Have you wondered if you should get a Cortisone injection to fix it?

Physiotherapist Lauren is our shoulder expert. This is what she has to say about Cortisone injections and specifically whether or not you should get one in your shoulder.

Cortisone we know is a very effective drug when it comes to relieving pain and inflammation, sounds like a wonder drug doesn’t it? However, everyone’s shoulder is different. Most people we see in the clinic don’t normally require a cortisone injection. In some cases it is very effective at settling shoulder pain and discomfort to allow you to progress through a rehab program to address the cause of your injury.

Cortisone can act to accelerate the process of tendon degeneration and the negative outcomes of a Cortisone injection can actually outweigh that positive analgesic effect that you have.

In most cases that require conservative management, we recommend a thorough shoulder assessment and acting on your Physiotherapy treatment plan that we develop with you for a minimum of 6 weeks. This is often a combination of manual therapy and exercise based intervention.  If at this time your shoulder still remains very painful, it might be appropriate to discuss the role of a cortisone injection. Often conservative management can give you the same analgesic effect that a Cortisone would without those negative long-term consequences.

Written by Lauren Gradwell APA Sports & Exercise Physiotherapist

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