Why is injection treatment more expensive?
There’s no doubt about it – injection treatment is expensive. We’re not embarrassed about the cost (and we’ll explain why) but we understand that there’s a big jump from what you’re used to paying for your physiotherapy treatment. So let me explain…
It’s beyond the scope of ‘normal’ physio
Injection treatment is a specialist service. Whilst you are receiving treatment from physiotherapists, injection therapy is considered to be part of what the profession calls ‘extended scope’. In other words, it is not part of usual physiotherapy and not every physio is qualified to do it. This is because it requires a huge amount of additional training (see the next point), compliance, high-tech equipment and insurance to practice safely and effectively.
There’s a lot more training involved
To become a qualified injection therapist the training is long and intense! You can get a good idea of what’s include by checking out either of these courses organised by The Sports Medicine Ultrasound Group and Brunel University. It usually takes over 2 years to qualify with assignments, practical supervision and exams. Johnny Cassidy has completed his injection training and was awarded PG Cert in Ultrasonography with distinction in 2025. Paul Hattam has trained over 2000 doctors and physios in injection therapy during his career and introduced ultrasound guided techniques to the practice in 2017 following extensive training in Norway and London. Add to that another year training to be a non-medical prescriber (so we can obtain the necessary medications) and you’ll start to get the picture!
We invest in the best equipment
Then there’s the equipment. Ultrasound machines don’t come cheap but we believe in providing the best care possible by improving safety and accuracy for every procedure. There was a time when injections were given without guidance but the world has moved on (a lot!) and ultrasound technology has revolutionised injection techniques – not only enabling us to identify abnormalities that were previously unseen, but also target tissues very specifically.
Sometimes one injection is not enough
Quite often our patients need more than one procedure – maybe both knees need an injection for example. If that’s the case we’ll try and do up to two procedures in one appointment which can make the treatment more economical.
Doubling up
Our injection clinics are scheduled to run with two senior clinicians – Paul Hattam and Johnny Cassidy usually. There are a number of reasons for this – not least because there’s a lot to do! Detailed assessment, record keeping, treatment planning, ultrasound scanning, injection delivery, post-injection advice… the list goes on! Primarily it’s about our patients’ safety and to streamline the procedure as much as possible – but there’s no getting round it – doubling up inevitably increases the costs of injection treatment. [During holiday times and where we’ve squeezed you in somewhere you might have just one of us but we always allow plenty of time to make sure everything goes according to plan].
‘In’suring you’re safe
Whilst the risk of complications from an injection are infinitesimally small, the insurers don’t miss an opportunity to increase a premium when they get half a chance and this has led to a near doubling in our insurance costs. We know that’s part and parcel of being compliant and keeping our patients safe – but it’s another thing that makes an injection more expensive.
Not all injections are the same
Cortisone and HA injections are delivered in our normal injection clinic but others (PRP and CM) need the involvement of a doctor. Yep, you’ve guessed it – we have to pay the doctor – so those injections do cost more.
Hopefully you’ll begin to see why the cost is more than maybe you’re used to – but have you stopped to really consider their true value? Now check out the companion blog ‘The True Value of Injection Therapy’.
