Cortisone injections

[Jalopyshoppe]

I had a cortisone injection in my left shoulder 6 weeks ago. The day I got it, things hurt a bit, but it wasn't a big deal. Since the injection, I have been going to physical therapy appointments twice a week, until last week, when I was told I only needed to go once a week. Shortly after my last appointment, I developed moderate aching in the joint. Over the weekend, the pain has increased to what I would consider severe, and I have lost some of the mobility that was gained in PT.
Has anyone else had a cortisone injection and PT combination? Does this timeframe sound normal? My physical therapist is not allowed to comment on the drug side of things, and cannot recommend any pain meds. I get that, and I will be seeing my Orthopedic surgeon when I can get in. I'm just curious if this is something someone else has experienced.
Relevant info: I won't take opioid pain meds, and ibuprofen up to 1200mg doesn't even touch the pain.

 

[budman]

I have not had one yet.. so can't comment on that.

I also get little out of ibuprofen types. I will take opiod meds because they do work, but the higher ups have restricted that to hardly ever. So.. I just deal. Seeing my 86 yo Dad deal with his back makes me think man up Bud!!

Hope you get your issue resolved.

 

[auntiebling]

i have no directly helpful info but lately i've had some back/shoulder issues. massage (not the happy ending kind, real "ouch this kinda hurts" kind) is helping, as does streching, but that's like flossing my teeth i don't do it enough

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

i have no directly helpful info but lately i've had some back/shoulder issues. massage (not the happy ending kind, real "ouch this kinda hurts" kind) is helping, as does streching, but that's like flossing my teeth i don't do it enough

I have home exercises and foam roller/theracane routines that were helping me a lot. I went from approx 60 degrees of movement upward to almost 90. That was serious progress. Part of the PT is massages. Definitely the "ouch" kind. My gut tells me this is just the end of the pain reducing effectiveness of the cortisone, and now I am feeling the pain of the exercises and therapy I went through.

 

[CABilly]

I've hear stem cells can help a lot but their use isn't very widespread because we are a backward thinking country. The cortisone is going to reduce inflammation but it's only a temporary patch.

 

[auntiebling]

I have home exercises and foam roller/theracane routines that were helping me a lot. I went from approx 60 degrees of movement upward to almost 90. That was serious progress. Part of the PT is massages. Definitely the "ouch" kind. My gut tells me this is just the end of the pain reducing effectiveness of the cortisone, and now I am feeling the pain of the exercises and therapy I went through.

that sucks. i'm very lucky my problems are currently "gone" i've never had chronic pain before, since it's gone i guess i still never have, but i kinda get it now.

 

[Entoptic]

Lots of shoulder stuff going on on barf.

Why did you have an injection?

I have had one against the advice of many people. My bursa sac was enlarge (go ahead and laugh, I know I am) and the doc said a cort injection would be good for me. He gave me the injection and sent me on my way. Had a little pain at the onset but afterwards I was told I could return to martial arts. Fast forward a few months and I was right back to square one again.

Honestly I think they’re a bandaid and will just put you in the mind set that everything is ok and you’ll just do more damage.

Address the issue and from that a remedy will appear.

 

[gixxerjeff]

No shoulder but I've had them in my back, both big toe knuckles and my right thumb joint. The only success was with the thumb joint.
The back stayed the same, my feet got worse.
It really depends heavily on a few things.
1)the severity of the damaged joint
2)the person administering the shot.
It's really just a band-aid procedure......just killing time before your inevitable surgery.

 

[Bowling4Bikes]

on knee, elbow and spine with cortisone and pt.

knee didn't help much, in fact it seemed to aggravate the injury.
elbow and spine helped a ton, along with the pt

good luck

 

[littlebeast]

i hesitate to post - obviously your doc knows your situation best, but i’ve had 3 cortisone injections. my doc advised rest afterwards to allow the cortisone to do its job and reduce the inflammation. he said to use the joint to make sure it didn’t lock up, but not to stress it (according to him, too much stress would exacerbate the inflammation and defeat the purpose). i did mostly very light stretching during my PT. as i said, it took 3 shots for me over about 9 months, but after that the pain went away and stayed away. it’s been about 5 years with no reoccurrence.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

i hesitate to post - obviously your doc knows your situation best, but i’ve had 3 cortisone injections. my doc advised rest afterwards to allow the cortisone to do its job and reduce the inflammation. he said to use the joint to make sure it didn’t lock up, but not to stress it (according to him, too much stress would exacerbate the inflammation and defeat the purpose). i did mostly very light stretching during my PT. as i said, it took 3 shots for me over about 9 months, but after that the pain went away and stayed away. it’s been about 5 years with no reoccurrence.

I think our doctors are on similar thought patterns. This was supposed to dull/alleviate the pain until PT was finished, and the PT was the actual cure for the shoulder injury (frozen shoulder). I'm just thinking that the cortisone wore off before I have gotten far enough in PT.
My PT started as light stretching and massage, followed by band exercises and some 5lb weights. Nothing strenuous, just using the atrophied muscles (I have been avoiding this injury for over 5 years).
I really just don't know if the pain is part for the course of the injection wearing off. It makes sense in my mind, because I took a body part that wasn't working, numbed it up, and used the shit out of it, and now it's angry. The bummer is that the pain is worse than it was pre-injury.

 

[littlebeast]

I think our doctors are on similar thought patterns. This was supposed to dull/alleviate the pain until PT was finished, and the PT was the actual cure for the shoulder injury (frozen shoulder). I'm just thinking that the cortisone wore off before I have gotten far enough in PT.
My PT started as light stretching and massage, followed by band exercises and some 5lb weights. Nothing strenuous, just using the atrophied muscles (I have been avoiding this injury for over 5 years).
I really just don't know if the pain is part for the course of the injection wearing off. It makes sense in my mind, because I took a body part that wasn't working, numbed it up, and used the shit out of it, and now it's angry. The bummer is that the pain is worse than it was pre-injury.

wow - we have exactly the same history. mine was frozen shoulder as well (after a major moto injury). yes, pain is part of the injection wearing off (not literally, but inflammation coming back after the effects of the cortisone have diminished). however, it’s a little more complicated than that - the cortisone shot includes a strong pain killer, so the immediate effect is reduced pain through that - it takes longer for the cortisone itself to work, and to wear off. i can only reiterate what my doc told me - stretching and gentle use until the inflamed joint stops reacting and producing inflammation to protect itself and it’s injury. considering yours in an old injury, recommend you be patient with your body and give it time to adjust. pain is indicative that things are not right. go gentle, and stop immediately when you feel discomfort. ice is also good to reduce inflammation, so augment with that, especially after PT. maybe ask your doc if he can prescribe a medical device that circulates ice cold water through a patch that you wrap around your shoulder (mine did and it was a god send).

my best wishes to you. severe shoulder injuries are a beast to tackle.

 

[Yakoo752]

What’s the time frame between appointments and what was the time frame since your last and pain?

I’ve been getting cort injections for some time. They don’t really work on me anymore.

 

[littlebeast]

What’s the time frame between appointments and what was the time frame since your last and pain?

I’ve been getting cort injections for some time. They don’t really work on me anymore.

cortisone is seriously not good long term (with chronic exposure, it causes localized physical deterioration, and you may be suffering the effects of that). my doc was ADAMANT that there was a hard limit (for him it was 3 injections in the same joint. period. end of story). if you are needing injections long term, and your current doc is willing to provide them - emphatically recommend you consult with another doc ASAP.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

wow - we have exactly the same history. mine was frozen shoulder as well (after a major moto injury). yes, pain is part of the injection wearing off (not literally, but inflammation coming back after the effects of the cortisone have diminished). however, it’s a little more complicated than that - the cortisone shot includes a strong pain killer, so the immediate effect is reduced pain through that - it takes longer for the cortisone itself to work, and to wear off. i can only reiterate what my doc told me - stretching and gentle use until the inflamed joint stops reacting and producing inflammation to protect itself and it’s injury. considering yours in an old injury, recommend you be patient with your body and give it time to adjust. pain is indicative that things are not right. go gentle, and stop immediately when you feel discomfort. ice is also good to reduce inflammation, so augment with that, especially after PT. maybe ask your doc if he can prescribe a medical device that circulates ice cold water through a patch that you wrap around your shoulder (mine did and it was a god send).

my best wishes to you. severe shoulder injuries are a beast to tackle.

My shoulder injury is from driving, which is kind of embarrassing.
I really appreciate the kind words. It's nice to have my theory validated. This is my first foray into medical attention beyond one ambulance ride. The world of PT is very new to me.
I have a routine of a hot shower, foam roller, wand stretches, band stretches and weights. Up until this week, all of those activities were pain free. This is the first pain that I have experienced during my recovery. I guess it's time to slow down a bit.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

What’s the time frame between appointments and what was the time frame since your last and pain?

I’ve been getting cort injections for some time. They don’t really work on me anymore.

My first injection was approximately 6 weeks ago. No other injections scheduled. I am headed out of town wed for a couple weeks. I hope to survive until then before I see the Ortho.

 

[littlebeast]

My shoulder injury is from driving, which is kind of embarrassing.
I really appreciate the kind words. It's nice to have my theory validated. This is my first foray into medical attention beyond one ambulance ride. The world of PT is very new to me.
I have a routine of a hot shower, foam roller, wand stretches, band stretches and weights. Up until this week, all of those activities were pain free. This is the first pain that I have experienced during my recovery. I guess it's time to slow down a bit.

hot shower not good. read what i said above. your shoulder needs cold therapy to tamp down the inflammation (heat is for circulation which is primarily muscle, not joint injury related). the cold sucks balls, but trust me, it’s necessary, and it works. grit your teeth dude, and go as cold as you can tolerate.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

hot shower not good. read what i said above. your shoulder needs cold therapy to tamp down the inflammation (heat is for circulation which is primarily muscle, not joint injury related). the cold sucks balls, but trust me, it’s necessary, and it works. grit your teeth dude, and go as cold as you can tolerate.

I was told by the therapist to do hot shower pre exercise, and ice post exercise. I have a formed ice pack just for the shoulder. Usually ten to fifteen minutes is my cool down.

 

[littlebeast]

I was told by the therapist to do hot shower pre exercise, and ice post exercise. I have a formed ice pack just for the shoulder. Usually ten to fifteen minutes is my cool down.

that is typical advice. but depending on the severity of your injury, it should be luke warm rather than hot, and localized on the muscles around your shoulder without impacting the joint. a shower is too random - and i am surprised they use that. in my experience, they should use warm towels on your back and wrapped around your bicep muscles, avoiding your shoulder entirely. and just warm enough to relax your muscles without stimulating the flow of fluids that cause the inflammation in your joint (keeping in mind, inflammation feeds on heat). it seriously sounds like you may benefit from new medical support. i went to a sports focused doc and PT clinic (both were part of the GS Warriors organization). hope you have the option to explore alternative support. at least to discuss it with another doc.

 

[Jalopyshoppe]

The

that is typical advice. but depending on the severity of your injury, it should be luke warm rather than hot, and localized on the muscles around your shoulder without impacting the joint. a shower is too random - and i am surprised they use that. in my experience, they should use warm towels on your back and wrapped around your bicep muscles, avoiding your shoulder entirely. and just warm enough to relax your muscles without stimulating the flow of fluids that cause the inflammation in your joint (keeping in mind, inflammation feeds on heat). it seriously sounds like you may benefit from new medical support. i went to a sports focused doc and PT clinic (both were part of the GS Warriors organization). hope you have the option to explore alternative support. at least to discuss it with another doc.

I'm seeing PT's at John Muir in San Ramon. They did say warm, not hot, you are correct. It feels good to me in the morning, but I can dial it back and see if it helps. A lot of the advice I get is "if it hurts, don't, if it doesn't hurt, do". This was supposed to be a 6 weeks of PT and done.
I just looked back and realized that my injection was on June 4th. It's been two and a half months of PT so far. I guess that's a more realistic timeline of the cortisone wearing off.