Introduction to Corticosteroid Injection Therapy

Overview

This RCoP-accredited course provides theoretical instruction in corticosteroid injection therapy for common musculoskeletal conditions of the foot.  The course will run over two days, followed by a period of supervised clinical practice.  To successfully complete the course and receive accreditation for it, you need to pass an end-of-course MCQ examination and complete a series of (min 10) mentored injections.  This is not part of the course and will need to be arranged by you, locally.

 

Date                                                                                                 

Sat/Sun 31^st January/1^st February 2026

9.00 am to 5.00 pm on both days (registration from 8.30 am)

 

Cost

£550: includes pre-reading, course notes, lunch, wi-fi and refreshments throughout the course.

 

Venue

Accor Northampton Town Centre Hotel

(formerly the Park Inn by Radisson Hotel)

Northampton Town Centre

Silver Street

Northampton, NN1 2TA.

The hotel is less than a five-minute walk from the train station.

 

Entry Criteria for Podiatrists

This course is open to members of the Royal College of Podiatry (RCoP) who are current HCPC registered Podiatrists and who hold current certification in local anaesthesia (POM-A).

 

Programme Outline

• Introduction to the course
• Anatomy – spotter
• Evidenced-based practice for injection therapy
• Legislation/medical ethics
• The pharmacology and physiology of steroids
• Injection techniques and regimen
• Surface anatomy
• Other injectables
• Outcomes/complications
• Logbook/mentoring
• Exam: 30-minute paper

Aims

• To introduce clinicians to the advanced skills of injection therapy
• To instruct in the legal and ethical considerations of injection therapy
• To teach the principles of pharmacology of the drugs used
• To review functional and surface anatomy
• To review the aetiology and pathology of common foot problems
• To advise on the indications/contraindications of injection therapy

 

Learning outcomes

 By the end of the course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate advanced clinical reasoning
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of injection therapy
• Critically evaluate injection therapy as an adjunct to other treatments
• Competently select patients suitable for injection therapy
• Communicate effectively with colleagues regarding treatment choice
• Discuss good aseptic techniques in the application of the treatment
• Recognise the warning signs of adverse drug reactions
• Initiate appropriate management for adverse reactions
• Define all aspects of post-injection aftercare and rehabilitation

 

Pre-Course Reading

A full course pack will be issued (via Dropbox) covering the main areas of study.  The key document to read is the CPD article by Dr Kilmartin, with additional papers for further reading.  A sound understanding of anatomy is key to successful injection therapy, and I strongly suggest that you refresh your knowledge.  Day one, we have an anatomy spotter!  Day two, we have a heel-pain spotter.  Look out for my YouTube channel (search ‘PodSurgeon’) for injection therapy videos.

 

Post-Course Supervision

Some delegates will be taking the two-day course as part of their overall CPD without wanting to undertake mentorship in injection techniques.  For those delegates who are planning to incorporate injection therapy into their clinical practice, before the period of mentored supervision starts, the delegate must also be able to produce:

• Current certificate in basic life support (BLS)
• Current certificate of vaccination for hepatitis B

Prior to undertaking supervised injections, please supply written confirmation of an appropriate mentor/s who has/have agreed to supervise your clinical practice for a minimum of 10 injections.  The mentor can be any doctor or clinician who regularly undertakes injection therapy for foot pathology.  Once all 10 injections have been performed, details of the supervision should be sent to me.  Subject to RCoP confirmation, delegates will receive accreditation and annotation on completion of the course.

 

Booking

To apply, please request a booking form and return it by email or post.  Please send supporting documentation, if available, together with your application form.  If you have any further questions, please e-mail me at podsurgeon@hotmail.com.

 

Terms & Conditions

1. Delegate cancellation policy: £50 deductible more than one month prior to the commencement of the course.  After this, no refund is available, but deferment MAY be possible for the next course.
2. I will endeavour to avoid course cancellation wherever possible. Delegates must, however, understand that in exceptional circumstances, courses may have to be cancelled.  In such an event, the delegate fee will be fully refunded.  Course cancellations occur rarely but remain a possibility.
3. I reserve the right to adjust, amend or change course programmes as I deem appropriate. This is to ensure we can meet the needs of each group flexibly.
4. Accommodation is NOT included in the course fee. Favourable rates at the Mercure (Park Inn) have been negotiated (spaces permitting).  Guests will need to call the hotel at 01604 739988, select option 1, and use “Podiatry” as the reference code.
   £105 for single occupancy and £115 for double occupancy, including breakfast and parking.