How often can I have cortisone injections?
cortisone injections are usually given no more than four times a year on the affected joint. Most doctors recommend space between injections for at least three months. If the injections do not provide significant relief from joint pain, they are generally discontinued as a treatment option. Cortisone injections are not administered before surgery because they can cause immune response and prolong the length of recovery period.
Cortisone treatment is prescribed to reduce the amount of inflammation in the joint. Cortison is not a painkiller; The advantages of pain relief from steroid drugs are related to its ability to reduce joint inflammation. Inflammation is what irritates the surrounding tissue and causes joint pain. The cortison in the shot is usually mixed with a numbing reagent to reduce the pain when the drug is injected into the body. Many types of cortisonunt joint pain are used for treatment and doctors choose which cortisone to use on the basis of the joint treated.
cortisone injections can cause a reduction in immune response, so people with reduced immune systems are not usually good treatment candidates. Doctors are likely to prescribe cortisone injections for long -term therapy, as repeated use of steroid can cause cartilage damage to the joint. Steroid missiles are most often administered for conditions such as osteoarthritis, carpel tunnel syndrome and tennis elbow. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus reported the benefits of cortisone injections, noticing a decrease in pain felt in their joints.
The side effects of frequent cortisone shots may include thinning of soft tissue around the treated joint. The skin around the injection site can become a lighter color and thinning the May skin becomes noticeable. If the cortisone shot is administered too close to the nerve, the nerve may lose the ability to function properly; Nerve may also be continuous tingling for several days nEbo even permanent pain.
When cortisone injections are administered too often, cases of bone death near the joint treated have been reported. The dilution of nearby bone, tissue and tendon is another known risk of cortison shots. Diabetics who receive cortisone injections may notice an increase in blood sugar because cortisone delays the natural absorption of sugars into their tissues. However, the increase is usually not enough to discourage the treatment of joint pain with cortisone injections.