What type of experience have you had with them? Did it work? How well?
Cortisone shots
- Thread starter Wendy
- Start date
I have had quite a few in both my shoulders and my right knee. They are miraculous for 3-4 months. You will wake up the day after with no pain at all and then one day 3-4 months later you will wake with your pain having returned, literally, over night.
My doc doesn't like giving them because they work so well to ease pain and yet do nothing to help heal that they have a detrimental effect on healing. You act as though nothing is wrong and thus you don't commit yourself to proper healing.
My doc knows me enough to know that I'm probably going to re-injure myself anyway so she makes it more comfortable for me while I am doing just that.
Anyway, if you can't manage your pain otherwise my opinion is to get one. I just had this conversation with my 81 year old father in law who is having some foot problems, but is otherwise quite healthy and physically active. His doctor advised getting one, and I gave the same recommendation as above. Gotta love my father in law's attitude though, he said that he didn't want to get reliant on cortisone because he heard that over time you grow immune and he didn't want to get immune now because he might really need the cortisone when he gets old!
My doc doesn't like giving them because they work so well to ease pain and yet do nothing to help heal that they have a detrimental effect on healing. You act as though nothing is wrong and thus you don't commit yourself to proper healing.
My doc knows me enough to know that I'm probably going to re-injure myself anyway so she makes it more comfortable for me while I am doing just that.
Anyway, if you can't manage your pain otherwise my opinion is to get one. I just had this conversation with my 81 year old father in law who is having some foot problems, but is otherwise quite healthy and physically active. His doctor advised getting one, and I gave the same recommendation as above. Gotta love my father in law's attitude though, he said that he didn't want to get reliant on cortisone because he heard that over time you grow immune and he didn't want to get immune now because he might really need the cortisone when he gets old!
I used to get cortisone shots for my allergies. Worked great!
work well for period of time. For me, increase discomfort at site of pain for a couple of days followed by excellent relieve for several months.
They do work once or twice, make sure they do not spread to other tissue. If for inflamation stay away from Prednasone only absolutely needed. One of its side effects is vascular necrosis of the joints. I know, and had both hips replaced at 40 and getting ready for shoulder replacement.
- Thread starter
- #7
The shot itself did not hurt. I was told many horror stories by the time I got to the doctors office I thought I was about to get an epidural in my shoulder.
My first shot was about 4 weeks ago and nothing. I have only had an X-ray on shoulder I am getting a MRI tomorrow. I did convience the doctor to try one more shot hoping it would do the trick. I still have some pain, tolerable though. I guess I thought I would feel much better than this. It sounds like most who have responded have been relieved of most pain.
Never had one for pain, but it did clear up my systemic poison ivy pretty well.
I've had them in my shoulder, elbow, and knee. Like the others have stated, they work great for a short period of time at masking the pain. However, the pain does return.
Well it sounds like cortisone can be used for lots of things!
I busted up a knee pretty badly and my leg was in a full cast for ten weeks. When the cast came off i couldn't bend the knee. After some physical therapy didn't help the doctor decided to put me under and simply force the knee to bend. To do this he gave it a massive cortisone injection just before forcing the knee.
Worked perfectly. I walked out of the hospital the same day.
RAMBLING ASIDE:
The needle for the injection was HUGE. Looked like something you'd use on a horse with a broken leg. The doctor was a bit of a fun-loving guy so he showed me the needle. After a few moments of terror he informed me it wouldn't be used until after the anesthesia took effect.
This is the same doctor that showed me the huge electric circular saw he was going to use to "soften up" my cast when I complained about a hard lump that was pushing against my knee cap. Looked like something the rescue squad would use to cut the doors off of cars at an accident scene. Again, after a few moments of terror he showed me it was an oscillating blade, not a rotating blade and he could actually grab the edge of the blade with his hand when it was in motion. Doesn't cut skin, only rigid things like plaster.
I busted up a knee pretty badly and my leg was in a full cast for ten weeks. When the cast came off i couldn't bend the knee. After some physical therapy didn't help the doctor decided to put me under and simply force the knee to bend. To do this he gave it a massive cortisone injection just before forcing the knee.
Worked perfectly. I walked out of the hospital the same day.
RAMBLING ASIDE:
The needle for the injection was HUGE. Looked like something you'd use on a horse with a broken leg. The doctor was a bit of a fun-loving guy so he showed me the needle. After a few moments of terror he informed me it wouldn't be used until after the anesthesia took effect.
This is the same doctor that showed me the huge electric circular saw he was going to use to "soften up" my cast when I complained about a hard lump that was pushing against my knee cap. Looked like something the rescue squad would use to cut the doors off of cars at an accident scene. Again, after a few moments of terror he showed me it was an oscillating blade, not a rotating blade and he could actually grab the edge of the blade with his hand when it was in motion. Doesn't cut skin, only rigid things like plaster.
- Thread starter
- #11
I had no idea they could be used for allergies. That is amazing.
I had two injections for pain in the same shoulder several years ago, and to this point, I am still pain free. The injection itself, however, was pretty darned uncomfortable, I must admit.
The results will vary from person to person and also by the ailment. I know several people that have had great results and many months without pain. Several years ago I had a shot in my knee. I had relief for only a few days and wound up having the knee scoped. Even though the shot didn't work, it was worth it in trying to avoid surgery.
- Thread starter
- #14
I will try anything to avoid surgery. I had the MRI yesterday with contrast, wow was I niave. I had no idea they actually stuck a needle (well four by the time we were done) into the joint to inject the contrast. That was unconfortable to say the least. I had a MRI with contrast years ago but it was done through IV.
- Thread starter
- #15
Do these shots make you gain weight?? It sure seems like it. I am so active and eat right and can not understand a 5 pound gain in a 6 week period. I had 2 shots in a 1 month period.
My father had one in his foot and my grandmother had one in her back. Neither suffered any side effects and were "healed" of their pain.
Last Thursday, my wife had one for her bulging disk. So far it hasn't helped one bit. As a matter of fact this morning, her pain was worse than it has ever been. This was her first shot, I don't know if it hasn't worked yet or was not the right option for her back.
They are very effective, but people have to understand what they are. They are pain relief, they don't heal a damn thing and often because you dont' feel the pain your injuries gets worse, in some cases A LOT worse. Often in college football programs they hand them out like candy so the guys stay strong and healthy on the field, only to release their knee (or whatever) is destroyed when they quit playing. I played with plenty of guys like that, and for some it really hurt them in the NFL draft. One of my closest friends isn't playing in the NFL for that very reason.
- Thread starter
- #19
My second shot helped a few days, that is it. I guess it depends on the extend of the damage. When I got my second opinion they basically laughed at me thinking the cortisone would work.
I have chronic neck problems and I get them 1x a year and they work great. They usually take about 10 days to get the full benefit. As has been said they are strictly for pain relief and they last varying amounts of time. The stuff also always migrates into the blood and often times people will have reduction in pain in other areas of the body because of that.
Similar threads
