Should I give cortisone a SHOT?

05/08/2018

 

Limp in Leap out Physiotherapy & Wellness in Belfield provides servicing to many near by Inner West suburbs including Belmore, Strathfield and Croydon park. See our weekly blog below if you are interested in new research, facts, general information or ideas.

 

A MASSIVE FREQUENT QUESTION I get asked in the clinic is ...what does a cortisone injection actually do?
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The injections usually comprise of a corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic. It is used to decrease the inflammation in an injured area. This can help decrease pain and optimize the environment for healing. 

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Today we will be discussing a study by Sarifakioglu, 2016 ... it's an oldie, but goodie! The study compared cortisone alone VS physio alone in patients with knee pain (pes anserine bursitis). The results showed: 

 

• Those who ONLY had cortisone reported positive and better outcomes in the first 3 months

  • In addition, they had to return for more shots which decreased the strength of the cartilage in the knee joint.

• Those who ONLY had phyiotherapy had better long-term effects and reported increased function

 

So, let's discuss why we shouldn't receive several injections. There are several side effects that include softening of cartilage and weakening of tendons at the injection site. This can cause further rehabilitation to the injured area. Instead, physiotherapy will help your body during this optimal time to get to the cause of the problem - and based on awesome research, shows it will have LONG-TERM EFFECTS as opposed to the injections short-term effects. The Physiotherapists at our clinic location are able to set up a specific exercise program suited for your needs to ensure that you are able to return to function safely. This is in combination with a structured manual therapy (hands on) management plan.

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Here is our tip:

If you have knee pain, you could

• Have an injection, receive a probable short term (BAND-AID) benefit with the high likelihood of the pain and injury returning at some stage OR..

• See a physiotherapist to avoid weakening of tendons and other side effects, receive long-term benefits for your injury with no invasive treatment, avoid the SHOT, receive a management program to reduce reoccurrences of the injury and for an overall more enjoying experience

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This information can be used to gain a better understanding of cortisone injections. To find out more about how we can help your pain, or to book in for a consultation you can contact us via our Limp in Leap out Physiotherapy & Wellness contact us page, or book online here.