Some important facts about Corticosteroid Injections

Corticosteroid (CORTISONE) injection of joints and soft tissue facts.

·    Corticosteroids are powerful anti-inflammatory medications.

·    Cortisone injections can offer fast-acting relief of inflamed joints, tendons, and bursa.

·    Complications are rare but may include infection and bleeding.

·    When administered by an expert, cortisone injections offer significant pain relief with only minimal discomfort.

Corticosteroids are a class of medications that are related to cortisone, a steroid. Medications of this class powerfully reduce inflammation. They are used to reduce the inflammation caused by a variety of diseases.

Corticosteroids can be taken by mouth, inhaled, applied to the skin, given intravenously (into a vein), or injected into the tissues of the body.

Is a cortisone injection merely a pain reliever or temporary remedy?

Corticosteroids are NOT pain relievers. They REDUCE INFLAMMATION. When corticosteroids relieve pain, it is because they have reduced inflammation.

Corticosteroids injections can provide months to years of relief when used properly.

For what conditions are cortisone injections used?

Cortisone injections can be used to treat the inflammation of small areas of the body (local injections), or they can be used to treat inflammation that is widespread throughout the body

Examples of conditions for which local cortisone injections are used include inflammation of a bursa (bursitis of the hip, knee, elbow, or shoulder), a tendon (tendonitis such as tennis elbow), and a joint (arthritis).

Knee osteoarthritis, hip bursitis, painful foot conditions such as plantar fasciitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, and many other conditions may be treated with cortisone injections.