Cortisone

A cortisone injection delivers corticosteroid medication directly into a joint, tendon sheath, or soft tissue to reduce pain and inflammation.

They are commonly used for arthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, plantar fasciitis, frozen shoulder, and other inflammatory or painful musculoskeletal conditions. This is not an all inclusive list.

Relief may start within 2-3 days, but sometimes it can take up to two weeks to experience the full effect. Some patients notice improvement right away, while for others it’s more gradual. There is no guarantee that cortisone works at all.

Relief can last anywhere from several weeks to several months. Duration depends on the condition being treated, activity level, and overall health.

Most providers limit cortisone injections to 3–4 per year in the same area, as repeated use may increase the risk of tissue or cartilage damage.

This is dependent on the location of injection and condition being treated. For example, an injection into the knee joint for osteoarthritis needs to be 3 months apart. If a knee gets injected for OA and the patient subsequently has bursitis in the same knee it is possible the patient get another injection in that knee as the bursitis injection would not be going into the joint.

Hip bursitis injections for example can be done every month for a maximum of 3 months before they need a 3 month break.

Timing of injections is ultimately decided between the patient and physician and this is a general guideline.

You may feel pain from the needle. The medication itself may cause a temporary “flare-up” of pain for 1–2 days before improvement sets in. Sometimes the “flare-up” can last up to 2 weeks.

Possible side effects include but are not limited to:

Temporary soreness or swelling at the injection site

Skin thinning or lightening at the injection site

Facial flushing or warmth

Temporary increase in blood sugar (important for people with diabetes)

Rarely, infection or tendon weakening

It depends on what you are treating. In the case of osteoarthritis, cortisone does not cure the underlying condition. It helps control pain and inflammation so you can move, exercise, or undergo physiotherapy more comfortably. In the case of an inflammatory condition such as tendonitis, it can treat the inflammation, but remains only one part of the treatment regimen.

It’s usually recommended to rest the injected area for 24–48 hours after the injection, then gradually return to normal activity.

No. Cortisone is a corticosteroid (anti-inflammatory), not an anabolic steroid (used for muscle building).

Caution is advised for people with uncontrolled diabetes, active infections, bleeding disorders, or certain immune conditions. Always review your medical history with your doctor first.

Cortisone is stocked at our clinic so that, when appropriate, your injection can be provided at the time of your appointment without requiring a separate pharmacy visit and return appointment.

As a physician’s office, we are unable to bill the cost of the medication directly to private drug plans. You will be provided with a prescription and receipt that you can submit to your insurance provider for possible reimbursement. Coverage varies by plan and cannot be guaranteed. ASMC is unable to submit these claims on your behalf.

Before an initial consult, our physicians are unable to provide prescriptions for patients to bring to their appointments as they are not yet in our circle of care and have not yet been assessed for appropriateness. If the patient has already been seen and it is a follow up appointment, the patient can request a prescription for cortisone to be faxed to their pharmacy to pick up ahead of time and bring with them to their appointment. This must be done well in advance of the appointment to ensure the physician has time to send in the request and the pharmacy has enough time to order it in.