Cortisone injections

[zenwhipper]

Folks-

Doc recommends a cortisone injection for an issue I have in the tailbone region (ok, cue the bad jokes...). Anybody care to share their experiences good or ouch ... BAD with cortisone injections?

Thank yah kindly!

 

[juniorfjr]

I've had them in both shoulders. If it hurts bad enough, you'll try anything. Gotta let the inflamation go away, avoid doing what ever it was that caused the problem in the first place.

Stay away from sheep herders

 

[CAJW]

My wife had one in her shoulder for limited range, worked like a charm. I had one in each wrist for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, smarted mightlily and didn't fix the problem so I quit the job I had spending 8 hrs a day on the keyboard. Tailbone? Bummer don't have any experience with that, but do have experience with lots of other kinds of pains in the ***.

 

[El Toro Joe]

I've had one shot for a shoulder problem...it worked. As far as the back problem...I've had back surgery twice...nothing else worked for that

 

[mferriter]

Do not get cortisone injections for pain, unless the pain is associated with inflammation. IT IS NOT A PAIN RELIEVER!!!

That being said, I had injections in both shoulders for pain associated with inflammation in the tendons (possibly bursitis) resulting from years of playing full and partial contact ice hockey including a couple dislocations. Worked like a charm. My knees will probably be next - I started falling apart when I hit 40.

 

[SacramentoMike]

And I had some kind of foot pain. I'm not sure if it was inflammation or not, but man, I was walking on the heel of that foot for weeks to avoid putting weight on the sore spot. Doc put a cortisone shot in, mixed with novocaine or something so he'd know if he'd hit the right spot. He did, and I walked out of there feeling like a million bucks, though he warned me it should take time for the cortisone to work and it would hurt again when the anesthetic wore off.

That was the end of the pain, period. It never even came back post-novocaine. I don't know why and I didn't ask. I was too relieved to worry about it.

 

[chivvalry]

Had three shots in my elbow (over a 9 month period) along with physical therapy to try and heal up a torn tendon from Judo. Didnt work. The shots did help the pain from inflammation temporarily but I ended up having to get surgery to fix the elbow. It's still not 100%.

 

[happyPuppy]

I had it on a knee a few times. The information is correct is reduces the swelling which ( hopefully) reduces the pain. it is IMO a stop gap most of the time. In my case I am putting off a knee replacement. it seems every few years they get better and better.

 

[MrTwisty]

Worked on my knees, not on my elbow. Merely a temporary fix.

 

[Larry33319]

I had one three weeks ago for a frozen shoulder. It killed the shoulder pain but the needle felt like it was still in for about 3 days. Then all was well. I am currently going thru PT to loosen up my shoulder to get back full range of motion. It did work for me after the feeling of a shot for 3 days ended.

 

[gearman]

I had it done for chronic tendonitis of an elbow. That was over 20 years ago and it hasn't returned since. I hope you experience the same results.

 

[Happy Rider]

Had 2 in each elbow over a period of about 4 months due to tendonitis. Did the trick for the pain. Just make sure you take it easy once the pain is gone. Go to physical therapy even if the pain is gone. The cortisone will only mask the pain and allow good physical therapy. The problem cleared up after about 6 months and I'm good as new. Well almost! I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[ice_station_zebra]

I had a frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)...extremely painful and very little range of motion. Suffered for 3 months...nothing worked. Finally got to see an orthopedic surgeon who immediately gave me a big shot of cortisone (kenalog I believe). Almost instant relief...pain was 80% gone by the time I hit the street. One more shot a couple of weeks later, followed up by 6 weeks of physio and I'm good as new. Cortisone is a very, very powerful anti-inflammatory drug. I wouldn't hesitate to use it if that's what the specialists recommend. It literaly worked a miracle on me.

 

[Patriot]

Wifey had them for extreme carpal tunnel in both wrists

temporary fix...surgery followed

fixed now

 

[HotRodZilla]

I had really bad tendonitis in my left elbow. I finally couldn't take it anymore and got a Cortisone shot. The shot was mixed with an anesthetic, so the relief was immediate. I continued to take care of it like I had before the shot. After a couple of months, the pain returned somewhat, but with continued attempts to rehabilitate the elbow, the pain is almost non-existent now.

I don't really know about the tail bone, but one of the guys I shoot with had been suffering from elbow tendinitis for years and had undergone numerous cortisone shots. He eventually had to have surgery to correct his pain, and when the docs got in there, he had tons of scar tissue from the multiple shots over the years.

If I had to, I would get one maybe two more shots in my elbow, but I would limit the number of times I let someone stick a needle in there and fish it around. The tailbone may be different and it may be just what you need; just be careful and use common sense.

 

[fljab]

I've had them in both shoulders. If it hurts bad enough, you'll try anything. Gotta let the inflamation go away, avoid doing what ever it was that caused the problem in the first place.

Funny this should come up as I had a cortisone shot in my elbow today!! Hurt like hell going in and entire region is sore. The info sheet they gave me said it would take 2-3 days for the soreness to go away.

As far as avoiding what causes the problem, I notice it most while riding (and just got back from a 2K+ mile trip to Moonshine, IL), so that's out....

 

[old&slow]

Folks-
Doc recommends a cortisone injection for an issue I have in the tailbone region (ok, cue the bad jokes...). Anybody care to share their experiences good or ouch ... BAD with cortisone injections?

Thank yah kindly!

A few years ago , I had "tennis elbow" that had been bothering me for months.. Told the doctor during an appointment.

He went out of the room came back with some thing that looked like a horse hypo needle..

He said, this might burn a bit....

I about came out of the chair and said "SOB ,, you weren't kidding about burning a bit, were you !!!" He laughed.

By the time I got to the parking lot to leave ,, I didn't have any pain in my elbow ,, felt good as new..

Not something I want to do every week or anything,,, but I would do it again in a heart beat, because it help me a bunch...

 

[Silver Penguin]

Folks-
Doc recommends a cortisone injection for an issue I have in the tailbone region (ok, cue the bad jokes...). Anybody care to share their experiences good or ouch ... BAD with cortisone injections?

Thank yah kindly!

It all depends on what's causing your pain in the butt. If you have inflammation, the shot will help with decreasing the swelling and thus reduce the pain. If you don't have inflammation, it wont do anything. If you know what is causing the pain, of course you'll have to stop doing whatever that is. Again, depending on the cause, physical therapy might help.

I went through a series of injections for low back pain that was refractory to anything else. Gradually, I worked out for myself that the pain was due to tight muscles (which the PT didn't identify) and it has been relieved by yoga.

If your doc recommends the injection, by all means go for it. Might just be exactly what you need. If it doesn't work for you, don't give up. Keep looking for alternatives until you find what does work.

 

[zenwhipper]

Thanks for the comments.

Yes the tailbone is my nemesis right now. Started about a year and a half ago when I sat on a rope cleat on a sail boat. Was very sore for about a week - then it got better... but still is an issue to this day on long bike rides, airplane trips and sitting on hard chairs in a pub :biggrinsmiley: . Doctor gave me Voltarin (NSAID) to apply topically for a month - but that did not do much. On a pain scale of 1-10 its about a 2 when I do the activities mentioned above. Not bad- I'm just tired of worrying about it and its slight affect on my favorite activities. I can still ride an m/c for up to 8 hours if need be - but I will be sore for a couple days after that. If you have tailbone issues it can become coccydynia which as I understand you do not want. Some folks remove the tailbone in the end. Have looked into modifying my Feejer seat to. That is probably my next step. But I think I'll get the cortisone shot first.

Tanks agin mates!

Scott