INJECTIONS & CORTISONE SHOTS

Cortisone shots are injections that usually help relieve pain and inflammation in a specific area of your body.  They’re most commonly injected into joints — such as your ankle, elbow, hip, knee, shoulder, spine and wrist. Even the small joints in your hands and feet might benefit from cortisone shots.

The injections usually comprise a corticosteroid medication and a local anesthetic. Often, you can receive a cortisone shot at your healthcare provider office. Because of potential side effects, the number of shots you can receive in one year generally is limited.

Why it’s done:

Cortisone shots may be most effective in treating inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis. They can also be part of treatment for other conditions, including:

  • Bursitis
  • Gout
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Psoriatic arthritis
  • Reactive arthritis
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Tendinitis

Risks:

Complications of cortisone shots can include:

  • Joint infection
  • Nerve damage
  • Thinning of skin and soft tissue around the injection site
  • Temporary flare of pain and inflammation in the joint
  • Tendon weakening or rupture
  • Thinning of nearby bone (osteoporosis)
  • Whitening or lightening of the skin around the injection site
  • Death of nearby bone (osteonecrosis)
  • Temporary increase in blood sugar

Limits on the number of cortisone shots:

There’s concern that repeated cortisone shots might cause the cartilage within a joint to deteriorate, so our providers typically limit the number of cortisone shots into a joint. In general, you shouldn’t get cortisone injections more often than every six weeks, and usually not more than three or four times a year.

** Please note: If you are having chest pain, breathing difficulties, or significant trauma please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.