Corticosteroid Injections

What Are Corticosteroid Injections?

Corticosteroid (cortisone) injections deliver anti-inflammatory medication directly to a painful area. They can provide relief for joints, tendons, bursae, and spinal structures. While not a cure, they can reduce inflammation and pain, often allowing patients to participate better in physical therapy.¹

How They Work²

Reduce local inflammation
Suppress immune response
Decrease pain signals
Usually combined with local anesthetic
Effects can last weeks to months

Common Uses

Joint Injections

Knee osteoarthritis
Hip arthritis
Shoulder arthritis
Facet joint pain

Soft Tissue

Bursitis
Tendinitis
Tennis elbow
Trigger finger
Plantar fasciitis

Spine

Epidural steroid injections
Facet joint injections
Sacroiliac joint injections

What to Expect³

Before

Review medications with doctor
May need to hold blood thinners
Usually outpatient procedure

During

Area cleaned and numbed
May use ultrasound or X-ray guidance
Brief discomfort during injection
Takes just minutes

After

May have immediate relief (anesthetic)
Steroid effect takes 2-7 days
Some soreness at injection site
Rest joint for 1-2 days

Potential Risks

Injection site pain
Temporary blood sugar elevation
Facial flushing
Infection (rare)
Tendon weakening (repeated injections)
Skin depigmentation
Fat atrophy

Limitations

Relief is often temporary
Limited number recommended (usually 3-4/year)
Repeated injections may damage tissue
Not effective for everyone
Doesn't fix underlying problem

Maximizing Benefit

Use window of relief for PT
Address underlying causes
Part of comprehensive plan
Space injections appropriately

References

MacMahon PJ, Eustace SJ, Kavanagh EC. Injectable corticosteroid and local anesthetic preparations: a review for radiologists. Radiology. 2009;252(3):647-661.
Coombes BK, Bisset L, Vicenzino B. Efficacy and safety of corticosteroid injections and other injections for management of tendinopathy. Lancet. 2010;376(9754):1751-1767.
Jüni P, Hari R, Rutjes AW, et al. Intra-articular corticosteroid for knee osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;(10):CD005328.