got a injection to "relieve pain" and shoulder is doing worse than before and doctors don't want to do surgery.
What are the side effects of a deep joint cortisone injection?
Question posted by infoseeker21 on 25 Jan 2014
Last updated on 27 July 2017
3 Answers
SpineLady
27 Jan 2014
Depending on when you got the injection it's going to be more painful for at least a day or two. What they inject into your shoulder is a mix of a numbing agent and cortisone. Once the numbing agent wears off, usually within several hours, then what's left is the cortisone. Cortisone, whether taken orally or through injection takes at least a day usually two to "kick" in. Similar to antibiotics which also takes a few days to start doing their job. If you had the injection over a week ago and you're still hurting, then I'd say the shot just didn't work. I've had more cortisone injections then I can count, in my back, neck, shoulder, and elbow and sometimes they work for the pain and sometimes they don't. I never had any side effects form the injection, but I do know that you aren't supposed to have the injections more than every 3-6 months. Cortisone isn't really good for your body.
There is also an oral version, that I've had some luck with if you want to try that. It's called a Medrol pack and it's Cortisone, but you start off taking, I believe 5 a day, then 4 a day, etc. until you take the last one in a day. The hope is by the time you get to that last pill your pain has either subsided or not.
You don't say what's wrong with your shoulder, so I can't say whether surgery would be something I would consider or not. I had shoulder surgery in the 80's and with all my neck and back surgeries, I'd say the shoulder was one of the most painful I've had, but that depends on what's wrong with your shoulder.
infoseeker21
27 Jan 2014
doctors have claimed snapping scapula for my shoulder and with all the research I have done I have both labral and rotor cuff tears I have even looked up the different tears and compared the images to my mri imaging and have found numerous images that match.
kova
27 Jan 2014
Is this your Primary Care Physician or a Surgeon, you deserve a consult. Don't you think? It's amazing how we can read our own MRI's and do the research to find solution when some docs just say to bare with it and there is nothing that can be done. Before my own shoulder surgeries, my sis worked at K2 and got me a compression shirt and it helped alot. You mention a Therapist, a Physical Therapist? It may just be my relationship with mine but boy does he have my back(no pun intended;o)but he helped solidify my resolve with ditching the chiropractor and to go for the additional surgeries which saved my shoulder, he knows my body far better then anyone else, nobody else spends an entire hour coming up with what helps without hurting because he spends it getting to know my physical concerns far more then the 20 minutes I get with my Primary or Surgeons spending the time talking(mostly them, not myself. Sorry for going on and on but I feel for you tremendously.
There is always something that can be done and to have such terrible range of motion and a doc that says to leave it, that's just not right. Your care is not finished! My shoulder would make that grating noise until they got rid of some of the bone. Can't remember if it was spurs but it wasn't functional and helped my quality of life a great deal. You deserve relief!
All my best wishes to you. (You've done the research, don't let them bully you.)
kova
27 Jan 2014
Oow,one more thing! Not sure if your squemish but it has helped me educate myself and become more comfortable to YouTube the procedures. It's helped it make things make far more attainable and acceptable. Hope some of my ramblings have helped. I personally had to stop working in EarlyChildhoodEducation because you got to have good strong shoulders, just so you know why I feel so powerful about this topic.
infoseeker21
27 Jan 2014
I appreciate your support, the therapist that I mention is a physical therapist. and I have consulted with my primary health physician, and 4 different surgeons, as well as a chiropractor. the chiro and the therapist believe I should have surgery on my shoulder and the surgeons don't think it will help. I have proved the one main surgeon different at least 5 times with my left knee alone. the first doctor that I saw was an urgent care doctor and he said I have a acromioclavicular sprain/strain of the rotor cuff. research has proven sprain/strain involves tears. again thanks for the supporting comments you guys have given me I appreciate it a lot.
kova
27 Jan 2014
Your the one going through this, don't let them bully you. Ask your Therapist who a more accommodating doc might be? They know the backroom info best, or ask a good Nurse? Thinking good thoughts for you!
janeypoo43
25 April 2015
I had mri scan which showed 6mm x4mm partial footprint tear in my rotator cuff plus athritus ( dislocated my clavicle bone about 6 yrs ago) had a cortisone injection yesterday and my arm feels far more painful. Is this a normal reaction ???
Snowwy27
28 April 2017
Could someone please help! I went to see an orthopedic doctor to see about an old rotator cuff injury. He injected my shoulder with a steroid shot, diagnosing it with Bursitis. A month later, I had to go back to get the results read for another injury from an MRI. The same doctor is treating my knee and shoulder. I told him I was had pain in my tricep intermittently since the shot and that I had recently developed an intense burning, radiating pain that shot from my shoulder to my elbow like an electric shock. He said he had no clue what that could be. (This was 3 weeks after he injected the shot into my shoulder). He went ahead and injected my knee that day (first time for both body parts to ever have shots like this). Now another week has passed and my arm continues to get shocks of terrible pain out of nowhere from the smallest movement. I'm desperate to know what this could be from. I do have neck problems but none that ever affected my arm and haven't had any recent trauma. I'm scared something is really wrong. Please help!!!
kova
27 Jan 2014
For me, it was so painful and gave no relief. The shoulders were far better treated with surgery and the knee was by far the worst pain to indure. Although they did not help they gave them to me in many sites every 3mths for a yr and a half but after I stopped I found that the steroids degenerate your joints and should be give only to the eldery that often. I am curious if it has made your range of motion suffer more because of it or if your shoulder was in such rough shape that the steriod intercered with any progress. What is the diagnosis, is it frozen? Are you able to get any PT? I truly feel for you, why the heck is survery out of the question? It saved my shoulder, granted it took 4 procedures before they got it fixed but so worth it!
infoseeker21
27 Jan 2014
the doctors think surgery will do more harm than good, pt didn't help, and my personal doctor is trying to claim it is frozen however an ortho of 36 years said it is definitely not frozen the pain is in the joint. he told me and my father it should have been repaired 4 months ago and I saw him in august of 2013. my therapist even said I have a labral and rotor cuff tear with the slop and clunking in the shoulder.
sara12345
26 Jan 2014
You don't say how long your pain has been worse. A few people, about 5% of them have more pain after getting cortisone injections for about 4 days. I was one of them. But recent studies have shown that those getting injections are no better than those only getting physical therapy. And over a longer period of time, those getting the cortisone injections are WORSE than those not getting them. I am a perfect example of those. I had a total of 4 injections in my shoulder 14 years ago, and my left shoulder, mostly pain in the arm, has gotten progressively worse. In fact it is far worse than the pain and strength on my stroke side. Every other part of my stroke side is far worse than the other side. Be careful with those injections.
sara12345
26 Jan 2014
P.S. Yes, the pain in my arm did get better initially after the 4 days of being in worse pain. But over the long term, it has been a terrible response.
infoseeker21
26 Jan 2014
my pain has been worse for 7 months. and each time I see a doctor they just make the pain worse by moving my arm beyond the point of pain claiming it is because I am not using the arm when I am using my arm as the restrictions state.
lisaj2330
8 Sep 2016
I guess I'm one of those people who's arm hurts worse after the shot. Omg I can't believe how bad it hurts. He said if it don't get better in a week then he'll have to do more exploring , as long as it's not another shot.
sara12345
9 Sep 2016
I was told that about 5% of those who get these injections do feel more pain afterwards which should subside in about 5 days. I was one of those people.
Lolly2
27 July 2017
I lifted & moved patients for 38 years. I was a gymnast before in school. All joints severe arthritis now. I have great results from injections in both shoulders. Posterior approach, diaphragm breathing and able to disassociate arm as being there hanging off the table. I do not tense up. No pain. Two days later a little ache above the scapula. I know I am looking at shoulder replacements. I more than meet criteria. I get almost 4 months relief . Dr keeps telling me when it stops you are having your shoulders replaced
Related topics
pain, cortisone, side effect, surgery, injection, doctor, cortisone injection
Further information
- Cortisone uses and safety info
- Cortisone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Cortisone (detailed)
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