatment, it simply does not go ahead. You are charged our standard diagnostic ultrasound rate, not the treatment price.
You still leave with a clear plan: physiotherapy, a different treatment, an MRI, or a referral to the right specialist, with your report and images on your secure portal.
Do I need a referral?
No. Harley Street Ultrasound is a private clinic, so you can book an ultrasound-guided ankle or foot injection in London directly, online or by phone: no GP letter and no waiting list. If you are searching for ankle or foot injections near me in central London, we are at 99 Harley Street, a short walk from Regent’s Park and Oxford Circus stations.
Prices are published before you book and are all fees inclusive: the consultant assessment, the diagnostic ultrasound, the guided injection, local anaesthetic and your written report. Insured patients should check with their insurer and bring an authorisation number if their policy requires one.
Will I get a report?
Yes. Your consultant explains the scan findings and the treatment in the room, and a written report with your images is published to your secure patient portal, usually the same day, ready to share with your GP, physiotherapist or surgeon.
Can I drive home afterwards?
Usually, yes: there is no sedation or general anaesthetic. The local anaesthetic can leave the area numb for a few hours, so if the injection is in your right leg or foot, or the joint feels weak, it is sensible to arrange a lift or take public transport.
Can I still use the NHS afterwards?
Yes: completely. Coming to us privately never affects your NHS care. Your report and images can be shared with your NHS GP or consultant, and if anything needs onward NHS care, your consultant writes to your GP so you re-enter the pathway with a diagnosis already in hand.
